64° 08. 81’ S, 61° 36. 98’ W – HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Lars-Eric Lindblad was the pioneer of expeditionary travel by ship around the globe beginning in the 1960’s. He mounted expeditions to places of great natural and cultural beauty. His was the first to take tourists to the Antarctic Peninsula in 1964. In 1995 his son Sven-Olof Lindblad was informed of the naming of a bay on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula as Lindblad Cove by the US-ACAN.
The M.S. Endeavour visited Lindblad Cove this morning on the first day of the new year. The New Year’s Eve celebration the night before was very festive so our mornings’ plan would be relaxed. Fog shrouded the ship as we slowly and quietly made our way into the uncharted water around Charcot Bay. A few of us were out on deck watching fogbows and halos on the smooth water when the snowcapped mountains appeared through the fog and loomed over us. The fog was moving in and out and so precluded any operations from the ship, but we enjoyed the visit and the glimpse of the beauty that this bay offers.
Our next stop would be Trinity Island where we would attempt a landing or perhaps even kayaking, unfortunately the fog continued with us and the visibility just wasn’t there. We decided that we would travel on to Hydrurga Rocks and try again to get ashore.
The fog had pulled back and we made our landing in a narrow glacially carved cove to the silence of the chinstrap penguins and shags nesting among the rocks and snow. There were a few vocal displays by the nesting birds, but mostly they simply watched as we stumbled around in the snow and guano of the island. The day would seemingly be coming to an end, but the keeper of Lindblad Cove had something else in mind.
Just as the last boats were leaving the beach to take us back to the ship a call came out over the radios that there were humpback whales about. The last remaining people were hurried off of Hydrurga Rocks and given a marine mammal experience that they would all remember the rest of their lives. The whales came right by the bow of the Endeavour to check things out which gave those aboard a great sight. The visibility in the water was superb so all aspects of the whales could be seen as they flew along in the water with an amazing combination of power and grace. As each of the Zodiacs left the shore for the ship they also got an amazing show from the curious leviathans. The last two boats stayed long enough that our undersea specialist brought out the ships’ splash cam and video was shot of the friendly whales as they moved from one Zodiac to another. The two whales never quite touched the boats, but were definitely curious as to what all the clicking, screaming, and laughing was about at the surface. Numerous spy hops, tail slashes, fluke twirls, and voluminous exhalations were enjoyed by those who hadn’t even realized that dinner had started without them.
Just as the light after dinner was getting low and brilliant more humpbacks arrived in Gerlache Strait. Once again the boats were put in the water and cruises were done along the flanks of the whales. Upon returning to the ship a magnificent sunset was witnessed. The day just couldn’t have gotten any better.
Lars-Eric Lindblad was the pioneer of expeditionary travel by ship around the globe beginning in the 1960’s. He mounted expeditions to places of great natural and cultural beauty. His was the first to take tourists to the Antarctic Peninsula in 1964. In 1995 his son Sven-Olof Lindblad was informed of the naming of a bay on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula as Lindblad Cove by the US-ACAN.
The M.S. Endeavour visited Lindblad Cove this morning on the first day of the new year. The New Year’s Eve celebration the night before was very festive so our mornings’ plan would be relaxed. Fog shrouded the ship as we slowly and quietly made our way into the uncharted water around Charcot Bay. A few of us were out on deck watching fogbows and halos on the smooth water when the snowcapped mountains appeared through the fog and loomed over us. The fog was moving in and out and so precluded any operations from the ship, but we enjoyed the visit and the glimpse of the beauty that this bay offers.
Our next stop would be Trinity Island where we would attempt a landing or perhaps even kayaking, unfortunately the fog continued with us and the visibility just wasn’t there. We decided that we would travel on to Hydrurga Rocks and try again to get ashore.
The fog had pulled back and we made our landing in a narrow glacially carved cove to the silence of the chinstrap penguins and shags nesting among the rocks and snow. There were a few vocal displays by the nesting birds, but mostly they simply watched as we stumbled around in the snow and guano of the island. The day would seemingly be coming to an end, but the keeper of Lindblad Cove had something else in mind.
Just as the last boats were leaving the beach to take us back to the ship a call came out over the radios that there were humpback whales about. The last remaining people were hurried off of Hydrurga Rocks and given a marine mammal experience that they would all remember the rest of their lives. The whales came right by the bow of the Endeavour to check things out which gave those aboard a great sight. The visibility in the water was superb so all aspects of the whales could be seen as they flew along in the water with an amazing combination of power and grace. As each of the Zodiacs left the shore for the ship they also got an amazing show from the curious leviathans. The last two boats stayed long enough that our undersea specialist brought out the ships’ splash cam and video was shot of the friendly whales as they moved from one Zodiac to another. The two whales never quite touched the boats, but were definitely curious as to what all the clicking, screaming, and laughing was about at the surface. Numerous spy hops, tail slashes, fluke twirls, and voluminous exhalations were enjoyed by those who hadn’t even realized that dinner had started without them.
Just as the light after dinner was getting low and brilliant more humpbacks arrived in Gerlache Strait. Once again the boats were put in the water and cruises were done along the flanks of the whales. Upon returning to the ship a magnificent sunset was witnessed. The day just couldn’t have gotten any better.
