Highlights: Zodiac Exploration in the bay among the iceberg - Circumcision Point exploration
We got up at 7:30 and had breakfast at 8. The first 2 groups left at 8 to go exploring in the icebergs in the Zodiacs. Our group leaves at 9 am. We are anchored off Pleneau Island and Booth Island in a bay where the icebergs get trapped here between the islands so there are LOTS of them here. We dressed very warmly since we'll be out on the water in the boats for 45 minutes and it could be a bit wet too.
It was quite cloudy with occasional rain and ice falling. Lots of different icebergs - some with arches formed by the water and wind. Also one with a keyhole up near the top of the berg that was great. I spotted a large seal resting on an iceberg. This was so cool. We also spotted several penguins that flew out of the water onto an iceberg to rest. One flapped his wings as if he was waving to us. Luciano was our driver. He took us back to the boat for some warm tea.
Our next stop is at Port Circumcision off of Peterman Island. This is our southern most landing of the journey - not quite to the Antarctic Circle. Apparently, there are not that many sights between here and the Circle and there is still too much ice to safely navigate there too even though it is mid summer! So this becomes our southern-most destination.
On arrival at Peterman Island, a humpback whale was spotted off of the bow. We were the last group to leave the ship which was fortunate as the ice and snow were so deep it was difficult to walk. So the other groups made a path and we were able to literally follow in their footsteps which made it much easier. It sunk to my knees though a couple of times.
The trip over was very wet with Trevor as our driver. We watched the gentoo penguins walk in the penguin trails and one tobaggoned all of the way down the hill. We made our way to the top of the hill. The view was worth the climb as there was a small lagoon filled with icebergs. Beautiful. There was a steep hill overlooking where we were anchored so we trudged up there for a better view from above - it also was worth the climb. Tim decided to tobaggon down and he created a compated chute so I followed him down toboggan style. Many others followed us after that.
We then walked to the far end of Circumscision Point where there was a rocky cliff with another rookery. Gentoos and cormorants are here on their nests. There was a huge bowl-shaped crystal ice piece in the water below that was magnificent. We paused to watch the penguins stealing stones from each other and move around. They did an experiment with the penguins and cresated a nest with all pink stones. Within days, the pink stones were scattered all over the rookery in many nests - evidence of how they take stones from each other. We took a Zodiac back to the ship and had lunch with Audrey and John (FL), Pat and John Dill (MN), and Jim and Ralph (NYC). Eleonore, Audrey's 82 year old mother joined us later.
After lunch we visited the bridge as they navigated us around ice bergs in the Lemaire Channel on the way to our next stop later tonight. It has been sleeting, snowing, and raining off and on all day. After the bridge visit, Larry napped and Tim read.
At 4 pm, we went to Part 3 of Life in the Freezer - the Race to Breed, which was shown in the Lounge. It has been interesting for us to see in real life what we have now seen on TV or in documentatires such as this. Seeing it in person is the only way to see it though. The beauty is difficult to capture in words or pictures. So educational for us.
We are now anchored off of Almirante Brown Station at Paradise Bay. Another beautiful setting. An abandoned Argentine base (partly burned down a few years ago but they rebuilt some of it). The Chileans also have a base here across the bay since both countries are trying to claim this part of the continent (probably in case it is ever possible to mine here).
We walked through the little village that had 4 containers turned into buildings and we watched the penguins who have built nests all around the settlement. We then were part of the first ones to trudge (yes trudge - it was hard climbing) through deep snow up the hill for a spectacular view. John Frick had told us it would be a sweaty climb and he was right. Whew - but I made it.
Luqui was on the pinnacle and we stood with him and had our picture made by Helena. Tim was then the first (of course) to tobaggan down and he helped create a fabulous togaggon run that almost everyone on our tour then used. I had a great run right behind Tim. Fun - Fun - Fun! We talked Sherman and Joan Silber (St Louis) into going up and tobagganing down and they had a great time. As we watched the others slide down, we saw 2 icebergs calve. Loud cracks and then SPLASH.
We rode back to the ship in a Zodiac with Steve. He took us over to see the bird nests in the rocky cliffs and also a large vein of tanzanite in the mountain. We then asked about the dark things floating in the water. In actuality it was clear ice - or bar ice - no air trapped in it or the air was compressed out since this ice is so old. It could be 10,000 to 100,000 years old and has been compacted so long to make it clear. We retriev ed a small piece that looked like a bird. Then we found another one that was much larger that Tim pulled from the sea. It was much larger than a basketball and had a beautiful design on the surface. Tim was so proud of it and hald onto it even while he changed from his boots to his shoes. He took the large ice to Len at the bar and they put it in the freezer. We're trying to figure out how to break it up for cocktails!
After a quick shower, we dressed and went to the debriefing with John Frick. Then Tim ran down to hold a table for us for dinner with Audrey, John, Eleonore, Jim, Roger, Pat and Regina (SF). We had such a great time laughing and talking. Audrey and I referreed Tim and John arguing politics - the democrats vs. republicans! I got Pat and Roger talking about the Queen to avert a political spat between the two of them. We were the lsat to leave the dining room and went straight to bed since is was 11:30 and we have to get up very early for Deception Island tomorrow.
We are headed back to the South Shetland Islands for our last stop. A huge snow storm developed and it snowed heavily during the night with high winds. The captain had to detour the route due to the bad storm and it took us 2 hours longer than expected to get to Deception Island. The ship socked and rolled severely during the night - things were falling off of the counter and rolling around inside the drawers and rolling under the bed. So I had to get up and secure things a couple of times. Not a restful night at all, but such a fun day.
Larry and Tim
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