On our fourth day in Antarctica we dropped anchor in Wilhelmina Bay, a 15 mile wide bay along the Antarctic Peninsula that is a popular destination for expedition ships because of its abundant whale population and spectacular scenery. The bay is surrounded by steep cliffs full of snow and glaciers.
Our Blue Group set out on a 75 minute Zodiac tour at 8:00 a.m. We don't mind being the first group out because at this point we're getting pretty good at getting dressed in all of our cold weather gear and out the door.
Our Zodiac driver, Luciano, a naturalist and outdoor adventure guide who resides in the Patagonia area of Argentina, leads our group. As we cruise the bay he identifies the various birds and ice formations for us and answers our questions about this environment with his impressive depth of knowledge and passion. Of particular interest was a wrecked whale boat that sits in a cove. The old whaling vessel called the
Governor burned in 1915 when whaling was a huge industry in these waters. It actually served as a processing factory until it burned and sank. We enjoyed examining this old relic from past history.
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| Zodiacs in the bay |
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Luciano shares his vast knowledge of wildlife
and nature with us on our Zodiac tour of the bay |
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| Smooth waters for Zodiac tour |
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| Wreck of the Governor from 1915 |
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| Chinstrap penguins |
It was a clear beautiful sunny day for touring the sparkling glacial waters of this bay.
Back aboard ship, in the late afternoon as we sailed from Wilhelmina Bay, we got an announcement about whale sightings off the bow of the ship. The Captain slowed the speed down so we could enjoy whale watching while two of the Expedition Team members who specialize in whales and sea mammals offered commentary. We enjoyed a display by 6 humpback whales for about an hour.
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| Entertainment by the Humpback Whales |
After the whale show, Seabourn treated us to "Caviar on the Ice" which was a party on the pool deck featuring caviar and champagne and chilled vodka. What a day!!!!!
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| Ice carved bar |
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| Caviar on Ice Party on the pool deck |
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| Caviar |
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| Alejandro offers chilled vodkas |
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| Yummy |
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| Kesani serves us champagne |
The good life in Antarctica.
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