Linda, Passenger
Day 13 – January 2
The night remained relatively calm despite strong winds, and the HH crew had been optimistic about being able to make a landing that day. We had anchored in Yankee Harbour, home to a large Gentoo penguin colony. The larger the colony, the more noticeable the pungent smell. We had the opportunity to observe the domestic lives of the penguins up close. Many of the Gentoo penguin eggs had already hatched, and the chicks were hungry.
In the colony, it had been a constant hustle and bustle, with penguin parents heading out to the sea in search of fish and then returning to feed their young. Sometimes there were two chicks in a nest, but often only one survived. According to the insights of David Attenborough and the National Geographic crew, the rapidly growing chicks often needed more food than the parents could provide for two. The strongest chick survives—unless it is snatched from the nest by a predator, such as a skua, at a moment when the parent was distracted. Rienk witnessed such an event that day. It had been brutal to watch a skua fight a penguin and triumphantly fly off with a chick dangling from its beak, while in the background, the desperate parent searched the nest for its lost offspring.
We found some comfort in the fact that there was likely still one surviving chick and that penguins, unlike humans, do not dwell on such events. And, of course, even the skuas need to eat. Luckily, there had been plenty of cheerful scenes, with penguins rearranging stones in their nests, chatting or squabbling with neighbors, or switching shifts to keep their eggs or chicks warm. At such moments, the eggs or chicks became briefly visible, offering a glimpse into the penguins’ world.
Yankee Bay featured a freshwater pond with a black rock formation in the background, its top flattened. In the morning mist, the area had appeared mysterious. An elephant seal had been joyfully splashing in the pond. Its companion had lounged on the rocky beach nearby, yawning lazily. On the other side of the bay, the sea had been rough, with waves crashing against the rocks, dwarfing the penguins. Despite the conditions, the penguins courageously braved the surf to find fish for their chicks waiting back at the nest.
After about two hours of exploring, it was time to return to the ship. The final leg of the HH voyage was about to begin: a journey to King George Island, approximately five hours away.
This blog has been primarily about life and activities outside the ship. However, since we often covered long distances, we had also spent a considerable amount of time indoors, especially when the weather was harsh, and whales were scarce. Onboard, we had entertained ourselves with games, reading, sleeping, snacking, and learning about Antarctica. We watched documentaries and attended presentations. Becky, one of the crew members, gave an engaging talk about citizen science projects, including “Happy Whale,” which allowed participants to upload photos of whale tail flukes to register individual sightings.
Becky’s passion for whales had been evident throughout the voyage, and her joy at spotting a new whale was always contagious.
This last day, Gonzalo shared fascinating stories about Cape Horn, including how the wind in that part of the world made the Drake Passage notoriously dangerous. He explained that around 800 shipwrecks lay on the seafloor there. We had all felt relieved knowing that we would be flying the next day instead of sailing through those treacherous waters.
In preparation for departure, we were instructed to pack our belongings that evening, as we might need to leave at any moment—even as early as 4:00 a.m. The unpredictable weather in the region has always made flight schedules uncertain. The trip had begun and would end with Quixote’s motto: “Expect the unexpected.”
Later that evening, after enjoying a delicious lasagna and crème brûlée, we had received an update. The flight was unlikely to depart before late the following evening, which meant we would spend one more day aboard the ship. That night, we did not need to head to bed early, so the euchre competition resumed. The teams were evenly matched, and after two games, the score had been tied at 4-4. The crew joined in for a few rounds of Uno, adding to the laughter. Jason and Joanne had repeatedly managed to trap Margaret and Linda by calling “Uno” just in time.
Later, Jason and Rienk did a few card tricks. It had been delightful to see how simple actions could inspire surprise and wonder. As the night wound down, we prepared for our final sleep aboard the HH.
