The sun breaks through the clouds as we approach Admiralty Bay, home of several science stations from various countries. The setting is almost surreal, sun rays reflecting off icebergs and the glacial waters. I see a large fluke, probably the last whale we'll spot as we head out of the Antarctic waters. There is a large penguin rookery and though the penguins are too far to be seen, we can sure smell them!
We sail by Elephant Island. The intent is to go around and take a look at Point Wild, where Shackelton left the crew of the Endurance to set off on a last ditch (and successful!) effort to find help. We're out on deck and for a brief moment I look down at the water to see the penguins swimming around the ship. When I look up there is a wall of fog closing in so rapidly that within a couple of minutes we cannot see beyond two feet in front of us. The captain waits for a while and sails slightly off course in hopes that the fog will clear soon and we will be able to see Point Wild. It is not to be and we finally set off, leaving Antarctica behind as we begin our way back north.
At Sea
Today we sleep in. We have nothing planned and after a late risers' breakfast of french toast and blueberry blinis we are off to find the perfect sunny spot to lounge around reading our books. High tea in the Palm Court listening to the string quartet playing lovely tangos is briefly interrupted by a low (very low) flying military plane making a couple of passes above us. Forty five minutes jogging (Blake) and walking briskly (me) around the Promenade deck is a very enjoyable way to burn some calories. A few wandering Albatros' follow along, riding the wind drafts created by the ship.
Tonight is the Crystal Society reception and is also formal night. We have a good time meeting a couple of cruisecritic members, enjoying a champagne coctail and a few dances. A wonderful French dinner with Susan, Tere and Jim and a fun show finish off a perfect day.
Port Stanley and Cape Dolphin - Falkland Islands
What a wonderful day. Our tour takes us on a 4X4 to a penguin rookery at Cape Dolphin. With us are our cruisecritic friends from Missouri. Here gentoo, magellanic and king penguins co-exist peacefully. The drive is over two hours long each way, some of it off-road. The landscape is dotted with hundreds of sheep, the main industry on the islands. Nothing much grows in these lands, locals grow some of their own produce in hothouses, the rest is all brought to the islands, mainly from Chile.
There are landmine fields (well marked with danger signs and barbwire) still present; we're told a team from Zimbabwe will come soon to attempt their removal. The charred remains of a downed Argentinan Chinook helicopter are another grim reminder of the two months in 1982 when Argentina and Great Britain went to war over these islands. We are told Argentina sent three helicopters one day, they were downed one after the other by the British forces.
The penguins are just too cute - we had not really given much thought to what we would see today or to how we would see it. The rookery is on private lands and is not managed in any visible way. There are no paths, no cordoned-off areas, no signs. Just the penguins and the ocean. Each type of penguin makes their own distinctive noise. The magellanic penguin is affectionately called the "jackass" for the braying noise it makes. The birds are mostly cautious and stay a few feet away. A few adventurous chicks come to within a couple of feet to inspect us. A few king penguins stick out of the crowd, their size and bright colouring sets them apart. The chicks are at different stages of molting, some still fully covered in their brown downy fuzz, some with only a few baby feathers left.
We make our way back to town but the rain has finally caught up with us so after a brief stop at a souvenir shop we tender back to the ship. A sizzling burger with fries and a delicious bowl of chili con carne at the Trident Grill is the perfect welcome. Sailaway is at 5 pm, next stop Puerto Madryn in Argentina.
As we sail away there are dozens of penguins in the water, off to find their next meal.
