Last Day in Antarctica, Pleneau Bay, Petermann Island & Lemaire Channel

January 16. A great last day on the Antarctic Peninsula. It was the coldest day so far but still in the 30’s. We had a Zodiac tour of Pleneau, where ice bergs go to die. The huge glaciers calve into the bay, and we sailed among the ice bergs of all sizes and shapes. A humpback whale joined us for part of the tour. After morning tours were done, it was time for the Polar Plunge. This is when guests and some crew, crazier or dumber than us, signed 3-page waivers, and then jumped into the water. Water temp was 33F, air temp 34F.

In the afternoon the ship moved to Petermann Island. Due to the abundant ice in the area, this location is rarely visited. Zodiacs went up to rocks, where you could step off, our only dry landing. The shore was littered with rocks, making walking difficult until you got to a snow covered hill. Gentoos and their babies were on their pebble nests near the landing area. Our first colony of Adelie penguins were nearby, a fitting end for the last afternoon.

One more surprise awaited us as the ship headed to the Drake Passage. Jan was so disappointed about missing the Lemaire Channel that she was thrilled to hear the announcement that we would be going through the Lemaire Channel in the bright, sunny early evening. The icing on the cake! All trip goals achieved.

Neko Harbor and Paradise Bay, Antarctic Peninsula

January 15. We arrived at Neko Harbor on a cloudy but “warm” (36F) and calm day. We are organized into 6 Zodiac groups with departure times rotated among them. Our time was early today, room service breakfast at 6 am with Zodiac departure at 7 am. The wet landing was a rocky slope. Jan felt it was too risky for her new knee so she stayed on the Zodiac to return to the ship, getting a very nice tour of the harbor with the expedition staff member Cameron from Bangor, Maine. Dave did go ashore and walked up a snow covered hill to see a colony of Gentoo penguins nesting and feeding their young, many of them about 2 weeks old.

The ship repositioned during lunch to sheltered Paradise Bay, surrounded by glaciers and mountains. Dave was one of the winners of the kayak lottery to kayak in the Bay. After donning the full body dry suit and special boots and gloves, the group of 12 plus 2 guides toured the bay. The water was crystal clear. They saw crabeater seals on ice bergs, minke whales close to the kayaks, and penguins on the shore.

In the late afternoon, the ship sailed out of the Bay headed to Lemaire Channel. We were very disappointed, Jan especially, when dense fog rolled in and the Captain decided not to risk it. The Channel only became navigable about 2 weeks ago, because it is frozen all winter. Good visibility is needed to navigate around the ice bergs. Read January 16 entry when Lemaire Channel reappears. 🐧

Ice Bergs, Rock Cliffs and Getting to the Gentoos

January 14. The ship anchored this morning off Spret Island. We toured on a Zodiac for about 2 hours   seeing fantastical ice bergs, huge rock cliffs and arches, and Chinstrap penguins. It was foggy and raining, which contributed to the feeling of being in another world. The Chinstraps were quite cute hopping around the cliffs, congregating, and then deciding to jump in the water. Others were porpoising around our Zodiac. Our guide took us through tunnels, dodging small ice bergs. As we were getting back to the ship, it was announced that humpback whales were behind the ship and so they were! Jan declared this the best tour so far!

After a special buffet lunch, the ship moved to Mikkelsen Harbor where it anchored for wet landings on the beach. This sheltered harbor, surrounded by glaciers was a refuge for whalers and sealers with the remains of a whale and whaler on the shore. It is home to a large colony of Gentoo penguins. People were fascinated to watch chicks about 2 weeks old being fed by their parents. Snow was speckled everywhere by abundant quantities of penguin poop. A pair of Weddell seals was lying on the “beach” where the Zodiacs landed.

Sunset tonight 11:16 pm. Sunrise 3:22 am

Tomorrow “boots on the ground” on the Antarctic continent, our 7th. 🐧

Point Wild, Elephant Island, Antarctica

January 13. After 2 days sailing the Drake Passage, we arrived at Elephant Island, Antarctica. The ship anchored early this morning in front of glaciers, Chinstrap penguins, and the small beach where Shackleton’s men spent the winter of 1916 before being rescued. The fog that was around last night lifted, the sun came out, and the Zodiacs were put in the water. We were among the first groups to go on Zodiac tours of the large Chinstrap penguin colonies nesting on the sheer rock cliffs. It is amazing how they can hop up the cliffs to build pebble nests on the rocks. We rode by the statue of the Chilean sea captain who rescued the Shackleton crew after wintering 4 months on the small beach. Jan really wanted to see penguins porpoising in the water. She got her wish today as they were all around the zodiac.

We spent time on deck after our Zodiac tour. Beautiful sunshine, gorgeous scenery. We were very lucky to have such glorious weather. Our Zodiac guide said this was the first time she had made it into the water at Elephant Island. Usually, it is foggy, windy, with huge waves.

Tomorrow we will spend the day in the Antarctic Sound. The next days will have abundant Antarctic scenery.🐧

The Dreaded Drake & Gear Maintenance

January 11. We left South Georgia Island last night to head southwest to Antarctica. Seas were a little rough at times with swells up to 16 feet and winds at 40 knots. As forecasted, winds and seas have subsided and should remain that way until we reach our next destination, Elephant Island. Our over the counter sea sickness medication is working well.

At this afternoon’s briefing, we were told our exterior gear has to be inspected again, because we are entering a different environment. Tomorrow morning we will be lugging our coats, rain pants, gloves, poles, and hats to the mud room for inspection. Boots will also be inspected, and the staff has helpfully left sophisticated tools (paper clips) in the boot room to clean treads of boots and velcro on pants, really!

Procedures on return from landings. Enter the ship and step through a pan filled with disinfectant; step up onto the automated boot scrubber, like a boot car wash; go into mud room where brushes, handheld showers, and spray bottles of more disinfectant are used to clean any speck of guano, seeds, pebbles, etc. from boots snd pants. Wrestle boots off and put away on assigned shelf in the boot room. Finally, go to your cabin and take off all other gear.

As we write this, 2 albatrosses are flying back and forth by our balcony. Here, hundreds of miles from any land are these beautiful birds with the largest wing span of any bird, reaching up to 12 feet.

Stromness Whaling Station, Stromness Bay

January 10. We were anchored in sheltered Leith Harbor in Stromness Bay overnight. This morning we moved to anchor alongside Stromness Whaling Station at 6:30 am, which is when the expedition announcements began. This whaling station is the third one we have seen, which demonstrates the importance of the whaling industry on South Georgia Island in the first half of the 20th century. Despite a light rain, passengers set out to the seal filled beach where David and others headed out on the 2 km. hike to the waterfall made famous by Shackleton in 1916. Gentoo penguins were spotted nesting on a mountainside, unlike King penguins who incubate their egg on their feet. On the return, you were able to imagine what Shackleton may have felt after coming down the waterfall and seeing the whaling station (May 1916), hoping he could get help for his stranded crew.

During lunch the ship left Stromness Bay to return to Fortuna Bay, where we could not make a landing 2 days ago. Conditions were better today for a wet landing. Passengers were dispatched on the zodiacs in 3 groups from 3 pm to 6 pm for another intimate encounter with the wildlife.

For the next 2 days we will be in the Drake Passage on our way to Elephant Island and the Antarctic Peninsula. Will we experience the Drake lake or the Drake washing machine? We’ll let you know. 🐧

King Penguin Central, Salisbury Plain, South Georgia Island

January 9. We were blessed today to visit what is probably the world’s largest nesting colony of King penguins. Zodiacs dropped us on a beach full of seals. Babies were everywhere, playing with the ship’s boot scrubber, popping up out of grass tussocks, and the expedition staff had to clear a path through some feisty males. We walked on Salisbury Plain among thousands of penguins to the main rookery, which reportedly has 100,000 nesting pairs. It is impossible to depict 360 degrees of penguins. Among all the penguins were lots of fur seals and some elephant seals. Jan, thinking a very large rock near her, looked like a good place to rest, suddenly realized it was an elephant seal!