Antarctica (Day 5) - Brown Bluff

For our fifth stop in Antarctica we dropped anchor in Brown Bluff on the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.  This area is called Brown Bluff because of its steep slopes and brown-to-black rock face formed by a volcano that erupted under a glacier about a million years ago.  The beach is a cobblestone and ash beach.  Permanent ice and tidewater glaciers surround the site.

Approaching Brown Bluff

Brown Bluff and cobblestone beach formed by volcano

Penguin colonies all the way up the Bluff

Brown Bluff is home to thousands of breeding pairs of Adelie Penguins, which are mid-sized penguins with black heads and beaks with a white ring around their eyes.  For some reason, they like nesting on the high bluffs which makes their long treks back and forth to the sea look like a lot of work to us humans.  They are very entertaining and the white ring around their eyes makes their stares intriguing as if they are deep thinkers.  However, the penguin expert told us they are not the smartest animal in kingdom.  The Adelies, like the Gentoos and Chinstraps, can't seem to make a decision on their own.  They congregate, squawk among themselves, look around and finally make a move...hilarious behavior.

Our Blue Group went ashore at 2:00 to explore the area.  There were hundreds of nesting penguins on shore, many of which were incubating the eggs in their nests and some had young chicks.  One of the Expedition Team members set up a telescope at the edge of the penguin colony and set the site on one of the nests with a young chick.  We all got to see the interaction of the parents with the young chick through the powerful lens of the telescope.  Also, there were large predator birds called Skuas constantly flying over the colony looking to swoop down and pick up an egg or chick out of the nests as the penguins struggled to protect their young.  We were able to witness that whole battle of nature up close.

Welcoming committee of Adelie Penguins

 

Adelie Penguin with black head and beak and white eye ring

Long waddle to the sea

 

Love on the rocks
Adelies on their nests of rocks

Skua bird goes after penguin egg

 Adelies on their nests - smelly and busy

After exploring Brown Bluff we pulled up anchor and sailed south and west through an area known for its tabular icebergs which are icebergs that have broken off from ice fields instead of glaciers so they are very large and have a flat top and vertical sides.  They can be miles in length.  For example, there is one tabular iceberg called the B15 that was first identified in 2000 and is believed to be the largest iceberg ever recorded.  At the time, it was 170 miles long and 25 miles wide.  Since then, parts have broken off.  During this part of our trip we saw some massive tabular icebergs that we wondered if they might be some of B15's remnants.

Tabular icebergs

Tabular icebergs off our balcony

Wonders to behold

Thank goodness we have one more day in this wondrous environment!!!!

Antarctica (Day 4) - Wilhelmina Bay

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.

Zodiacs in the bay

 

Luciano shares his vast knowledge of wildlife
and nature with us on our Zodiac tour of the bay

 

Smooth waters for Zodiac tour

 

Wreck of the Governor from 1915

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.

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!!!!!

Ice carved bar

Caviar on Ice Party on the pool deck

Caviar

Alejandro offers chilled vodkas

Yummy

Kesani serves us champagne

The good life in Antarctica.
 

Antarctica (Day 3) - Cuverville Island

For our third stop, we dropped anchor in a bay at Cuverville Island, a position south of where we were on Day 2.  We all cheered when  the Expedition Team reported to the Bridge that conditions were favorable for passengers to go out on the Zodiacs.  Our Blue Group was scheduled to go out after lunch so we kept our fingers crossed that the weather would hold up.  Lucky us, the weather got better and better throughout the day with temperatures hovering around 28 degrees with calm winds.

Since some tours got canceled the previous day, the Expedition Team planned a day of 1 hour Zodiac tours around the bay followed by a landing where we could trek around for 75 minutes on shore. 

Just when we think the trip can't get any better...it does get better.  We cruised the bay among the brash ice in the Zodiac with our guide, Brent, a scientist and outdoor enthusiast who specializes in penguins.  He has been to Antarctica 127 times.  As we cruised slowly and quietly through the ice he pointed out points of interest and explained them to us to enhance our experience.  He is also a very funny man.  Imagine a Scientist/Comedian.  No wonder he studied the hilarious penguins.  We wish we had him as a science teacher in high school!

One fundamental thing Brent taught us about penguins is that one penguin cannot make a decision.  It takes 10 penguins to make a decision.  We saw this behavior over and over again.  A penguin would work so hard to waddle, crawl and belly slide to the edge of the water, then just stand there staring around.  Other penguins would arrive.  They would all gather there and squawk and look around.  Finally, one penguin dives in, then the rest of them follow.  It is hilarious to watch the decision making by committee.

Our Zodiac guide shares information with us as we tour

 

Massive iceberg

Glacier wall

Calm waters as we tour the bay and view the glacier wall

Lone Gentoo Penguin on an iceberg looking perplexed



Close examination of an iceberg

Fascinating ice features

After cruising, we landed for a 75 minute visit on shore where there is a large colony of Gentoo Penguins (the orangey/red beaked ones).  The Team roped off a course for us so we could trek around without disturbing the nesting penguins.  Again, the penguins were unfazed by us large, orange suited humans walking around on their island.  They went about their busy lives working on their nests, stealing each other's rocks for their nests and trekking from the nests to the sea to feed.

Cruising through the pack ice

Easy landing on shore

Gentoos tending to their nests made by piling up rocks
Noisy and smelly!

This one is dirty from its work on the nest
and is now heading to the sea to feed and get clean

Standoff at the rope line

Heading to the water's edge

Slip and fall

Busy, Busy, Busy

Shore visit with penguin colony and pack ice in the background

 

 

Late in the afternoon, back on board ship we received an announcement from the Bridge that several
humpback whales had been sighted off the bow of the ship as we sailed from Cuverville Island.  We went up to Deck 10 where the best viewing off the bow is conveniently located in the Observation Bar.  We hung out there and enjoyed a viewing of a majestic humpback whale Mama and her calf.   It was a "Whale of a Happy Hour" celebrating our day.

Humpbacks entertain us

"Thar she blows"

Mama and her calf

What a great day in ANTARCTICA !!!!!!