We and our fellow travelers were divided into three groups with each group scheduled throughout the day for its shore excursion. We disembarked for Port Lockroy, with much fanfare, mid-morning. We walked through the disinfecting bath, walked down to the aft of the ship, and boarded our zodiac with eight other red parka clad passengers. Riding the zodiac was as familiar and easy as I expected it would be.
Port Lockroy is a Gentoo Penguin research station, where young scientists compare the breeding habits of two groups of penguins: those exposed to humans and those not so exposed. Everything we had been told about the penguin smell turned out to be true. Disinfection took on new meaning!
At Port Lockroy, we mailed our post cards, only to learn that it would take six to eight weeks for them to arrive...well after we had returned home. Ashore, I quickly divested myself of my "mid-layer," learning that I was quite warm with it and quite comfortable without. Luckily, John carried a backpack for such exigencies. The penguins enjoyed my dilemma.
On Monday, we entered the Lemaire Channel, where we were delighted by 22 humpback whales breaching around the ship. The Naturalists reported that this was quite a rarity and were as enthralled as all the passengers.
That morning, John attended the excursion to Petermann Island where a rookery of Adelie Penguins could be found. He reported that it was an enchanting place. I sought out the doctor who provided me with several medications for my cold.
That afternoon, we participated in a zodiac cruise near Pleneau Island where more whales and seals could be seen. The naturalist, along for the ride, was a gentleman from Mexico who worked Antarctic cruises every "summer" but was a researcher the balance of the year. The cruise ended with a stop at a stationary zodiac for a glass of champagne.
Tuesday morning began with a zodiac cruise of Paradise Bay where we saw a range of ice sculptures; numerous humpback whales and leopard seals were cavorting. We also saw another of several 40 to 50 foot sailboats making their way through Antarctic ice fields. Following dinner, the ship made its way south.
That afternoon, we made a continental landing at Neko Harbour, where we took a group photo of the Washington University Alumni travelers. We then hiked most of the way up a hill, removing layers as we went. On our way back to the ship, we were faced with the need to walk quite close to a fur seal, known to be aggressive. Fortunate for us, both the Captain and Ship's Doctor were nearby and assisted in distracting the seal. We arrived at the shore unharmed where we found ourselves in the middle of another Gentoo rookery.
On Wednesday morning, we visited Deception Island, once the site of a large whaling center, complete with oil extraction facilities. Unfortunately, Deception Island is also the caldera of an active volcano, which last erupted 40 years ago, destroying everything in its path. The inhabitants of the whaling station barely escaped. We hiked around the island, from the deserted airfield to the deserted whaling boats.
That afternoon, we ended our shore excursions with an icy, snowy visit to Half Moon Island, site of a Chinstrap Penguin rookery and the Argentina Summer Research Station. The first group departed in high winds but no precipitation. The second group, ours, departed in a rain/snow mix and high winds and, by the time the final group departed, it was so clouded over, you could not see the shore from the ship. It was the first excursion where I remained fully clothed in all three layers and was glad for it,
We were all sad to know that following dinner, we would once again make our way into the Drake Passage, this time headed north.
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