At Sea & Baily Head, Deception Island
During the night we crossed the Antarctic Convergence and biologically entered Antarctica. Giant albatross gave way to more pintado petrels and, as the first icebergs loomed into view, we crossed into the English Straight threading the needle through Livingston and Robert Islands. Little did we know about the amazing cavalcade awaiting us as on the other side. Not one, not two, but multiple killer whales--even ones with little calves—surfaced right next to the ship and leisurely sidled up close to the National Geographic Endeavour for upwards of ten minutes. Down here the killer whales are classified into Types A, B and C killer whales based on eye markings and diet preferences. These were presumably Type B's, or dwarf orca, which have been found inshore and eat primarily seals. Type A eat Minke Whales offshore while Type C's prey on fish inshore. We snapped heaps of photos, some of which will be added to the growing photo database of Antarctic killer whales being assembled to track individuals based on individual markings. While some of us were still watching the killer whales on our port side—along came a humpback whale to join the party from the starboard.
As we continued down south, and drew closer and closer to the famed Deception Island, the greater the excitement grew aboard. Following a thorough briefing that ensured everyone knew both how to get in and out of the Zodiacs and how to conserve the wonders of Antarctica whilst ashore, we were raring to go. Everyone was literally buzzing as we jumped aboard the Zodiacs for a short ride and exciting landing at Deception’s Baily Head—home to one of the largest chinstrap penguin colonies in Antarctica. With amazing weather conditions, we slowly made our way through the colony while individual chinstraps put on an unforgettable show. Between their ecstatic full-bodied brayings with their heads tossed back, to their rock carrying and chick feedings, to the comical juveniles practicing awkward copulation moves, we were treated to just about every penguin colony behavior you could imagine. The chinstrap numbers here have been dropping over the years so it was a treat to see the colony in full swing and new chicks coming into the world under the watchful eye of their parents.
After getting back onto the ship, we sipped a few well-earned cocktails and the evening sunlight cast a brilliant sheen across Neptune’s Bellows. We dined in the belly of Deception Island’s inner caldera and for dessert, a few brave souls headed ashore for a true polar plunge into the frigid waters of Whaler’s Bay. George Carlin once said, “Life is measured not in the number of breaths you take but by the moments that take your breath away.” Well it’s been one breath-taking moment after another and we’ve still more than half the trip to go! It just doesn't get any better than this.
During the night we crossed the Antarctic Convergence and biologically entered Antarctica. Giant albatross gave way to more pintado petrels and, as the first icebergs loomed into view, we crossed into the English Straight threading the needle through Livingston and Robert Islands. Little did we know about the amazing cavalcade awaiting us as on the other side. Not one, not two, but multiple killer whales--even ones with little calves—surfaced right next to the ship and leisurely sidled up close to the National Geographic Endeavour for upwards of ten minutes. Down here the killer whales are classified into Types A, B and C killer whales based on eye markings and diet preferences. These were presumably Type B's, or dwarf orca, which have been found inshore and eat primarily seals. Type A eat Minke Whales offshore while Type C's prey on fish inshore. We snapped heaps of photos, some of which will be added to the growing photo database of Antarctic killer whales being assembled to track individuals based on individual markings. While some of us were still watching the killer whales on our port side—along came a humpback whale to join the party from the starboard.
As we continued down south, and drew closer and closer to the famed Deception Island, the greater the excitement grew aboard. Following a thorough briefing that ensured everyone knew both how to get in and out of the Zodiacs and how to conserve the wonders of Antarctica whilst ashore, we were raring to go. Everyone was literally buzzing as we jumped aboard the Zodiacs for a short ride and exciting landing at Deception’s Baily Head—home to one of the largest chinstrap penguin colonies in Antarctica. With amazing weather conditions, we slowly made our way through the colony while individual chinstraps put on an unforgettable show. Between their ecstatic full-bodied brayings with their heads tossed back, to their rock carrying and chick feedings, to the comical juveniles practicing awkward copulation moves, we were treated to just about every penguin colony behavior you could imagine. The chinstrap numbers here have been dropping over the years so it was a treat to see the colony in full swing and new chicks coming into the world under the watchful eye of their parents.
After getting back onto the ship, we sipped a few well-earned cocktails and the evening sunlight cast a brilliant sheen across Neptune’s Bellows. We dined in the belly of Deception Island’s inner caldera and for dessert, a few brave souls headed ashore for a true polar plunge into the frigid waters of Whaler’s Bay. George Carlin once said, “Life is measured not in the number of breaths you take but by the moments that take your breath away.” Well it’s been one breath-taking moment after another and we’ve still more than half the trip to go! It just doesn't get any better than this.
