highplanesdrifters

Awww, thanks. Means a lot coming from the best.

Salisbury Plain, South Georgia. No words needed, except.... Penguin Soup 20240307_100224_1.mp4 20240307_102254.mp4 20240307_102751.mp4 20240307_103039.mp4 20240307_104329.mp4

Exactly! It's the only front deck space.....AND it's not always open.

After a few hours at Shag Rock an announcement was made that we would now resume our course to Salisbury Plain, South Georgia. Everyone left, save for a few. The show didn't stop. The Hourglass dolphins showed up. This brought most of the Expedition Staff to the OL. A first for many. The Tristan Albatros was now easy to identify without all those pesky whales distracting us. And then a large pod of pilot whales decided to appear. It's now 4:30 and like the gentleman earlier, I too am exhausted. Stimulation overload. Just a swim by, no close up Mr. DeMile. 20240306_163710.mp4 And like @FauxNom pointed out there is a pushy shovey lot on board.

Shag Rock - Round 2 Aftet the Killer Whale show, and BTW, that is how to refer to them scientifically, the show escalated. The waters and air were full of so many species it was hard to know where to look. One gentleman was called by his wife to come to the othere side of the ship, he said " Leave me alone, there's too much going on over here, I'm exhausted. 😅 The show went on for hours. Just a few of the species we saw. Fin whales Penfuins, Kings & Macaroni Fur seals Orcas Albatros, Wandering & Black-browed Prions Pilot Whales Rare Bonus Round Tristan Albatros Royal Penquin Hourglass dolphins Blue Whales The Fin Whales were interspersed with the largest animal on earth, the rare Blue Whale. We were surrounded by them. Blows as far as they eye could see. Unheard of calm and mirror sea conditions. Not the best videos, reflections, etc. Hopefully they will give you a sense of what we saw. 20240306_140819.mp4 VID-20240306-WA0010.mp4

Thay made me promise to say Hello! 😃 It is clear they enjoy surfing the bow. There were many more Orcas than pictured. The water dance they did before the surf put Olympic synchronized swimmers to shame. Still have Goose bumps.

Shag Rocks, South Georgia We were told this was an important place for wildlife. It did not disappoint. I am overwhelmed by what we have seen today. Shag Rocks are part of South Georgia. A large colony of Shags reside there. Wildlife surrounds the area due to the steep geography and upswelling that occurs. Upswelling brings nutrients up from the deep cold waters. Chow time ensues. We had calm seas in usually violent waters. How, how am I this lucky? Shag Rocks Part 1 Orcas As we approached Shag Rocks Orcas appeared in the distance. Lots of Orcas. Lots and lots of Orcas.The Captain slowed the ship to minimal speed. The Gathering 20240306_140819.mp4 The Aproach 20240306_122941.mp4 Stills Get ready VID-20240306-WA0004.mp4 Let's Ride VID-20240306-WA0005.mp4

Oh THANK YOU @FauxNom for the excellent recap. After talking to others I wish I had gone there.

Very true!

The Overcrowded Zodiac problem. Before I get in to the negative, a pause for the positive. Service Onboard has been 6* Aman quality. Food has been excellent with rarely a miss. No ask too small. Hats off to Michelle HD, and Head Chef. The Zodiac problem. The new bladder bench in the smaller zodiacs eliminate approximately 12-24 inches of seating room. It also forces the passengers seated toward the center of the zodiac. If there are 8 in the zodiac it's acceptable bit not ideal. When overcrowded with 10 it is impossible to move, much less enjoy a 45-90 minute zodiac cruise. If one is in the back you find yourself uncomfortably close the the equator of the driver...if you know what I mean, wink wink. On the other side you are banged in the head by the driver steering. It's hard for the driver to maneuver creating a safety problem. FYI we had discussions about the zociac problems with previous EL Michael, HD Michelle, and sent 2 letters to Muckerman and guest relations. I've just spoken to EL Claudia and she assures me 8 passengers is her policy on the small zodiacs unless there is an special circumstance. Hopefully this will be the case on this leg of the cruise, otherwise mutineers ready at all stations.😃 You can see the bladder bench in the zodiac on the left. Another view. Equator view, and this is in a zodiac with 8. Imagine 10! Even Expedition team members are unhappy with these zodiacs. Perhaps that is stating the obvious. The benches are built in, so cannot be removed. Just another thing to fix commented one. Limited room without the driver. Zodiac with 10. And the absolutely fabulous Victoria. Zodiac with 8. You can even turn and take a picture! Our group has no problem with a crowded zodiac on shore runs. It is the overcrowding on cruises that is unacceptable. So why post on Cruise Crittic? It's a challenge when there are simple solutions and one feels you are not heard. Communicate and raise awareness any way you can.

Link to the live :

Thanks for the shout out. Look forward to sailing with you someday. @markandjie It is important to know that a trip to Antarctica is a weather roulette wheel. Temper your expectations. We are on Silver Cloud. Silver Wind was one day behind us. We sailed through the Drake Lake in one day, sunshine and high 30's for 5 days and had 10 excursions. Silver Wind got caught/delayed by weather. We heard they had only a handful of excursions. We love the Cloud, but she is an older ship. If the itinerary is right we'll jump aboard without hesitation. Seabourn Venture and Pursuit are our preferred expedition vessels. Better facilities in general. Larger boot room, and most importantly much more outdoor deck space for wildlife viewing. Do not underestimate the importance of this. We'll be trying Ponant soon. Perhaps veteran expedition traveler @jpalbny can chime in on those ships. Food and service are also a roulette wheel on all cruising ships right now. Staff changes constantly. Do not judge based on one review, good or bad. Although it seems expedition ships are faring a bit better in the food and service department than traditional ocean cruises. We had terrible food and service on the Encore in November, but have 3 Seabourn expedition trips on the books. Good luck, and keep us posted.

@drron29 Your day will come! Ok, twist my arm, one more. Shows you how close the were to the ship. People with proper cameras got some amazing shots. 20240304_172952.mp4

Don't give up drron!!! This was the first time I have seen Orcas. Shocking given all the Polar, sea travel, and whale watching we've done. I've thought of myself as the Orca jinx. If I can break the spell, so can you!

I must try and grab a dinner.

Thanks Wes! You are too kind. There is a large South African contingent on board. Captain Freddie seems quite nice, although I don't really know him. Michelle Roberts is the HD. She has been fantastic to work with and get to know. Wei leaves at WB. Had dinner with Matt last night, forgot to ask. I'm pretty sure he departs also. Dan Olsen joined us. Big fun was had. JMartCo procured a bottle of Falkland Gin made with Scurvy plant. Oh yum. Right up there with Blue Turtle. Hijinks ensued. And @FauxNom EtAl is in the house! I'm going to need a vacation.

Claudia has been lovely. Very responsive. Oh my...the rogue wave. Must get some details on that one.

Port Stanley, Falklands We did the Highlights of Stanley tour. It started out a bit slow and we regretted our decision. As the trip progressed Wendy our guide really began to shine. The Charming Wendy first came to Stanley in the 80's as a Midwife. She followed her boyfriend who was a pilot. Marriage soon followed. It took 24 days roundtrip to travel there, so dating was a challenge. 😀 Travel here is still a challenge. Flights are often delayed for days, a week is not uncommon. There is currently no milk in the stores, among other staples. The supply ship has been delayed for over a week. Internet service is a monopoly, slow, and expensive. Although Starlink covers the area it is illegal to use. In spite of all this the people are lovely. Wendy This ship was the first stop, not exactly a highlight. The totem was the second. Starting to understand our concerns? The Peat Bogs. Things are starting to pick up now. 😃 Until recently all houses were heated with peat. Each family was given a hundred yards and the men folk went out on Sundays to cut it, then stored it in the peat shed. We are now moving into the 'well that's really interesting' phase. Local Mike Butcher collected all these bones and staged them. Minke Whale Sperm whale War memorial Falkland Museum It had so much to offer. Wish we had more time. Imagine one of these guys taking a bite! A stroll through the Charming town. Hard to believe we are in the middle of the South Atlantic. I suspect this will be the next setting for the new BBC detective show. Jimmy Perez moved to Falklands. The famous Whale Bone Arch. Although we didn't have time for the pub or fish and chips, all very enjoyable. So much history.

We've had a few reports from folks who got to Devils nose early and really enjoyed it. The soaring of Albatros and feeding of chicks was quite a good show.

The Expedition Team. Quite the lineup!

Suppose they gave an Orca party and everyone came. Captian stopped the ship and turned it around. The Orcas stuck with us for 45 minutes plus. It gave the nappers plenty of time to suit up and get outside. Approximately 10 orcas entertained us according to onboard expert Dan Olsen. Lots of action close to the ship with the added treat of Albatros circle around them. Very special. 20240304_172004.mp4

Thanks PP. I too enjoy reliving and traveling vicariously with others on Cruise Critic. Will check out the whales series when we return home. In the meantime we had bow surfers both coming and going to Port Stanley. The small, Commersons Dolphin, only 5 feet long. It has a rather limited range. South Georgia, Falklands, and the very tip of South America. 20240304_125653_1.mp4

I must correct some inaccuracies previously reported. JMartCO has pointed out that my street cred has waned. The above numbers were Crazy! There were only approximately 60 holdovers. Makes much more sense. At first briefing for the second leg when asked how many had NOT been on expeditions, only a handful had raised their hands. Reverse of the first leg. Current Stats as reported by reception desk. 177 venitians 200 on board 60 holdovers

The afternoon brought us another rare landing at West Point, Falklands. Scheduled was a hike to Devils nose for some Rockhopper Penguins and Black-Browed Albatros. Another muddy and slippery route with some communication issues. Upon a nice dry landing we were offered a jaunt to see some Magelanic Penguins. Previously only seen as quickly disappearing dots on entrance to Puerto Williams. Why not! Well, the terrain was a challenge. A few falls were witnessed. A heads up about the difficulty and distance would have been nice. Nice dry landing. In this hole is a very rare bird. I was just about trampled but escaped in the nik of time. Very similar to a Puffin Panic. A loud query was heard from one gentleman "where's the Cobb, I was promised a Cobb." The trek over hill and dale...and rocks. Lovely scenery along the way. A polar plunge here would be nice. The Holy Grail. 20240303_154409.mp4 Headless cousins. Wayward Gentoo After the less than pleasant hike to the Magic Penguins we opted for the oh so delightful option of Tea. Our hostess put out quite the spread, including multiple Gluten Free and Vegan options. All in a charming wind free setting. Now finding ourselves firmly in the comfort camp we decided to skip the muddy slippery hike to Devils Nose. Off to the hot tub for some bubbles! The trip reports to Devils nose from friends was a bit negative. Some turned back halfway through. Upon arrival others found the site closed due to bird stress. I hope some had a positive experience. If so, please share.

Coffin Cove, New Island, Falklands Another lucky landing! Gusts up to 30kts and yet still our new Captain Freddie Ligthelm and EL Claudia slipped us in. The World Birders are already checking boxes. I hope they get to check them all. Landing 20240303_074522.mp4 A mile trek across a misty valley to us to a large shaggy colony. A bit on the muddy and slippery side. Along the way.... A red breasted something or other. The Upland Goose. Not to be confused with its lesser relative the Lowlife Goose. Cara Cara contemplating it's next victim. The Blue eyed shag has gained more popularity with its Barbie Pink feet. Even the Rockhopper penguin is willing to hang out with them. Black- Browed Albatros chick being stalked by a Rockhopper. Quite a view for this Shag Colony. Skua - They're everywhere. A nice little museum to end the visit. Their fudge is supposedly not to be missed. Stay turned. Charles Barnard was marooned here. He rescued some Brits, told them they were at war, they then stole the ship. Ooooops. Are they dry yet? 20240303_082221.mp4 Lunch is served. Then time to gear up for another landing.