Half Moon Island and Deception Island
Our ship dropped anchor sometime in the night, so this morning we woke up just off Half Moon Island. After a 6:30 breakfast we had a briefing on what to expect, and then at 7:30 we were on the Zodiacs and on our way to shore. We’d been cold yesterday, and I think in response we over-layered today and were overly toasty most of the three hours we were on shore.
Right where we landed was the remains of an old whaling boat, with chinstrap penguins wandering around it. The surface of the island is very rocky, with large smooth rocks scattered about, making walking difficult, especially in our gum boots. We hiked up the hill, past tons of penguins, and then got to the narrow passage that connects one side of the island to the other. Penguins use the same route, and they have the right of way, so it took us a long time to actually make it to the other side. Just as we thought we could safely pass, 3 penguins came up behind us and we had to stop and watch them go. They were a little uncertain about walking past us, but eventually made it pass.
On the way down the hill, Heidi spotted a bird sheltered under a pile of rocks. Bird Heidi later told us it was a very lost Magellanic Penguin.
Heidi traversing Half Moon Island
We saw all sorts of skeletons on the beach, mostly penguins but also one seal and later a whale. There were also quite a few penguins skins - I’m guessing from penguins who fell victim to leopard seals.
Penguin Skull
Seal Bones
Penguins of Half Moon Island
After saying a brief hello to the elephant seals, we hiked back the way we came, then along the beach to the Argentinian Naval Station. Heidi stopped for a minutes along the way to make a snow angel, though the snow was a little too icy for the full snow angel effect.
Heidi attempting a Snow Angel
Argentine Station Buildings - note the ropes holding the roof in place
The station was deserted, but they made camp right next to a hill perfect for sledding, so we all indulged ourselves in a slide (or two) down the hill.
Chris going for a slide
After the slide, we only had about 20 minutes left, so we walked a short way down the beach, marveling at how clear the water is. The rocks and the water cleaned most of the guano and mud off our boots, so all we had to do was rinse off and climb back on the Zodiak.
Rocks under water
Back on the Polaris we were all starving, but it was almost 2 hours until lunch! We wrote postcards, and made a quick and cold trip outside to see a whale off in the distance and a rainbow, and then it was finally time to eat. While finishing my soup I glanced out the window to see two whale spouts popping up from the water, right outside the ship! Soon everyone in the dining room was at the windows, ooohing and ahhhing as the whales came to the surface, and cheering whenever we saw a tail sticking up out of the water. The ship’s captain must have seen the whale, too, because we slowed down considerably and even changed direction a little to keep them in sight. This was my first up close whale sighting - so cool!
Humpback Whale Fluke
Pic stolen from Mindy because I was too afraid of missing the show to leave my spot by the dining room window!
After lunch we had a briefing on what to expect for the rest of the day, as we were almost to our next stop, Deception Island. Deception Island is a dormant volcano, and where we stopped - Whalers Bay - used to be a thriving whaling settlement. It was said that one explorer came to visit, and that the bay was so crowded with whale carcasses he had a hard time getting his ship through. The area of Whalers Bay has been used for many things since then, including a military outpost during WWII, a research station and a airplane landing strip. The volcano erupted in the late 1960s and the spot has been deserted since.
To get there we had to navigate some tricky waters, and go through what is called Neptune’s Bellows. The weather was cold, wet and foggy, so the pictures aren’t the best, but it already was feeling like something completely different from anything else I’ve seen here. We then sailed around a huge cliff and found ourselves in Whaler’s Bay.
The scenery is stark, but beautiful. While we were there the hot springs from the volcano were keeping the shallowest water warm enough to create steam rising off the water. Just a few inches back and the water was the typical freezing of the Antarctic Ocean, but close to shore the first inch or two of water was warm - even hot if you dig deep enough in the sand.
We first walked to Neptune’s Window, which gave us an amazing view through to the way we’d come, and to the rocks and beach below. The water is so clear and blue here, it doesn’t seem like it could possibly be cold!
View from Neptune's Window
Heidi at Neptune's Window
There wasn’t much wildlife around, but we did see one big old fur seal, hiding by a rock on the way back down. There was also a big dead whale presence. Bits and pieces of their skeletons littered the beach, along with some decrepit buildings and whaling boats that survived the volcanic eruption and the harsh Antarctic winters. No penguins, but there was a fairly large suklsa population, nesting and flying about. We walked past them up to the far ridge behind the old airplane hanger (the first flight in Antarctica took place on this beach) and looked down into the crater below. The ridge itself was all lava rock, and there was a fresh water lake on the far side. This part of the island felt like we were on the moon, while the side by Neptune’s Window seemed much more like we were on Mars because the rocks were so red. A very harsh and alien landscape, but beautiful.
Whaling Boat and Whale Bone
Sleeping Fur Seal
By then it was time to go swimming. Because of the chance to warm up in the hot mud, we were all offered the option to go swimming in the Antarctic Ocean before taking the Zodiac back to the ship. Mindy, Heidi and I couldn't resist, so we quickly stripped down to our bathing suits and ran into the water. In order for it to count, we had to dunk ourselves completely underwater, which we all did (Heidi and Mindy gracefully dove under the water, while I just sort of threw myself in), and then raced back to shore. We grabbed our towels and headed for the warmer water. I didn’t want to get sandy on top of cold and wet, so I settled for digging my feet into the sand, but Mindy actually sat down and covered her legs in it. While the water was still very cold, the sand itself was warm, almost too warm at times. There’s only so long a person can stay in their bikini in Antarctica, though, and so we eventually had to dry off completely and put our dry clothes on over our wet swimsuits. My fingers were so numb, I couldn’t get out my hand warmers, and Mindy couldn’t get her gloves on without help. We were first to get on the next Zodiac though, and soon were back in the comforting warmth to the Polaris.
Escaping the Cold Water
Instead of a lecture this afternoon, we had a recap of the past day and our three shore landings so far. I can’t believe we’ve been in the South Shetland islands for a little over 24 hours; so much has happened it feels like weeks already!
We had dinner after the recap. No whales or penguins for dinner tonight, but we did get a huge flock of painted petrals. A day or two ago I spent 20 minutes trying to get a good shot of one of these birds as it flew around the ship with no luck. Today it was amazingly easy to get a good shot, there were just that many of them! I also managed to get a picture of the appropriately named Giant Petral as he flew overhead. By then my fingers were once again frozen (but this time because I hadn’t dressed for outdoors) and I had to call it quits. It was one of only a few minutes during the past few days that we saw any blue sky - that alone was worth being chilly!
Painted Petrals
Giant Petral Flying Overhead
Four of the staff put on the Antarctic Call My Bluff game, where they all gave their definition of various Antarctic words and phrases, and we had to decide which one was the real definition. It was hysterically funny. Our team (Harry’s Harem, consisting of me, Heidi, Mindy, Janine, and of course, Harry) only got one of out 8 right, but we laughed ourselves silly, so our feelings weren’t hurt too much.
Dolder telling us all about Bog Chisels as Gilbo, Heidi and Shannon look on.
We’re on the move again, through seas that are actually a bit rougher than what we experienced through the Drake Passage. My scopolamine patch wore off today, so I removed it this morning. Hopefully I have my sea legs now and won’t need it, because there’s a definite rock and roll to the ship tonight!
Tomorrow morning - Port Lockroy.
February 7 - Buenos Aires
February 8 - Buenos Aires to Ushuaia
February 9 - Ushuaia to the Beagle Channel
February 10 - The Drake Passage
February 11 - The Drake Passage to Aitcho Island
February 13 - The (First) Best Day Ever
February 14 - The (Second) Best Day Ever
February 15 - Blown Out of Penguin Island
February 16 - The Drake Shake
February 17 - The Drake Passage
February 18 - Ushuaia to Buenos Aires
February 19 - Colonia, Uruguay and Buenos Aires
February 20 - Iguazu Falls
February 21 - Iguazu Falls
February 22 - Buenos Aires
February 23 - Buenos Aires to Home
Right where we landed was the remains of an old whaling boat, with chinstrap penguins wandering around it. The surface of the island is very rocky, with large smooth rocks scattered about, making walking difficult, especially in our gum boots. We hiked up the hill, past tons of penguins, and then got to the narrow passage that connects one side of the island to the other. Penguins use the same route, and they have the right of way, so it took us a long time to actually make it to the other side. Just as we thought we could safely pass, 3 penguins came up behind us and we had to stop and watch them go. They were a little uncertain about walking past us, but eventually made it pass.
Click to viewOn the way down the hill, Heidi spotted a bird sheltered under a pile of rocks. Bird Heidi later told us it was a very lost Magellanic Penguin.
Heidi traversing Half Moon Island
We saw all sorts of skeletons on the beach, mostly penguins but also one seal and later a whale. There were also quite a few penguins skins - I’m guessing from penguins who fell victim to leopard seals.
Penguin Skull
Seal Bones
Penguins of Half Moon Island
After saying a brief hello to the elephant seals, we hiked back the way we came, then along the beach to the Argentinian Naval Station. Heidi stopped for a minutes along the way to make a snow angel, though the snow was a little too icy for the full snow angel effect.
Heidi attempting a Snow Angel
Argentine Station Buildings - note the ropes holding the roof in place
The station was deserted, but they made camp right next to a hill perfect for sledding, so we all indulged ourselves in a slide (or two) down the hill.
Chris going for a slide
After the slide, we only had about 20 minutes left, so we walked a short way down the beach, marveling at how clear the water is. The rocks and the water cleaned most of the guano and mud off our boots, so all we had to do was rinse off and climb back on the Zodiak.
Rocks under water
Back on the Polaris we were all starving, but it was almost 2 hours until lunch! We wrote postcards, and made a quick and cold trip outside to see a whale off in the distance and a rainbow, and then it was finally time to eat. While finishing my soup I glanced out the window to see two whale spouts popping up from the water, right outside the ship! Soon everyone in the dining room was at the windows, ooohing and ahhhing as the whales came to the surface, and cheering whenever we saw a tail sticking up out of the water. The ship’s captain must have seen the whale, too, because we slowed down considerably and even changed direction a little to keep them in sight. This was my first up close whale sighting - so cool!
Humpback Whale Fluke
Pic stolen from Mindy because I was too afraid of missing the show to leave my spot by the dining room window!
After lunch we had a briefing on what to expect for the rest of the day, as we were almost to our next stop, Deception Island. Deception Island is a dormant volcano, and where we stopped - Whalers Bay - used to be a thriving whaling settlement. It was said that one explorer came to visit, and that the bay was so crowded with whale carcasses he had a hard time getting his ship through. The area of Whalers Bay has been used for many things since then, including a military outpost during WWII, a research station and a airplane landing strip. The volcano erupted in the late 1960s and the spot has been deserted since.
To get there we had to navigate some tricky waters, and go through what is called Neptune’s Bellows. The weather was cold, wet and foggy, so the pictures aren’t the best, but it already was feeling like something completely different from anything else I’ve seen here. We then sailed around a huge cliff and found ourselves in Whaler’s Bay.
The scenery is stark, but beautiful. While we were there the hot springs from the volcano were keeping the shallowest water warm enough to create steam rising off the water. Just a few inches back and the water was the typical freezing of the Antarctic Ocean, but close to shore the first inch or two of water was warm - even hot if you dig deep enough in the sand.
We first walked to Neptune’s Window, which gave us an amazing view through to the way we’d come, and to the rocks and beach below. The water is so clear and blue here, it doesn’t seem like it could possibly be cold!
View from Neptune's Window
Heidi at Neptune's Window
There wasn’t much wildlife around, but we did see one big old fur seal, hiding by a rock on the way back down. There was also a big dead whale presence. Bits and pieces of their skeletons littered the beach, along with some decrepit buildings and whaling boats that survived the volcanic eruption and the harsh Antarctic winters. No penguins, but there was a fairly large suklsa population, nesting and flying about. We walked past them up to the far ridge behind the old airplane hanger (the first flight in Antarctica took place on this beach) and looked down into the crater below. The ridge itself was all lava rock, and there was a fresh water lake on the far side. This part of the island felt like we were on the moon, while the side by Neptune’s Window seemed much more like we were on Mars because the rocks were so red. A very harsh and alien landscape, but beautiful.
Whaling Boat and Whale Bone
Sleeping Fur Seal
By then it was time to go swimming. Because of the chance to warm up in the hot mud, we were all offered the option to go swimming in the Antarctic Ocean before taking the Zodiac back to the ship. Mindy, Heidi and I couldn't resist, so we quickly stripped down to our bathing suits and ran into the water. In order for it to count, we had to dunk ourselves completely underwater, which we all did (Heidi and Mindy gracefully dove under the water, while I just sort of threw myself in), and then raced back to shore. We grabbed our towels and headed for the warmer water. I didn’t want to get sandy on top of cold and wet, so I settled for digging my feet into the sand, but Mindy actually sat down and covered her legs in it. While the water was still very cold, the sand itself was warm, almost too warm at times. There’s only so long a person can stay in their bikini in Antarctica, though, and so we eventually had to dry off completely and put our dry clothes on over our wet swimsuits. My fingers were so numb, I couldn’t get out my hand warmers, and Mindy couldn’t get her gloves on without help. We were first to get on the next Zodiac though, and soon were back in the comforting warmth to the Polaris.
Escaping the Cold Water
Instead of a lecture this afternoon, we had a recap of the past day and our three shore landings so far. I can’t believe we’ve been in the South Shetland islands for a little over 24 hours; so much has happened it feels like weeks already!
We had dinner after the recap. No whales or penguins for dinner tonight, but we did get a huge flock of painted petrals. A day or two ago I spent 20 minutes trying to get a good shot of one of these birds as it flew around the ship with no luck. Today it was amazingly easy to get a good shot, there were just that many of them! I also managed to get a picture of the appropriately named Giant Petral as he flew overhead. By then my fingers were once again frozen (but this time because I hadn’t dressed for outdoors) and I had to call it quits. It was one of only a few minutes during the past few days that we saw any blue sky - that alone was worth being chilly!
Painted Petrals
Giant Petral Flying Overhead
Four of the staff put on the Antarctic Call My Bluff game, where they all gave their definition of various Antarctic words and phrases, and we had to decide which one was the real definition. It was hysterically funny. Our team (Harry’s Harem, consisting of me, Heidi, Mindy, Janine, and of course, Harry) only got one of out 8 right, but we laughed ourselves silly, so our feelings weren’t hurt too much.
Dolder telling us all about Bog Chisels as Gilbo, Heidi and Shannon look on.
We’re on the move again, through seas that are actually a bit rougher than what we experienced through the Drake Passage. My scopolamine patch wore off today, so I removed it this morning. Hopefully I have my sea legs now and won’t need it, because there’s a definite rock and roll to the ship tonight!
Tomorrow morning - Port Lockroy.
February 7 - Buenos Aires
February 8 - Buenos Aires to Ushuaia
February 9 - Ushuaia to the Beagle Channel
February 10 - The Drake Passage
February 11 - The Drake Passage to Aitcho Island
February 13 - The (First) Best Day Ever
February 14 - The (Second) Best Day Ever
February 15 - Blown Out of Penguin Island
February 16 - The Drake Shake
February 17 - The Drake Passage
February 18 - Ushuaia to Buenos Aires
February 19 - Colonia, Uruguay and Buenos Aires
February 20 - Iguazu Falls
February 21 - Iguazu Falls
February 22 - Buenos Aires
February 23 - Buenos Aires to Home