Devil Island

Yesterday afternoon while taking a nap, I was awakened to an announcement that we were going ashore at Devil Island, an island that has two peaks that appear as horns. We climbed one of the peaks and had absolutely spectacular views of the sea and icebergs below. I am learning how to distinguish between the various penguin species (gentoo, adelie, chin strap, emperor, king and macaroni. I would have like to see more seals but they seem to be avoiding us.

Today is the last day of going ashore and then we start heading back to Argentina through the dreaded Drake Passage.

Deception Island

Another great day with very different topography than we have experienced over the past several days. This morning we are on the inside of Deception Island, in a caldera with one side open that allows the ship to pass. We landed on the beach and explored the old, deserted British research center. Before becoming a research center, it was a whaling site, hence the name Whaler's Bay. I explored the structures, some of which were large tanks to store whale oil. There was also an airplane hangar where the Brits would keep their plane. We walked to Neptune's Bellows, the entry to the caldera, and photographed the wall that made up the outside of the caldera. There are steam vents along shore and some people actually went swimming in the 28 degree water.

We also visited Bailey Head, where it is estimated that there are approximately 100,000 chin strap penguins. I will never forget the sound or smell of these creatures. It snowed/sleeted on us...

Feeling like a kid

Other than the first two days of this adventure, I have felt like a kid in a candy store. Every experience has been absolutely amazing. The photos in this post are varied, starting in the kitchen of Port Lockroy, a British research station, Terrell sliding down a hill in a dog sled, a view out my porthole, Palmer Station, an American research station, Lemaire Channel, one of the most beautiful sites I have ever seen, view from inside the bridge, penguins, icebergs and so much more. This is a true paradise, showing how pristine the world must have been before humans started conquering all corners of the world.

forgot to mention...

With yesterday's post, I forgot to mention that there were two humpback whales that swam around the bow of the ship for about thirty minutes, entertaining everyone on board. They seem to be as curious about us as we are of them. I posted photos of them yesterday.

Today we visited two research centers, Port Lockroy (British) and Palmer Station (American). The people who work at these stations are extremely commited and are doing incredible work in various scientific disciplines. Many of the researchers are on ship with us now, having dinner and being able to communicate with the outside world (us). They gave us great tours so that we all can appreciate their efforts. Docked in Arthur harbor, we took the zodiacs through water with ice floes all around, almost making me feel that we were in another world. I have seen huge glaciars in the Himalayas, but nothing that even compares to what we have seen here. I am anxious to see more seals and sea lions and was told that they just appear in places, not like the penguins that have specific areas for mating and just living. While sea kayaking yesterday, we saw hundreds of penguins in the water, jumping in similar fashion to the way dolphins do.

Pristine

Antarctica is a magnificent continent, in fact, I would say that people of the world finally came to the conclusion that they should keep a part of the world as pristine as possible. You really see that here. Other than a handful of research stations, it is totally uninhabited. Today we went to Neko harbor, a beautiful inlet, where we photographed more penguins and hiked to the top of a ridge for breathtaking views. I find myself being totally in awe of the natural beauty and space. In the afternoon we went sea kayaking for a couple of hours. It was so peaceful, and I was photographing from the water...the perspective was very nice. Late in the afternoon, there was an announcement that the National Geographic Explorer, another NG ship, was close by, so we had the opportunity to visit it. It was larger and more luxurious than ours but certainly no better. Tomorrow morning we visit Port Lockroy, a British research center. We can mail postcards from there.