Rare twangster Posted December 31, 2023 Author #301 Share Posted December 31, 2023 Departing from Point Wild yielded one more chance to capture the Chinstrap in action. Such a great weather day! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare twangster Posted December 31, 2023 Author #302 Share Posted December 31, 2023 Sailing along the coast of Elephant Island was beautiful. But also very cold in the wind. Despite the cold we were out here for a reason. Whales. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare twangster Posted December 31, 2023 Author #303 Share Posted December 31, 2023 We had been informed this was a whale hotspot. It was. There were some penguins out here as well. They were everywhere and all around. Some near. Some far. Whales to the left and whales to the right. I have never seen so many whales in one location before. It went on for hours. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare twangster Posted December 31, 2023 Author #304 Share Posted December 31, 2023 It was bitterly cold with the windchill from the moving ship in the wind but there were so many whales. The scenery was pretty outstanding as well. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare twangster Posted December 31, 2023 Author #305 Share Posted December 31, 2023 Eventually we started making our way closer to the island. An Antarctic Shag photobombed my picture. The water was so clear I could see a penguin swimmming just under the surface. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare twangster Posted December 31, 2023 Author #306 Share Posted December 31, 2023 We were very lucky today. Not only would we have a zodiac tour but we would be able to land on Elephant Island today. If a penguin sees its own shadow does that mean six more weeks of summer? I'm not sure it saw its shadow. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare twangster Posted December 31, 2023 Author #307 Share Posted December 31, 2023 Landing on Elephant Island is so rare many of the expedition team have never been able to do so in five or more years. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare twangster Posted December 31, 2023 Author #308 Share Posted December 31, 2023 Kayaking is equally rare here. Theres from the Kayak team had told me yesterday it has been once in six years for her. Today would make number two. Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins can be found here. Elephant seals resting on the beach. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare twangster Posted December 31, 2023 Author #309 Share Posted December 31, 2023 After a short time on the beach it was back to the ship. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare twangster Posted December 31, 2023 Author #310 Share Posted December 31, 2023 Daily briefing for tomorrow was held earlier. The goal is to make Brown Bluff in the morning and Hope Bay in the afternoon. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare twangster Posted December 31, 2023 Author #311 Share Posted December 31, 2023 After the briefing the sail away brought more whale sightings. At one point I walked into my suite and there were two whales right there just off my balcony. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare twangster Posted December 31, 2023 Author #312 Share Posted December 31, 2023 What a day. Beautiful weather at Point Wild. A whale extravaganza. Walking on Elephant Island. Wow! Can it get any better? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare twangster Posted December 31, 2023 Author #313 Share Posted December 31, 2023 A pretty spectacular sunset to end a fantastic day. How often do you get an iceberg in your sunset pictures? Very calm seas tonight 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare twangster Posted December 31, 2023 Author #314 Share Posted December 31, 2023 Day Thirteen - Brown Bluff and Hope Bay, Antarctica Position report: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare twangster Posted December 31, 2023 Author #315 Share Posted December 31, 2023 A quick note about the sites that we will visit in Antarctica. They determine the sites that will be visited a day or so before we visit them. Weather changes rapidly. Ice conditions change daily. They don't know exactly where they will or can take expedition tours that far in advance. Instead they pick from sites that are available, or they hope will be available, for the conditions that day. The sites I visit on this voyage may be the same or different from other voyages in the past or future. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kauaijim Posted December 31, 2023 #316 Share Posted December 31, 2023 Great stuff, enjoy Brown Bluff surreal place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJL2 Posted December 31, 2023 #317 Share Posted December 31, 2023 Unbelievable! Fingers crossed we get the same great luck next week that you've had on this trip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare twangster Posted January 1 Author #318 Share Posted January 1 Eager to cast my eyes upon the Antarctic Sound I ventured up to deck 9 forward. The story of today, or much of it, involves ice. There was no shortage of ice in the sound. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare twangster Posted January 1 Author #319 Share Posted January 1 Penguins were using the ice sheets for a rest and safe haven from any leopard seals that may be about. Nothing like a massive ship approaching to wake you from your slumber. To the water! Looking aft from where we came I could see how the bridge team had picked their way through the pieces of ice in the sound. Our destination for today lies ahead. To get there we negotiated our way around more icebergs. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare twangster Posted January 1 Author #320 Share Posted January 1 Well hello! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare twangster Posted January 1 Author #321 Share Posted January 1 The anchor dropped and we had arrived. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare twangster Posted January 1 Author #322 Share Posted January 1 The first zodiac groups were called and away they went. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare twangster Posted January 1 Author #323 Share Posted January 1 This morning was an introduction to the Adélie penguin. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare twangster Posted January 1 Author #324 Share Posted January 1 Like all good penguins the Adélie were on the move! In the hills you could see thousands. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare twangster Posted January 1 Author #325 Share Posted January 1 They wanted to get us on shore this morning but the wind was pushing the ice to the water's edge. Our zodiac driver Gabe did a great job negotiating us into place as close to the beach as he safely could. Not always graceful but there are young to feed! A Kelp Gull soars above the colony. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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