A day that started early and frustrating would end fantastically.
Gordin Island
Jeff and I were supposed to go kayaking, but it was too windy so although I was up at 5:20am it would be a couple of hours before I would actually get off the ship. When it was our turn we cruised around a little bit admiring the icebergs and the shoreline. Then into a secluded cove where our zodiac aimed one direction but crew in the water twisted it so we could get off and then walk carefully up some slippery rocks. Of course there are penguins here, but they are heavily a different type - Adele. They are named after someone's wife. The eyes are what are unique with this breed. A big white circle around them. We walk around just a little and then up the hill some. These penguins should be called rock hoppers because they are hopping up a rock hill well except for the ones trying to go up the snowpack. In addition to the Adeles, there are chinstrap and some gentoo. Jeff tried to get a picture of all 3 types, but a penguin would always move out of the photo on us. When we walk up the hill we are in an opening with penguins all around us. We laugh because at times you have to stop in your tracks for a "penguin crossing". If they are heading towards the water, they are often in a group. It was a short but interesting time on the island and truth be told penguins are quite stinky and I am getting tired of that smell!
See how small the 19’ Zodiac appears in front of the iceberg
That patch of turquoise are our fellow passengers exploring the colony
Once one jumps, they all do Sometimes they shove the first one in
Adele Penguins
Adélie penguins have backward-pointing, tooth-like spines (or barbs) on the roof of their mouth and tongue to help them secure and swallow slippery, live prey—such as krill, fish, and squid—whole
Click here to watch the Adele and a couple gentoo marching
Chin strap and chick
They hunt in packs flying in and out of the water at incredible speed
Stowaway - Snowey Sheathbill
Duroch Island
As we approached our next stop for the day, we are upstairs looking out over the bow of the ship at a navigational device. It says we go 7 miles and then hang a left. The 4 of us were sure we would hit the wall of ice ahead of us. Distances can be deceiving on water; we did just fine. The captain tucked us into a small, protected cove right by the Chilean Bernardo O'Higgins research station. There is a research ship of some sort there too with 2 helicopters on it and listing quite badly. We are on the northern tip of the Trinity Peninsula which is also the northern tip of the Antarctic continent. We have made it to our 7th continent and would get a photo of us on land right before heading back to the ship.
Chilean Bernardo O'Higgins research station
They call a berg like this a dry dock
Click here to watch struggling to get on an iceberg
Our zodiac cruise - billed as oh we will go look at ice some and of course we will see some penguins because they are on the land some and they are on the icebergs floating by. Smart expedition leader downplayed the truth - there are whales here - humpback to be exact. OMG are there whales here!! It was fantastic. I suspect we were surrounded by a pod of 10 or more humpback whales. Spouts and bodies to the left then to the right and oh look behind. Oh my gosh it was an incredible half hour or longer before we had to leave them. We took photos, but after a while you just sat there and enjoyed the experience. Our zodiac leader was saying this was a unique experience even for him like maybe once a year for him
Whale ahoy
Two pictures to show arched back going into a dive and then the tail
This whale was coming straight at us when it went into a barrel roll underneath us. Left side - pectoral fin Right - whale’s underside
Rainbow behind two Humpbacks
Click here to watch our encounter with a pod of Humpback whales
We had to leave so we could all go stand on the Antarctic continent and take photos. Another challenging landing on rocks and walk up a slippery slope of snow, but it was worth it. We are at the north coast of Trinity Peninsula which is the northern tip of the continent.
Our 7th continent 😀🎉
Last Exploration Day - Active Sound/Antarctic Sound
We head out on our last zodiac cruise. We can see lots of icy patches and lots of icebergs. We head for the ice and see several icebergs with penguins on them. I learned that the penguins hop up on an iceberg when they are out hunting/feeding for a break. Seeing pieces of ice all around our zodiac was interesting. Should add that these ice patches can move pretty fast. We had one really interesting iceberg with a big hole in the upper part of it. Then we head to an ice-free area - turns out the crew found whales here earlier today, so we are hoping they are still around.
nice shot of iceberg with penguins and our ship
example of the icy waters we were in
iceberg with whole - will be that way for years
The water is as smooth as a lake this morning, so it is really easy to see things in the water and the zodiac is nice and stable. Then lo and behold we have whales - more humpbacks. First it is one or two then more show up. There is a pair that always comes up together; there are ones off in the distance, but we easily have 5 coming up and down around us. It is magical. I wished I had a boat and could just hang out there all day. The water is so smooth it would be easy to just sit there and float and hear and see the whales. Much, much too soon, we are told from the leader to head back. We hesitate - unfortunately he notices we aren’t moving so we get serious about leaving the whales and heading for the ship.
Often surrounded by whales
2 whales were sticking together - some think one was young
Click here to watch our search for whales in the ice field
Don’t forget to turn up your volume
Steps in a Humpback whale diving
Individual humpbacks are identified by the patterns on their tale
For the early afternoon, the captain cruised around the ice cap for 1 1/2 hours. It is a beautiful day supposedly in the upper 20s, but sitting in the sun on the top deck in the aft of the ship at first it seems warmer. We enjoyed lunch with a glass of champagne to celebrate our cruise. After a while it does seem to get a little cooler and we grab 4 chairs at the back of the boat and enjoy the scenery. At 3 o'clock we start the cruise back to Ushai via Drake’s passage. We are aiming to get in front of some strong winds - I like that idea. I only saw humpback whales while the early birds on the ship saw a pod of orcas around 5 in the morning. I am not complaining never ever dreamed I would be so close to so many whales!
The sound of the ship cruising through the ice is oddly satisfying
Beagle Channel approaching Ushuaia, Argentina
The Drake passage wasn’t a lake but wasn’t the horror story you hear about. The worst occurred overnight. Jeff did not need any sea sickness meds; Carol used a combination of a patch and sea bands on the return and Dramamine going - patch was better. The seas calmed as we entered the Beagle Channel, our last opportunity to observe wildlife. We were rewarded with sea lions, sei whales, dolphins and birds. Our second to last night on board we had a farewell party and saw a video of our trip. The expedition crew is what makes an expedition cruise special. This crew was good at coming up with alternate spots for us when we needed to deviate from the planned course to avoid wind or to get a crew member to help. As the cruise went on we realized a couple of the women were rather special. The tall lady in the photo is Sonna. She has skied to the south pole with one other person - took 70+ days. She is one of a handful of ladies who have really explored the continent. The other interesting lady is the Asian - Qi. She is Chinese and one of the very few Chinese ladies who have extensive solo travel experiences. I suspect she was especially helpful with the large Taiwanese contingent of passengers on board for the cruise.
Our expedition team educated us and kept us safe; Sonna kneeling on right with Qi behind here. Our leader, Mark, is in the white shirt on the left
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