Day 9 – Monday February 22nd Heading North
After steaming out over night after we were told this morning that it had been a fairly slow passage due to lots of ice and heavy fog but quite flat. As we have been so far south we now need to concentrate on our journey to South Georgia (via Elephant Island although we are not sure if we will be able to land) so we expected a more relaxed day today. This was not an issue bearing in mind all of the recent days excitement.
We steamed for most of the morning then the ship was brought halt and we were surrounded by icebergs and floating ice, but moreover it was foggy …the word I used was eerie, dead quite, flat calm and misty. I hope you can get some idea of this from the photograph
Once everyone was back on the ship it was announce that a Polar PLUNGE was on offer for those who cared to jump into the Antarctica Waters – I did think about then laid down and the feeling went off !! About 15 -20 people did give it ago. …Well done them, but it really did look very cold from the reactions of people who did it – they said the temperature was 28 degrees F so that is sub zero degrees C I think. Cold anyway.
Every evening between about 6-7 we get an update on that day, various information on what we have seen and an update for the next day – it is well done but this evening we were in for a treat. One of the expedition staff has a license (one of the first) to be allowed to fly a drone in Antarctica and he showed us some stunning footage of yesterday including The Orca’s, Glacier ‘s, Icebergs, The Ship, and more, it was fantastic and really did show from on high what I am privileged enough to be experiencing.
So finally we are advised that tomorrow is the day we head out of Antarctica but not before n early stop at Cuverville Island weather permitting – so we are told all being well a early call of 6.30AM to board the zodiacs for a landing.
Day 10 – Tuesday February 23rd The Dash to South Georgia
As forecast “Ding Dong” at 6.30AM, on the dot.
As we sail into Guverville Island, named by the French Admiral Adrien de Garlache, it is a little overcast, with cloud on the top of the hills, the Orion is anchored close to the shore among so many magnificent icebergs and with an impressive glacier in the background. Around 8.00AM the ferrying of guests to the beach commences. We head for a large penguin colony with many penguins still molting. Also interesting to note the number of penguin corpses on the beach – it is a tough life being a penguin methinks.
So we all toured the beaches and then jump a zodiac for a tour of the icebergs and back to the Orion by about 10.00AM
At 10.30AM all back on board and the ship is secured. We are advised that we are setting off steaming north in the Gerlache Strait (hope you still have your maps out) heading for Elephant Island on our way to South Georgia. Elephant Island is the place made famous by Shackleton’s 1914-1917 Endurance Expedition. After being beset in ice for 281 days and the sinking of the Endurance the party of 28 men used life boats and drifting ice flows to make their way north towards land. Three months later they landed at Elephant Island.
No sooner have we set off and a call of “whales” is heard, people head on deck and we are surrounded by Humpback Whales in front and to the left and right of us. In fact as I was about to leave my cabin I saw one surface right next to my port hole. When I got on deck you could see many blows close and in the distance, with flukes appearing as the whales dive for food. This spectacular went on for 40 minutes or more, with a calf literally playing at the bow of the ship while the mother dived for food…. Incredible!
So that was my day ….we now steam on for the rest of today and overnight. We have been told to “secure out cabins” so could be bumpy. Then, tomorrow steaming all day with hopefully a stop at Elephant Island – weather dependent.