Matias, Deckhand
Day 3
Yesterday’s calm was only the beginning of our good fortune with the weather. Today with even better conditions that we land on Danco Island, a small and hilly bit of land nested in the middle of Errera channel.
In the midst of the action of getting geared up and into the zodiacs, I forgot my phone on the ship. So it is only with words that I can describe the beautiful panorama composed of a perfectly blue sky, snowy mountains in every directions, and the sea sparkling in the sunlight. With all of that, the gentoo penguins we were visiting only got a part of our attention.
Captain Julian then steered the Hans Hansson across the Gerlache Straight, where our eyes kept scouting the water for orcas. Every blow we saw was investigated, but belonged to “humpback” instead of “killer” whales. Great consolation prizes nonetheless.
We then entered the Neumayer channel and cruised in between the peaks. Being inside a fjord seems like mountaineering and sailing at the same time. I suppose this double dose of wilderness is what makes it so enjoyable.
We arrive at Port Lockroy as the light dims and turns orangey. The low sun is creating very nice contrasting shadows all around, and the conditions are perfect for an prolonged after-dinner zodiac cruise.
We cruise around slowly, seeing what this special place has to offer. A colony of gentoo penguins sharing their space with some blue-eyed shags, and some antarctic terns pirouette in the air then quickly dives to catch a small fish.
We venture further into the Peltier channel, first drawn in by nice icebergs, and then captivated by an evasive whale. After some patience and manoeuvering the zodiac around, we find ourselves in a good spot when it resurfaces again. We are blessed to see it take a few breaths and then arch forward and dive, showing us its tail in the process.
A move so characteristic that it gave the humpbacks their name.
It is almost 11pm when we come back, and although it’s not nighttime yet, we are ready to end this beautiful day
Day 4
After waking up and checking through the porthole, I immediately know another warm and sunny day has started. It is amazing how fast we can get used to good weather, already forgetting about the thick snow that we found right after landing on the first day.
We land at Damoy point, a beautiful site with a lot to do. There’s a hut dating back to 1975 that can be entered, showing us a glimpse of the life of these early Antarctic explorers.
There is also some a big area that can be explored, with penguin colonies sitting on small hills to the North and West of the point, and another bigger hill to the South that if climbed, gives a great view of Port Lockroy below. It is nice to stretch our legs and get some steps in, and everyone can search for their favorite spot.
Next stop is the world famous penguin post office. A very nice base with welcoming people, showing us around the place. There’s a museum area, with the original living quarters as well as the old kitchen, and a cookbook containing penguin and seal recipes!
Here we get to send postcards and buy souvenirs, knowing that all proceeds go towards conservation efforts around the Antarctic Peninsula.
On our way out we find a Leopard Seal on a bit of ice, looking at us with a smart grin on his face.
The rest of the day is well spent on deck, enjoying the views when cruising across the scenic Lemaire channel, a narrow channel with high peaks on either side.
We ended the day in the so called Iceberg Graveyard, a place with many very tall icebergs next to each other. As the ship weaves its way around, we get to notice how each one is unique in shape and color, with some arches, holes, or even lagoons in them.
The sun is now setting behind these giant ice cubes, and it’s the end of another day.
