Live from the Wind(s) of Antarctica. Dec. 19, 2023.

[goldiemom]

Oh twangster, these photos are fantastic!  I can't wait to get down there!

[mchell810]

12 hours ago, drron29 said:

Not for me. It was fun. i did the Arctic Polar plunge and 5 months later the Antarctic polar plunge. The Best was the Arctic plunge as my rope came adrift and I was able to go for a bit of a swim.

 

Assuming I could face the cold, the thought of the rope coming adrift definitely guarantees I'd never do a polar plunge  🤪

 

 @twangster  I agree your photos are fabulous!

Edited January 3 by mchell810

[kgoodman16]

Flying down to SCL tomorrow.   We spend a couple of days in Santiago before heading down to the Wind on the 6th.  Can’t wait.

ken Goodman 

[twangster]

The colony here on Cuverville Island is around 6,500 mating pairs but with all the snow they were concentrated in rocky areas where the winter snow had melted. 

 

 

It was interesting to take some time to watch individuals.  This penguin appeared to be on a mission.

 

 

He found a stone.  Time to head back to the nesting area.

 

 

Up the hill and jumping up rocks he arrived to present his effort. 

 

 

Here is another.

 

 

I think he was getting the cold shoulder so he dropped it.

 

 

Not far away on another rocky section free of snow more penguin drama was playing out as kayakers arrived in the background.

 

 

 

 

 

[twangster]

 

The nests in this section were easier to see.

 

 

While over in the other area we saw penguins finding rocks for their nests further away and bringing them back some penguins are willing to steal rocks from a neighboring nest.  That was happening a lot with these nests and there were some words being exchanged about it. 

 

 

 

 

The penguins had worn this deep path in the snow called a penguin highway.

 

 

A Skua taking a rest on the snow.

 

 

[twangster]

Just as it was time to leave a penguin blocked our path.

 

 

At this intersection of the penguin and redcoat highways penguins have the right of way and we always yield to them so we had wait while it checked us out.

 

 

Penguins are always on the go so it didn't take long and we were able to load a zodiac for our cruise back to the ship weaving through the wind blown ice.

 

 

 

A short walk on land but it was very interesting to have some tile to watch the penguin drama playing out on and around the nests.

 

[twangster]

At the daily recap and briefing the topic was the wind and weather.

 

 

We were supposed to head back towards the South Shetland Islands but the swell forecast would all but eliminate the idea of loading zodiacs so the decision was made to stay here in the protection of the Antarctic Sound.  Instead of Half Moon Bay it will be Wilhelmina Bay.  

 

 

Wilhelmina Bay is just North of Orne Harbour and it encompasses a large area so we will find out more as we approach in the morning.

 

 

Gert had just come back from coordinating our stop on Cuverville Island and upon his return to the ship minutes before this briefing he had been summoned to the bridge. 

 

The Captain didn't want to begin our Drake Passage transit on the original schedule.  Instead we will pause waiting for the weather to improve.  He has tasked Gert with finding us an area to explore for the afternoon while we wait.  Since Gert had just learned of his new task he had yet to plan where we may go. 

 

This is the nature of expedition cruising and I didn't hear anyone complain we will remain longer in the Antarctica Peninsula for an extra stop.

 

Stay tuned.

 

[twangster]

Day Sixteen - Wilhelmina Bay, Antarctica

 

Position report:

 

 

 

Balcony observations:

 

Light snow.

 

 

 

 

The Silver Endeavour in the mist.

 

Edited January 3 by twangster

[twangster]

Fun fact during one of the recap briefings. 

 

Just 0.05% of the past and present world population has been to Antarctica.

[Tothesunset]

3 hours ago, twangster said:

Fun fact during one of the recap briefings. 

 

Just 0.05% of the past and present world population has been to Antarctica.

That same figure might well apply to Scunthorpe. 

 

But for a different reason. 

[lincslady]

I suddenly feel quite important, knowing I am one of this very select group.  However, I have never been to sunny Scunny.

 

Lola

[twangster]

As we entered Wilhelmina Bay the snow started. 

 

 

The beautiful weather has left us and "normal" Antarctic weather has found us.

 

 

The bay is known for whales as it is very deep and our hope today was to see whale action.

 

At 6:50am as I was waiting for The Restaurant to open for breakfast I was on my balcony when I heard the unmistaken sound of a whale blow and it was close.  

 

 

 

 

The whale went through a couple of breathing cycles before doing a deep dive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[twangster]

We continued on our track while the whale got smaller on the horizon.

 

 

 

 

 

[twangster]

A quick breakfast before it was group's turn to be first off today.

 

 

 

 

Waiting for our "buddy" zodiac to load up we circled around to the port side.

 

 

 

Then off into the snow storm we went.

 

 

[twangster]

The glaciers don't look that big from a distance but closer the face of these glaciers proved to be massive.

 

 

 

 

Closer to shore Sara our zodiac driver pointed out that ice was beginning to form on the surface of the water.

 

 

Eventually if conditions allow this to continue pancake ice can form.

 

 

Many areas along the face looked like they were ready to calve.

 

 

 

 

So many interesting iceberg formations.

 

 

 

[twangster]

Secretly we all were hoping to see whales but with reduced visibility they would have had to surface pretty close to the zodiac and unfortunately that did not happen.

 

We thought we saw a penguin on an iceberg.

 

 

It turned out to be an Antarctic Cormorant.

 

 

After 75 minutes or so it was back to the ship.

 

[twangster]

Some 360 camera pictures from our morning zodiac ride in the snow.

 

 

 

 

[twangster]

Back on the ship from my balcony I could see the sea ice continuing to form.

 

 

 

Snowball fight!

 

 

 

 

This seemed like a great time to warm up in the hot tub.

 

 

I also checked out the heated pool while I had the chance.

 

[twangster]

The ship's position for our zodiac tour of Wilhelmenia Bay.

 

 

Given the snow storm and weather system moving across Drakes Passage above us we will turn South and cruise the Neumayer Channel for a ship cruise of the area.  This route will take us through another whale hotspot. 

 

Alas no more zodiac rides.

 

 

Information posted for our consumption:

 

 

 

 

[jjs217]

My husband did the Polar Plunge last year.  It took about 3 days to locate his testicles.

[Tothesunset]

6 hours ago, lincslady said:

However, I have never been to sunny Scunny.

 

Lola

See. 

 

There is a God. 

Edited January 3 by Tothesunset

[Tothesunset]

2 hours ago, jjs217 said:

My husband did the Polar Plunge last year.  It took about 3 days to locate his testicles.

Should've left them in the suite. 

[twangster]

As we sailed out of Wilhelmina Bay and entered the main channel a two masted schooner appeared through the haze.

 

As the Amazone moved closer it occured to me how relatively small this vessel seemed when pictured among the icebergs.  

 

 

At 39m the Amazone is 5m shorter than the three masted Endeavour yet it was easy to imagine the likes of Shackleton, Scott, Byrd and dozens of other early Antarctic explorers plying these same waters in similar sized vessels oh so long ago.

 

Edited January 4 by twangster

[twangster]

Pondering those masted schooners and the early Antarctic explorers while enjoying modern luxuries under heaters while drinking a Chilean beer at The Grill.

 

 

The snow was letting up but I could see it covering the satellite antenna dome for the TV system contrasted to the tiny yet powerful modern Starlink antenna beside it.

 

 

Despite the snow and light rain the Starlink internet system continued to perform well.

 

 

Alas it was time for the Christmas tree to come down.

 

 

 

The ship may need this line at Puerto Williams 🤣.

 

[twangster]

After lunch it was getting brighter and the snow had all but stopped.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The wind picked up and it became difficult to spot whales as the mist of their blows was quickly lost in the wind but occasionally I could see some tails in the distance.