Antarctica - Antarctic Dream Group

March 10-20, 2011

In addition to having an amazing trip scenically, we were also lucky to have a good group of people on our sailing of the Antarctic Dream. Heading down there, I was afraid it might be an older, more solitary group, but I think the fact that it was the end of the season meant more budget travellers looking for the last minute discounts, so we ended up with a great group of 8-10 backpackers in our late 20s-mid 40s or so (and one younger student from Germany with her mother). Tim, my Canadian roommate, dubbed us The Quitters, as many of us had decided to take a break from the corporate world and experience the sights of South America and Antarctica for a bit. On top of this core group, the other families, couples and groups on the trip were great. All in all, the trip was exceptional, and we really didn't want it to end.

(Taking advantage of some amazing weather, we had an experiment in camera timers and musical chairs with all of us setting our cameras on a table and running to any available chair. Tim (UK), Rob (Australia), Silke (Holland), Pallab (UK), Marc (Holland) and me.)

(A contrast in styles. Both Tim's penguin hat and our guide Rodrigo's glacier glasses made quite a statement.)

(In addition to our great day of sunny cruising, the crew treated us to a traditional Chilean barbecue of pork, beef and chicken. The food was good, and the scenery wasn't bad either.)

(Me (US), Cecilia (Italy) and Sebastian (Chile) enjoying the amazing day in Whilermina Bay.)

(Despite the omnipresent penguin watching Tim from above, he managed some incredible pictures that awed all of us on the boat.)

(Roommate Tim (Canada), Rob (Australia), Silke (Holland) and me. Just another bit of posing during our amazing day.)

(After the sun finally went down, we had a nice dinner and a celebration for Cecilia's birthday. This group is a mix of our typical table plus a funny table of Spanish speakers led by Don Pepe, a godfather type fellow in red near the left, and the great waiter, Manuel, on the bottom right.)

(Rob, Isabelle (Germany), Marc, me, Pallab and Sebastian taking a break from taking pictures to pose in another one.)

(Crazy and hilarious waiter Manuel doing a few of his patented dance moves.)

(The chefs made a special cake for Cecilia's birthday, and then when she went to take a bite out of it, they shoved her face into it, which is apparently a Chilean tradition. Or so they say when they do it to tourists...)

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Antarctica - Half Moon Island (South Shetland), Drake Passage

March 17 - 20, 2011

One final day in Antarctica. It was a sad realization waking up that morning, knowing that we had just another day or so to take in the beautiful views of this amazing continent. The day before was indescribably perfect, so obviously our final day would have a huge bill to fill. Leaving the Antarctic peninsula (mainland), we made our way back up into the South Shetland Islands, the last bits of land before moving back into the open ocean and the Drake Passage. Our day began with a Zodiac ride out to Half Moon Island. Obviously crescent shaped, this island is home to a large rookery of Chinstrap penguins, another breed of which we had only seen a few isolated specimens. Dipping our boots in the shallow water, we stepped out of the Zodiac and up onto the rocky beach with a few groups of penguins and a fur seal or two. We made our way along the rocky beach and up over one of the small ridges of the island, finding our way to the other shore where a few more fur seals were hanging out, though these ones were far from friendly.

I don't know exactly why, but these fur seals were quite aggressive, and technically being sea lions (able to prop themselves up with their flippers and move fairly quickly on land), they actually bared their teeth and made a few lunges towards our passing group. The guides hurried us along behind their protective barrier, formed by two of the Zodiac drivers holding big sticks to push back the sea lions. Next, we came to the water's edge where a solitary elephant seal was frolicking in the shallow water, rolling over and doing a few spins before heading out to the deeper water. Along the shore, a group of about 20 or 30 Chinstrap penguins came to join us on their way into the water, hopping from rock to rock in the tiny tide pools with awkward, yet delicate, precision in each jump, finally making it to the water. The Chinstrap penguins are similarly black and white, yet their main distinguishing feature (and namesake) is a thin black line that circles around the underside of their face from ear to ear, giving the appearance of a chinstrap attached to the cute little creatures.

We moved further along the pebble beach and up the small, slightly steep hill to where the main rookery of the island is located. Up here, hundreds of little penguins squawked and fluttered away, each claiming its own little space in the crowded rocks on the hilltop. Most of these ones were still in the molting process, leaving patches of white feathers along the edge of each tiny nesting site. Nestled among the group, our guides spotted one solo Macaroni penguin, long since lost from the rest of its colony. It had been spotted on an earlier trip, so the guides had a good idea that it might still be around, otherwise, it might have been quite difficult to recognize it amongst the chaos of the colony. The Macaroni penguin is named for a few protruding yellow feathers just above its eyes, sticking out towards the back like a feather in a cap. Coming back down from the rookery and passing another angry fur seal or two, we headed back towards the Zodiacs, knowing this was our last stop on this cruise. People lingered around, reluctant to get back onto the boat, and one Greek passenger even insisted on being the very last one to leave the island, trying to savor every final second of our time there.

Back on the boat, we learned that the rest of the afternoon would just be spent riding along past the remaining South Shetland Islands, and that evening we'd be making our way into the dreaded Drake Passage. This was probably my one real complaint about the entire cruise, as we were told that we'd have this last day as a full day to see Antarctica, though we were only given the chance to see the islands during the first half of the day, and the rest of the time was just spent speeding along with the islands as our backdrop. The trip alternatively runs as a 10 or 11 day itinerary, so perhaps there's not a huge difference between the two, or perhaps we went extra slowly through the Gerlache Strait and Whilermina Bay to take advantage of our perfect day. Either way, I was still glad that our 11 day trip did have the extra (half) day.

We would soon be heading back into the Drake Passage, the stretch of water from the tip of the Antarctic peninsula up to the Southern tip of South America that can be terribly wild if the weather doesn't cooperate, and it often does not. Our experience coming down was rocky but not terrible, so we all hoped for the best on the way back. As it turns out, we got very lucky, and most of our time crossing back over the Drake Passage was relatively smooth sailing, moving a bit with some swells up and down, but with relatively few waves or huge troughs. After having been on the boat so long, I felt that I had become a bit more accustomed to the movement, and the calm water also helped, so during these two days I, along with the majority of the passengers, felt almost perfect, well enough to walk around the top deck, enjoy all the meals, share stories and pictures and play card games to pass the time. I watched some of the royal albatrosses with their gigantic wingspans follow behind the ship in the open water, and every once in a while a few dolphins would appear alongside, surfacing more often as we neared the continent.

The last two days on the water passed quickly and easily, though each of us knew that our amazing journey was coming to an end. With mostly clear weather, we even got an unobscured view of Cape Horn, another mythical spot for sailors passing the rough waters around the tip of the continent if not passing through the Magellan Strait. In fact, with the weather and conditions being so favorable, we actually ended up slowing down and even idling for a while at the edge of the Beagle Channel, as we would have to wait until late into the night for the pilot to come aboard and guide us through the first part of the pass. Meanwhile, we prepared for our last dinner where our guides gave a few last words and handed out certificates for those brave enough to have swum in the coldest of water. A few people dressed up for the final occasion, and the super-friendly Japanese couple, Hidetoshi and Sachiko, were the stars of the show, arriving fashionably late to make a grand appearance dressed in impeccable kimonos, drawing cheers and warranting pictures from the rest of the passengers.

The evening was in good spirits for the final night, and our group decided to continuing our tradition of making way too many toasts (often followed by a competing toast from either the Spanish-speaking or Chinese tables). We grabbed our glasses and circled the entire dining room, toasting each of the tables and fellow passengers, shouting a few "Eyyyyyyys" or "Saluddddd" at each stop. Our round was followed by a round by the Chinese group, spreading the goodwill around the ship. We even decided to go salute the captain on the top deck, as there is always an open door policy to the control room, so we found the captain and one helper sitting quietly at the controls, sipping a juice box that worked out perfectly for our toast. Back in the dining room, we returned to finish our last dinner and dessert, followed by a night of chatting and dancing as we made our way through the Beagle Channel. Up on the deck, I went outside for another bit of fresh air, finding the nearly full moon reflecting off the still water as we neared Ushuaia. Though we arrived late that night, we stayed at the pier and slept there overnight, finishing off with a breakfast, saying our goodbyes and disembarking around 9 that next morning.

It was a bittersweet ending as most of us would be going our own separate ways, but every one of us had had an incredible journey. Coming into the cruise, I had a few hesitations about the group, the fact that it's a cruise, the seasickness and mostly the sheer price of the expedition. Coming out of it, I can say that I was incredibly happy and far above satisfied with the entire trip. Antarctica proved to be unimaginably beautiful and majestic. No pictures or stories can capture the epic grandeur of the place, only giving you little hints of what can be experienced there. It was every bit worth the money and then some. Many of those wonderful moments and views will remain in my mind forever. As much as I've been able to travel these past few years, this is a truly unique, mind-blowing journey, lasting not a few moments, but for the better part of the five days that we had cruising around the islands and Antarctic peninsula. Simply wonderful.

(On our final day, we took the Zodiac out to Half Moon Island, another of the South Shetland Islands, predictably shaped like a half moon.)

(The main attraction for us on this island was the large Chinstrap penguin rookery. These five passed right in front of me on their way down to the sea.)

(It's pretty obvious to see why they're called Chinstrap penguins.)

(This lineup hopped from rock to rock, one by one, until finally making it to the water. Each jump is slow and calculated, kind of like a dog getting ready to lay down but not quite doing it.)

(On top of the rocky island, there was a rookery with a couple hundred of the penguins yapping away, probably bragging about all the feathers they had just shed or their pretty new coats. Once they've dropped all the old feathers, the new coats will be warm and waterproof, helping them survive in the cold ocean. There was also one solitary Macaroni penguin in their midst, long lost from his group of peers. They are so named for a small patch of yellow feathers sticking out just above their eyes.)

(A couple of the fur seals (sea lions) on the island were quite aggressive, so our Zodiac driver help them off with sticks while we passed by quickly. This was our last landing, so we were all a bit sad to leave, knowing that would be our last real experience with the continent. Though we were scheduled to have a 5th day there, this just turned out to be more of a half day, so that was probably my only real complaint about the trip. Still, it was amazing.)

(Dulce de leche crepes. Dulce de leche is essentially like the Argentinian version of caramel, and manjar is the Chilean equivalent. All are good. Mmmmmm.)

(On our last night, we had a nice farewell dinner, and the moon came out to greet us.)

(Steak, risotto, purple stuff, Sunny D....well, no Sunny D. Good meal, though.)

(Sachiko, me and Hidetoshi. This hilarious couple from Japan was a lot of fun, and they were the stars of the show that last night when they showed up just a few minutes late to dinner in their beautiful kimonos. Later during dinner, our table decided to start a round of Cheers, walking around the room and toasting every table and even making our way up to the captain's deck and toasting him as he steered our ship.)

(After a night of eating, drinking, and a bit of dancing, we arrived in Ushuaia late that night and spent the night in the harbor, disembarking the next morning after breakfast. It was sad to say goodbye to our tour, but we had to go our separate ways. The group was great, the weather was really good for the most part, and the sights were simply amazing. I couldn't believe how incredible each day was, far exceeding any of my wildest dreams about the place. Antarctica is definitely a unique, beautiful travel gem, and I was so glad that I took my chance to visit.)

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Antarctica - Gerlache Strait/Whilermina Bay, Enterprise Island

March 16, 2011

The perfect slice of Antarctica. My first three days in and around Antarctica had been amazing and more than I could have hoped for, but Day 4 was the day to top them all, one that defies description and will surely remain etched in my memory for a long time to come.

The day actually began with a bit of a letdown, as we awoke to find a low-hanging fog blanketing the area, meaning that we'd have to forego our scheduled excursion just after breakfast due to the low visibility. We had already been fortunate enough with the conditions to have two or three outings every day, so it was hard to complain. Instead of making the stop, the ship continued on, and that's when things began to change. The low hanging clouds turned out to only be a thick fog and not an entire cloud bank, so as a few of us made our way to the top deck to see what we could in the haze. Slowly, bits of light began to break through as the fog burned away, revealing glittering white snow and tantalizing bits of blue sky above the thin layer of clouds hanging barely above the water's surface. Soon enough, layers of the fog were disappearing, unveiling magical views of the morning light reflecting off the jagged horizon of white mountains for as far as we could see.

As the views continued to clear, we could see that we were traversing a somewhat narrow passage lined with the majestic, sharp ridges of mountains on each side. Passing slowly through the Gerlache Strait, passengers began to pour out onto the top, side and front decks, taking in the vast beauty. Cruising at low speed through the calm water, there was little wind, and the bright sun warmed up the day a bit more, feeling something like 40 or 50 F degrees (5 to 10 C), making it a joy to be out admiring the views and the fresh air. The glassy water, dotted with random pieces of ice and icebergs, reflected the shining white mountains and glaciers for a fabulous mirror effect. Along with the pristine blue skies, the scene was far beyond beautiful. With weather being so variable in this part of the world, we couldn't believe our luck to have such a perfect morning, and each of us took full advantage of it, basking in the warming sun and natural majesty.

In addition to our surroundings, we also found a few small groups of penguins swimming around, seals laying around on the occasional iceberg, and a few passing humpback whales. February and March were said to be the best time for spotting humpback whales, and this was also an area known for them, so our fortunes continued as sets of one or two whale could be seen breathing at the surface and then diving below, leaving their signature whale tail in the air for a moment before heading down into the deep water. We were now moving from the Gerlache Strait into Whilermina Bay, making our way very slowly, so that our engines wouldn't scare away the whales. A few different pairs were spotted off the side of the boat, but before long, we had two incredible sightings. Each time was a pair of humpback whale floating at the surface, seemingly oblivious to our presence, as our boat seemed to pass only about 30 yards away from the massive mammals. With the clear water, you could see the entire creature, leaving a huge, beautiful outline just below the surface. I had never thought I cared much about whale sighting trips, but these massive creatures obviously have a sublime beauty with most of the passengers staring and snapping pictures just over the side of the boat as we silently slipped by.

In Whilermina Bay, we encountered a few larger icebergs of various shapes, and the shimmering white backdrop of rolling mountain ridges and reflections off the water remained, as did the many passengers on the decks. I was in absolute awe of the entire scene, the vast beauty of the epic landscape, moving from front to back, side to side of the ship, trying to take in every different angle of the view. As the hours passed, we continued slowly sailing forward, always flanked by the marvelous vistas. I couldn't help but smile and try to take a step back and appreciate how incredibly fortunate I was to be in such a stunningly beautiful part of the world, treated to a perfect day there.

The crew also had a great day planned for us, choosing today for the traditional Chilean barbecue. They brought the large grills outside and cooked huge quantities of beef, pork and chicken out in the fresh air as the icebergs and mountains passed by. Along with a nice accompanying sauce called pebre, with diced tomatoes, onions, peppers and seasoning (sort of like pico de gallo salsa), the meats were quite good, fairly comparable to the world-famous Argentine grilled meats. Even after a huge meaty lunch, I fought the instinctive urge to sit down and rest on the comfortable chairs, following my much stronger desire to run back outside and take in more of the spectacular scenery. As before, the splendid blues and whites mixed together perfectly forming one idyllic scene after another in this icy paradise. The crew had now arranged rows of chairs outside along the side decks, so most of us simply sat and chatted or just stared off into the distance, amazed at the views passing by on either side.

Eventually, our guides decided to take us out on another Zodiac excursion that afternoon, after having spent the better part of four or five hours admiring the views and perfect day. We took a Zodiac cruise out around Enterprise Island, finding a few more closeup icebergs, and another very close encounter with a leopard seal. This large one was laying out on an iceberg not much larger than its own size, presumably taking a break from hunting or possibly also enjoying the nice day. Fortunately, this one wasn't aggressive, so we were able to coast up within just a few yards of the small iceberg, getting perfect views of the seal, dark grey on top with a white underside covered in dark spots. These seals have a bit of a prehistoric looking face (sometimes even resembling the plesiosaurus of the dinosaur age) with huge, dark eyes and a massive mouth stretching around the side of the face to create a slightly evil looking grin. Circling around the seal, we soon moved on, coming to a long-lost shipwreck. The Governoren was one of the whaling ships back in the days of whaling on the continent, sometime around 1910 or 1920, and it hit an iceberg and began to take on water. Realizing that the ship was unsalvageable, the captain made the decision to intentionally run it aground in the bay instead of letting it sink in the deeper water, allowing them to save some of the cargo. With the cold, dry climate, the ship has rusted a bit, but remains in fairly decent shape, sitting with its bow still protruding from the water in the small cove surrounded by a small ridge of snow. Arctic and Antarctic terns, small white birds, flock around the area, along with a few other cormorants and gulls that followed our boat for a short time. The Arctic terns literally fly the length of the globe, moving from one pole to another to follow the weather. Finishing up our Zodiac, we sped after a few humpback whales, finding them when seeing their huge sprays of water when exhaling at the surface. An up-close encounter at their level would have been incredible, but the whales decided to dive down as we got closer, and given that they can stay underwater for 20-30 minutes per dive, longer if necessary, we chose not to wait around too long to find out.

Back on the ship once more, the magical day had one more surprise for us. As the sun dropped down to the edge of the horizon, a few vivid colors began to appear. The white edges of the continent glowed in the warm evening light, portraying a soft white that was then topped with a rim of pink and orange crowning each of the peaks as the last rays of the afternoon reflected back at us. I was again on the top deck, having it mostly to myself as others scampered around trying to get a few more pictures of whales or penguins near the boat. It was beginning to get a little colder, but it really didn't matter at that point. The scattered clouds on one side of the boat picked up the last bits of light and reflected them over the water for a beautiful sunset, while the peaks and valleys on the other side shone with the remaining bits of orange and pink, fading slowly off into dusk. Even after the last bits of sunlight faded away, I couldn't bring myself to leave the splendid day behind, so I simply laid down on the surface of the top deck for another 20 minutes, looking all around a few more times to make sure I took in every last piece of the moment.

The evening progressed with another good dinner, and all of the passengers were in a great mood after such a wonderful day. Speaking with the researchers who had lived on Port Lockroy for four months, we were extraordinarily lucky to have such great weather for the entire day, especially at this time of year. Each day of our Antarctic cruise had been incredible, each day blowing me away. Yet, with our luck, each day somehow managed to better the previous days, providing something new and spectacular at each turn. The trip had already far exceeded any of my greatest expectations for this place, and this day was far and away the most memorable. The perfect combination of lasting sunshine, pure blue sky, shimmering white glaciers, snow capped mountain ridges lining the horizon, wonderfully shaped icebergs floating by, close encounters with humpback whales, beautiful reflections off the glassy water and capped with a spectacular sunset and stunning pink fringes along the mountaintops made it a truly perfect day for us.

I knew to expect something spectacular and unique when coming to Antarctica, but I never realized it could be this amazing. For me, the most unexpected aspect of it all was the vast scale of everything. You can see pictures of glaciers, snow capped mountains, sculpted icebergs, and groups of penguins, but after seeing the place firsthand, those don't come close to capturing the essence of the place. You can even experience glaciers or penguins in other spots around the world, but for me, those can't compare to this. Here, these epic landscapes continue in every direction for as far as the eye can see (or as far as the sun chooses to shine). Untouched, raw, unique beauty is all around, and that's what makes this continent so special, so much more than just a cold, icy spot at the bottom of the world for a few adventurous travellers. We had the perfect day to experience what has to be one of the most beautiful spots I've ever seen, and my fond memories of that day will surely stick with me forever.

(Early morning in the Gerlache Strait, low hanging clouds made us cancel our first Zodiac excursion in the morning, but things soon starting clearing up to reveal some incredible scenery.)

(As the clouds floated away, massive mountains covered in snow and ice appeared in all directions.)

(Though we couldn't do our Zodiac cruise earlier, we simply cruised through the strait in our ship, treating us to incredible scenery and a few bits of wildlife along the way in the form of penguins, seals and whales.)

(When the sun came out, the reflections off the glassy water were marvelous. By this point, many of the passengers, including myself, couldn't help but stand on the open decks of the boat and just stare at the beauty.)

(Massive icebergs floated by our boat, though the incredible scale of everything on this continent is hard to grasp in pictures.)

(Another massive mountain providing great views for all of us on the boat.)

(Ditto.)

(After a few sightings of humpback whales common to Whilermina Bay, we got a close up encounter as we quietly floated by two massive whales, literally just over the side of our boat. Look closely and you can see the whole outline of the gentle giant. I guess they're gentle; I didn't have a chance to talk to him/her.)

(Along with everyone else on the ship, I couldn't stop taking pictures of the unreal beauty of this place and with such perfect weather. Speaking to a researcher who lived near there for four months, we were very, very lucky to have an entire day of great weather at that time of year.)

(Another large iceberg floating by, this one with four crabeater seals on top. The hint of red is actually reflecting from the red underside of our boat.)

(Iceberg, mountains, reflections. It never gets old.)

(With the warm sun, temperatures that day were probably a little above freezing, so it really wasn't that bad, plus it didn't matter, as we were all enthralled by the surroundings. And the hole in the ozone layer around there makes the sun a little more powerful, too. See, killing our atmosphere can be helpful.)

(Every day in our trip seemed to get better and better, and this combo of scenery and weather was almost too good to be true.)

(Leaving the ship in the afternoon, we took a Zodiac cruise around the area, coming upon this crabeater seal hanging out on a small iceberg.)

(A little less friendly is the leopard seal. These predators are quite fierce, even killing at least one scuba diver in the area. Fortunately, as they are seals, they aren't much competition on the ice, though we did circle within just a few feet of this seal-sized iceberg.)

(The leopard name presumably comes from both the spots on its underside and its predatory prowess. Check out the size of its mouth. Perfect for chomping and posing for pictures with big smiles.)

(The cruise then took us around a few beautifully sculpted icebergs.)

(Around the corner near Enterprise Island is the wreckage of the Gouvernoren, a whaling ship that was intentionally run aground when it began slowly taking on water, realizing that they could still salvage their cargo this way. Now it sits in a small bay, slowly rusting away and serving as a perch for a number of terns, cormorants and other birds.)

(The afternoon began to come to an end, though a few whales made some final appearances, though we weren't able to get all that close in our Zodiacs, as they dove out of sight when they felt us coming. And yes, that is the fin of a whale in the dark water.)

(Striated iceberg. Not too bad.)

(As a fitting end to a perfect day in Antarctica, we were treated to a wonderful, prolonged sunset, offering bits of orange and pink reflecting off the white snow.)

(Just before the final bit of light left us, I caught this whale tail as one of them was diving off the side of our boat.)

(The colors of the day fading away...)

(Finally the sun passed behind the mountainous horizon, leaving behind some spectacular colors before the night set in. As you can see, this day was unbelievably amazing, and the whole boat was in a good mood after such a spectacular display by Mother Nature. This perfect day was truly unforgettable and the obvious highlight of our incredible trip.)

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Antarctica - Yalour, Pleneau and Hovgaard Islands, Port Lockroy

March 15, 2011

Paradise Bay and the Kodak Gap. Just the names of two spots along our third day of cruising through Antarctica gave us an indication of the beauty that was to come. The morning began with a relaxed breakfast as we approached the entrance to Lemaire Channel, aka the Kodak Gap, among other nicknames. Again, our weather was a bit overcast with some clouds hanging just below where the mountains seemed to peak, but it was calm enough to provide some nice cruising conditions. This entrance to Paradise Bay is many peoples' favorite part of their Antarctic cruise, providing some of the most spectacular beauty in all of the continent. Passing into the straight, I hurried through my breakfast, put on a few bits of warm clothing and headed up to the top deck to enjoy the views. I was a bit cold, but I had the top deck to myself most of the time, watching the high mountains pass by both sides of us in the fairly narrow channel. A few dolphins appeared around the boat from time to time, drawing a few passengers out from the warm dining room and its nice views, but for me, it was more about the never-ending scenery. If the sun had been out, it would have been incredible, but even with the mystical fog, I enjoyed the quiet and solitude, watching the walls pass by on each side.

We eventually made it through the pass down to the Southernmost point of our cruise, Yalour Island. Some cruises add another day or two to the itinerary to simply cross the Antarctic Circle, but ours was not one of those, with our main objective of Yalour Island being the chance to interact with the large colony of Adelie penguins living there. Thus far, we had mostly seen Gentoo penguins, with a few Chinstrap penguins mixed in, so these little birds would be about the same size as their knee-high brethren, it would be something different, and another great excuse for another excursion off the cruise ship and onto one of the numerous little islets dotting the long Antarctic peninsula. It was another very quick ride in the Zodiac late that morning, dropping us off on the rocky portion of the island where a few nearby seals took notice of us, ignoring us at first and then deciding to slip away into the water after posing for a few too many pictures. Because most of the land masses are covered in snow and ice, and the overhanging snow could give way at any time and also make a slippery landing, we always had to find a small rocky cove or beach on which to make our stops. On the island, we wandered around the small patch of snow and rocks for about an hour, watching the little groups of penguins waddle past us, occasionally opting for sliding on their bellies during some of the downhill portions, a much more graceful look for these birds that are often awkward on land, opting between waddling and hopping around with measured jumps from rock to rock.

The Adelie penguins aren't as common as the Gentoo penguins, so it was a treat to see them, and they are more of a pure/traditional black and white mix that you'd expect from a penguin, almost uniformly black on the back and sides and white on the front with a darker bill, as opposed to the Gentoos who have a white spot on the top of their heads, a larger white coloration on the front/stomach, and a bit of an orange bill. Watching the little penguins make their way down to the rocks, some scurried along and others took their time, making the final cautious hops and steps over the large rocks and finally sliding into the water and disappearing into the darkness.

After another impressive three course lunch, we headed back North, again passing through the impressive Lemaire Channel before reaching the area of Pleneau and Hovgaard Islands where we'd embark on another Zodiac cruise to take in the sights. The weather was still dark with a tiny bit of drizzle coming down, but with calm waters and little wind, that certainly wouldn't be enough to keep us from getting out to see more of the continent. Piled into our groups of 10-15 people per Zodiac, we all boarded our boats and headed off, wondering what we'd see on this round. Having grown a bit accustomed to the sheer spectacle of some of the ubiquitous mountains and snow patches, the ride started off a bit slow for most of us, as the dreary weather and wind generated from zipping through the cold air weren't ideal, but we still found a few wonderful sights, beginning with another penguin rookery, a few seals lounging on icebergs and another closeup of a jagged glacier face with caverns, nooks and protrusions in every direction. The interesting thing about the penguin rookery is that they're easy to spot from afar, as they will always have a different color in the snow, usually either a gray patch or a red/pink color generated by some algae that grows near them in the snow, breaking up the whiteness of the hillsides. Not that this little outing wasn't beautiful in its own right, but it had a lot to live up to after our first few amazing days.

Some of the passengers were getting a bit cold and weary, but then things began to pick up. As we caught back up to where the ship was meeting us, we entered an incredible area dotted with large, sculpted icebergs. With our maneuverable Zodiacs, we were able to quietly slip in and out of the narrow openings between a few of the amazing icebergs, most about the size of a small house above water with around 80% more of the area below water. In the calm water, you can often see the iridescent blue of the glacier jutting down below, fettering off into the deep. Different shapes and sizes of icebergs appeared all around, some with picturesque archways melted away, others with pointy spires and jagged edges, some with pock marks like a golf ball, some with visible gashes along the top or sides, picked up while sliding along the glacier before being deposited into the water, and some smooth as...well, ice. One even had two parallel blue streaks running diagonally the entire length of the iceberg, apparently a gash that had refilled with another flow of water before refreezing and creating a different type of ice. At one point, we found a fabulous iceberg that had melted away into three-quarters of a circle, large enough to allow us to enter inside and do a tiny loop around the interior, taking in the beautiful views of the light blue ice against the grey skies. Each iceberg was completely different and yet enchanting in its own way. Finishing up after half an hour in the area, we passed one last group of amazing icebergs and headed back to the ship, again greeted with warm hot chocolate and the friendly crew.

Moving further North, we came to another base, this one being Port Lockroy, owned by the English. This was another of the bases created mostly to fortify colonial claims to the continent, establishing a settlement, post office and observation base for the English in Antarctica. Situated in a scenic spot in a narrow channel, the tiny huts are dwarfed by the massive white backdrop of the continental land mass. As another rocky island just off the coast with a slight hump in the middle, it also has its share of resident penguins who appear anywhere they find rocky outcrops in which they could lay their eggs and raise their young. We offboarded the ship again, landing on the island and immediately finding ourselves surrounded by curious, almost habituated penguins. Port Lockroy has a little bit more to offer the visitor than the previous Chilean base, in the form of a better gift shop, a functioning post office for sending post cards, and, most importantly, an interesting museum that preserves the original hut with kitchen, bedrooms and communication rooms still stocked and intact as they were when the first settlers lived there. I was even allowed a glimpse into the new building where the current workers reside during the summer months, a small, half cylinder with a basic looking kitchen and large living room. Since this was one of the very last cruises of the season, we were also picking up four of the workers from the base and taking them back to Argentina, finishing up their four month stint working at the base.

On the minuscule island, I wandered around, finding many penguins underfoot, again in various stages of molting and activity. A few of the young ones squawked and chased each other in circles, practicing a bit of territorial behavior that would be useful in the coming years during mating season. Meanwhile, others stepped forward, pecking at my white boots and tugging at a few of our jackets to try to figure out what sort of creatures we were. Half of the island is currently off-limits, as the British group is attempting a study to compare the group living amongst the workers to a group that is a little more unaffected by any human interaction, trying to measure any effects of this co-habitation. Dusk was soon setting in, so we had to leave the cute little penguins once more, heading back to the boat where we actually ended up anchoring in the bay for most of the night, allowing the workers enough time to close up the base and gather their belongings to head home after the long summer on the island. Despite not even having a row boat to get across the tiny stretch of water to the mainland, the workers actually claimed that they didn't feel at all isolated, with plenty of research to keep them busy and almost daily stopovers by one cruise ship or another making its way in or out of Antarctica.

Another amazing day in Antarctica was now behind us. It already felt like we had seen so much, while there was still plenty of anticipation of what remained. A lot more food and card games ensued before finally deciding to let the night come to an end, and I headed back to my room, again just as excited about my next day on this wonderful voyage.

(Our first stop for the day was Yalour Island, the Southernmost point of our voyage. This crabeater seal was on the edge of the shore to greet us, though I didn't understand what he said. Maybe French or something.)

(The main attraction of Yalour Island is the large rookery of Adelie penguins. About the same size as the Gentoos, but they are more of a pure black and white with dark beaks. Simple yet elegant.)

(Not very frightened by people, even with close encounters, many of them simply relaxed on the rocky island as we passed by. One unfortunate passengers also thought she was stepping on just a tiny bit of mud on the way back, finding there really isn't much mud in Antarctica and falling in up to her knees in penguin droppings. Luckily Marc was there to help pull her out while her newlywed husband laughed and took a picture before offering a hand.)

(In the afternoon, we took a Zodiac cruise around Pleneau and Hovgaard Islands. Given that we'd already seen some incredible scenery, the cold, damp afternoon started off a bit slowly, but things picked up when we got to a beautiful piece of water filled with tons of oddly shaped icebergs.)

(A few groups of penguins popped up here and there, causing us to pull out our cameras for a few shots. Here, the Chinese group tries to capture a couple of them. Capture them on film. Geez, what were you thinking?)

(Another amazing glacier up close. The different shades of blues and whites depend on how much air is still within the ice. Whiter=more air. Just like jumping. Or maybe not.)

(One of the many beautiful icebergs from our Zodiac. We went into an area full of these strangely shaped icebergs, and it was fantastic.)

(The vertical streaks down the side of this iceberg would have been from when it was sliding along the front of a glacier, being dragged along the rocks.)

(That's me posing just before we entered into the middle of a massive, nearly circular iceberg, creating a mini-ice amphitheater. No concerts that day, though.)

(Despite the less than ideal weather, cruising around these icebergs in the Zodiac for 30 minutes or so was amazing.)

(That's my Zodiac, taken in this picture by Cecilia. If you look really, really close, I'm on the opposite side, 2nd from left. It's not really worth looking that close, though. Just trust me._

(Who doesn't love these big blocks of ice? You can just slightly see the blues underneath the water as well.)

(The British base on the Antarctic peninsula, Port Lockroy. This one includes a few researchers, a tiny store, a nice museum and a functioning post office. We also picked up a few workers there, going back home after the end of the season.)

(As with most rocky spots along the coast, penguins run the place. On the base, they are doing a study to see if there are any adverse affects to the cohabitation, with one part of the small island off limits for the other sample group.)

(Gentoo penguins wander the entire place, hardly aware of the humans passing among them.)

(One with a bit of a molting mohawk on the left and a more relaxed pose on the right. These penguins come in all styles.)

(Fluff ball.)

(This mother was regurgitating for her young chick. Apparently he's too lazy to get food on his own. Pathetic.)

(As close as penguins ever get to flying, here's one jumping off a relatively high rock. It must have been such a thrill.)

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