highplanesdrifters

An easy crossing so far with gentlest of rocking. We are solidly in the Drake about to enter the Convergence. This area is nutrient rich due to the mixing of the different oceans and upswelling. Critter buffet. Eyes open for wildlife. Not an exciting scene, but something we long for when landlocked. How's this for following seas? 😁 A little food porn from Flavors of India night. Potato cakes with lentel Curry. Oh yum! Chicken something or other. Salad Nicoise Lobster Salad. Chef has been doing an amazing job with Lobster. Always perfecty prepared in any dish we have ordered.

Oh how kind, thanks so much JP. I was hoping to find a way to give the real feel and experience. When we return home we string everything together and put it on the TV for background entertainment. OK so maybe we aren't the most exciting.🤣

Slipping into the Drake with some crazy cool tabular icebergs. A little rock and roll, but no biggie. Scroll on if you've had enough. 20240227_181222.mp4 20240227_175027.mp4 20240227_180959.mp4

Charcot Bay, Antarctica Well I guess we won't be getting in any Zodiacs today.🙂 on to the Drake! Nothing terribly exciting. These are Moment of Zen sound on videos. I like the reveal of how the waves carve the bergs. 20240227_082225.mp4 20240227_083114.mp4

Neko Harbour, Charlotte Bay Home to the largest Getoo colony on the continent. They did not have to tell us this as you could smell them even before you opened the door.😄 A little Iceberg tour before landing. That's going to make a proper Gin and Tonic. Don't even think about coming up this path! 20240226_171041.mp4 Iceberg Oragami gone wrong. The Colony Drop off your dirty chicks here. He did an extra leg through the fluffer. Who is going to power wash this for next season? The little dude wanted to High Fin Me. 20240226_175040.mp4 Another FEED ME video. 20240226_175111.mp4 Little swimmers returning from snack time. 20240226_174642.mp4

Evenings keep us busy too. I've been remiss in my food and libation posts. Food remains exceptionally tasty. Service top notch. Cocktails perfectly mixed. Included wines have been more than drinkable. Revenue wines very reasonable. Dolce Vita Dinner at LT. What a view. Another pinch me moment. Grouper And Sunset

Portal Point The earlier scene of the seal party. A relatively easy landing for guests, but staff were in waist deep water. Hats off to them, stellar crew. One guy got the surprise of his life when a crabeater seal swam up next to him. Eeeek. We had an easy but slightly slippery climb to the top of a snow hill which afforded 360 views. Reminds you how insignificant you are. A moment to tuck in you back pocket. Landing He's still king of the hill! A base of Granite rocks. I was already standing for these bergs. Green algae Lots of Lenticular clouds down here. More rocks, me likey. 360 video from the top of the hill. 20240226_160058.mp4

Charlotte Bay Some truly scenic cruising on another gorgeous summer day. Folks are beginning to get jaded. Rating icebergs - is it really worth getting up to take a picture?😄 20240226_111853.mp4

This showed up in today's Cronicle. It leads one to believe there is more available than just an iPhone class. Once we hit the Drake it will be easier to have a chat with the photo guy.

And then a fight between a Crabeater seal an Antarctic Fur Seal. A game of king of the hill. 20240226_164134.mp4 20240226_164146.mp4 Aside from all this, a mother humpback and calf spent the day entertaining us in the bay. What lucky folks on this zodiac. 20240226_170734.mp4 All of these amazing events happened in the last 30 minutes of an already amazing excursion.

I'm way behind on posting. Days are crazy busy. So much so we can barely get showers in before the evening briefing. We had a special treat at the end of our mini hike which I'm excited to share. Whom amongst us has had a trail blocked by a Weddell Seal? Here he comes. Guests had to scatter with the help of staff. 20240226_163316.mp4 Penguin food coma kicking in. Just let me sleep! 20240226_163416.mp4

I would suggest starting a new thread with specific photo questions.

I'll see what I can find out for you. Fyi, even crappy equipment and a crappy photographer will excell in the great white. There will be plenty of staff happy and willing to take photographs of you. Even other guests will take pics of you and send them. It's one be euphoric family. 😄

If you can, post the screenshot and I'll ask about it. Or try and ask about it.😉

I haven't been able to talk to the photo guy, but he did send this information. Busy man. Looks like only iPhone photo class. I would bring your own equipment for sure. If he surfaces I'll see what I can find out.

FEED ME!!! 20240225_155913.mp4

Anchored off Brown Bluff with Iceberg Eye Candy. 20240225_125814.mp4

Brown Bluff A great landing. Unfortunately it was preceded by a very uncomfortable 45 minute zodiac cruise in an overcrowded boat. No room to move or turn. The boat was too heavy to plane. More about the reasons later. The person in the back is smashed under the driver getting constantly bumped. This was not the first time with these conditions for our group and others. A quiet word was had, but I'm not sure it was heard. One is starting to feel like Sheeple. South Georgia is around the corner. Due to bird flu, long Zodiac cruises will be the order of the day. Revolt is coming! On to happier things. Mother Nature continues to provide us with calm seas and no wind. A very fun and entertaining landing. I'm really enjoying this late season cruise with the chick's so active. We were surrounded by what is left of the colony, which us plenty. Full grown chick's not quite fully molted constantly chasing mom and dad while squawking for food was the order of the day. Big fun. Position. Our first landing on the continent. Approach, just WOW. I need some new superlatives. Unbeknownst to us Canada had claimed the island and installed their Maple Leaf. Oh Canada. 🇨🇦 Chow time. Much of Star Trek was filmed here. I think the rock on the right will work best. Sleepy Wooly Expedition gave us an extremely large area for a free roam. Hey Mister can you put down the camera and spare some regurgitated fish?

I love that moniker. It's hard to wrap your brain around the shift from Giant blob on the ice to Smilin Swifty McMurderer. Does he wake up and think....hmmm I'd like a little penguin liver snack? It's easy pickings at this point in the season. Lots of inexperienced well fed chick's trying their luck at their first swim.

Warning, graphic content. Our Atlanta friend was kind enough to share these amazing photos of a Leopard Seal in action. The seal took one bite and left the rest of the penguin. The Petrals and Skuas will enjoy the leftovers.

Oh JP that is amazing. Thank you for sharing. You are always welcome here. Same for others who have something interesting to share.😁 of course JPs story will be hard to beat.

The chick's are still harassing mom for food. This little guy bugged her from the top of the hill down till she finally chose the leopard seal infested waters over him. 🤣 20240224_171526.mp4 20240224_171601.mp4

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We had a 90 minute zodiac cruise. Sounds long? Time flew by. It did afford us enought time to float and watch the hilarious activity of these little creatures. 20240224_173540.mp4

Heroína Island in the Danger Island group. Again Lady luck is serving up Antarctica on a silver platter. The Danger Islands are home to one of the most significant penguin colonies, 1.5 to 2.5 million. Yep that's right MILLION! Out of the entire expedition team only our fearless leader Michael has been here. Imagine how we feel as mere plebians to have this rare experience. Why so rare? It is often clogged with ice, takes a lot of fuel, and mother nature rarely opens the window. On to the eye candy. Whilst many of the Adelie Penguins have already left for the season the landscape was still covered with them. Every nook and crannie was occupied. Those are not pink rocks. This colony was re discovered because the satellite photos showed islands of pink, and its not granite! A few more victims of Silversea desserts. Penguin ala mode. These leopard seals had Penguins flitting about this berg auditioning for the Darwin awards. Friends saw a kill, eeek.