It was a very different traverse up the Lemaire/Gerlache than going down – a much more restful night was had by all. We woke to the calm shelter of Cierra Cove and the opportunity for a long zodiac cruise in the morning out of the wind.
Kayakers were excited about the planned extended paddle into Cierra Cove, to see the chinstrap penguins on Isla Penguinos, and then into the extensive areas of brash ice, with very big icebergs just begging to be explored, or at least paddled around. Zodiacs also set off to visit the chinstraps, the southern-most colony in Antarctica. They are also the mountaineers of the penguins, as most of them were perched right on top of the ridge of the small rocky island.
Not far from Isla Penguinos, a couple of zodiacs chanced across a big leopard seal in the water feeding on an unlucky penguin. The seal will catch the penguin in its mouth (full of very long teeth!), and then thrash the carcass around until it literally turns inside out. The seal feasts on the meat, leaving the penguin skin almost intact. Scavenging on the surface for left-over penguin tidbits were the little Wilson’s Stormy Petrel, usually too fast to photograph, but today they were dancing on the water, so we were able to grab a few shots.
Perched high on the rocks of Cierva Cove are several red huts, which belong to the Argentine scientific base Primavera. Landing there is prohibited, as the prime objective of the base is the scientific study of the very fragile plants which grow in the area.
All the zodiacs and the kayakers had several up close and personal encounters with leopard seals; one saw a very large jellyfish, and most saw humpback whales very close to the zodiacs or kayaks; some of the whales were even “spy-hopping”. Towards the end of the morning’s cruise, the sun finally broke through, thr owing light on the snow and ice in a way which we had yet to see in our days so far in Antarctica. It was breathtaking, and a welcome break from the monotone grey!
During lunch we continued our way up the Gerlache Strait to Trinity Island, and Mikkelson Harbour. This would be the last chance to visit with the Gentoo penguins, as from now on we will see mostly Chinstraps.
It was an easy afternoon, with kayakers enjoying a slow-paced paddle and the expeditioners on land enjoying a chance to sit with the Gentoos and examine their behaviour. The sun remained out, although there were still plenty of clouds, allowing some spectacular landscape shots of backlit and highlighted snow-covered peaks against the metallic grey of the water.
After dinner the Fireside Chat was a live music fiesta, with a first and quite probably a last time performance by the “OceanNotes” (Perthites Tim and Felicity), who with voices enhanced by head colds, sang and harmonised some old favourites, original parodies, finishing with an epic ballad celebrating Shackleton’s famous ordeal across the Southern Ocean to South Georgia. Tim then carried on playing song after song for a group singalong, which was greatly enjoyed and appreciated by those who were willing and able to stay up late.
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