Linda, Passenger
Day 10 – December 30
We began the day quietly, enjoying the clear sky, with a few clouds and mostly sunshine. There was hardly any wind. In the morning, the expedition ship HH sailed to the next location. Although no landings or Zodiac tours were planned, the beautiful weather and the spectacular surroundings made it a joy to relax on the deck. Occasionally, the HH slowed down as we were visited by a humpback whale or two. Thanks to the clarity of the water and the calm weather, we were able to see the whales clearly as they swam alongside the boat, sometimes gliding just below the surface. It never got old.
We made the most of the wonderful weather and landed in the afternoon on Two Hummock Island. At Palavar Point, we came across a lively chinstrap penguin colony. After observing their always-busy nests, some of us hiked to the summit of a nearby mountain, which offered an incredible view of the bay.
The hike took us to an altitude of approximately 300 meters. With the sun shining brightly, our three layers of clothing quickly became too warm. I (Linda, the writer of this blog) paused to remove a layer of thermal clothing, tying my jacket and hardshell around my waist. Margaret witnessed this moment and saw how the often-repeated joke “I love to strip” became reality. This phrase had started as an inside joke (“you should have been there”) but had its origin in a misunderstanding. An earlier enthusiastic remark of mine, “I love this trip,” had been misheard by Margaret, who initially thought I was referring to an exotic hobby. Her polite attempt to respond had sparked endless laughter and conversations on board!
Back to the hike: it was a tough climb through deep snow. Following each other’s footsteps turned out to be the best strategy, as it reduced the chance of sinking into the snow with every step. Removing layers of clothing had been a good idea because the climb warmed us up quickly. However, as is typical in Antarctica, we soon had to put the extra layers back on. Just before reaching the summit, the wind picked up, and clouds began to roll in. The view disappeared, and our jackets and gloves came back on. Luckily, the cloud cover was brief, and on the way down, the stunning view reappeared.
The weather, once again, reminded us of the lesson we had learned on day one from Quixote:
“Expect the unexpected.”
That evening, this lesson was proven true once more. Due to drifting icebergs, the HH had to relocate to find a safer place to anchor for the night. By the time the anchor was dropped, we were no longer in a sheltered bay. The ship swayed noticeably during the night, giving us a small taste of what was to come: the crossing of the Bransfield Strait.
