We were scheduled to visit Peterman Island in the Gerlache Strait earlier today, but our way was barred by giant icebergs. We went to a nearby penguin colony instead. Rivers of guano (penguin poo) greeted us as we stepped on shore.
That was only our first of four outings for the day. Our second expedition was a Zodiac cruise through a sea of brash ice to the south of the Gerlache Strait. We saw humpback whales dipping and diving, penguins porpoising and birds of prey swooping about. We also saw a leopard seal taking an afternoon siesta on its own iceberg –conveniently shaped like a sunbed! To top it off, our guide surprised us with a bottle of Champagne on the way back!
Our third outing was supposed to be to another island of penguin but there was a surprise in store for us. We were given a private private Zodiac craft and guide and spent an afternoon exploring icebergs. Some icebergs were taller than a fifteen story building! Others looked like giant blue archways protruding from turbulent seas below. We also spotted two Minke whales!
On our final expedition for the day, we clambered up icy penguin highways to see an ¨iceberg graveyard¨ and adele penguin colonies. And when we returned to our cabin, we had yet another surprise– the bottle of champagne we had won for spotting the first icerberg!
Tomorrow, we are off to explore Port Lockroy, a historic site populated by pretty British conservation scientists, Gintu penguins and a tourist shop that takes any form of payment except Amex and Argentinian pesos.
- Richard and Janice
The icebergs sound amazing!
ReplyDeleteThey were breathtaking! It's amazing what nature can do!
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