After another easy passage down the Gerlache Strait overnight, we woke to a call from the bridge that more humpbacks were bubble-net feeding off the port bow. We had arrived in Fournier Bay, and there were whales everywhere!
The post-breakfast zodiac cruise saw most boats heading for lunge-feeding humpback whales – it was clear that food was close to the surface, as the spots were pin-pointed for us by circling Antarctic terns, hoping for a share. The sea was calm, the wind was cold, and fog was rolling in across the bay. The whales kept happily feeding for at least an hour, by which time the zodiacs moved off to discover other amazing Antarctican wildlife.
The fog kept rolling in, the sleet started to fall, the temperature kept dropping, but the intrepid explorers stayed on the seas, and were rewarded with sightings of numerous birdlife – kelp gulls, Antarctic terns, fulmars, and Wilson’s stormy petrels, to name just a few!
The kayakers got out again today – towed by the zodiacs towards a big iceberg close to the shoreline, where they started paddling along the coast, looking for whales. They were lucky, spotting three humpback whales, including a mother and calf, and another three active humpbacks were sighted on the way back paddling towards the Vavilov.
The whale fun continued with a fin-slapping humpback providing at least half an hour’s entertainment from the bar on Deck 6 as the ship passed it by. With a four-hour sail to Neko Harbour, the afternoon was filled with a lecture from Derek on Cetaceans (whales), followed by a workshop from Curtis on “Cold Finger” photography, or photo techniques in cold weather.
Then it was time for the first landing on the continent of Antar ctica! For many, this represented landing on all seven continents!
The late afternoon transfer to shore found us all wandering amongst a colony of Gentoo penguins and their chicks, in the shadow of the nearby active glacier. Several ominous rumbles were heard over the course of the afternoon, but fortunately no calving activity happened. This would have resulted in a wave which would have covered the exposed beach upon which we were all walking! Several expeditioners hiked up the icy hill behind the stony beach to obtain better views of the tranquil sea in the shelter of Neko Harbour. Others were happy to sit on a comfortable rock to observe the penguins, and the lone Antarctican fur seal which was flopping about on the beach.
In the early evening, a few zodiac cruises amongst the calm sea of floating ice and bergs followed a lone humpback whale, lazily moving through the water. Others saw crabeater and leopard seals, and a few lucky people saw a humpback breaching. Back to the warmth of the ship and dinner, a fireside lecture on Citizen Science by Ted Cheeseman was well-attended, considering the late hour. Everyone loves their “Ted Talks”!
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