Elephant Island, Scotia Sea
Early morning zodiac tours took us to a sharp, sea-sculpted ledge that served as home for the crew of the Endurance for over 4 months. The steep black basalt slope seemed an impossible place to over-winter. Waves tumbled over boulders and splashed the island. The reach of the waves is now delineated by chinstrap penguin nests. Crowded conditions are the preference and protection for penguins, but here the lack of level ground emphasized the scarcity of a foothold for Shackleton’s weary crew. Also above the splash zone slept two fur seals. Frequent travelers across the Scotia Sea, these animals breed on the Island of South Georgia and swim 800 miles to Antarctica for plentiful, seasonal food. To our great delight, a Macaroni penguin stood among the chinstraps with its bright orange tufts blowing in the winds. As the last zodiacs were headed to our National Geographic Explorer home, large snowflakes parachuted down on us. This was our first snowfall since reaching the peninsula and our final goodbye to Antarctica as we headed out into the Scotia Sea toward South Georgia Island.
This day was also our final goodbye to 2008! Ribbons curled down from the ceiling of the lounge and dining room. We feasted on a New Year’s Eve dinner with champagne and good cheer. Just before midnight we gathered in the lounge as a group of people bonded together by a shared experience rare and breathtaking.
Captain Leif Skog led us through a sailor’s celebration of the New Year. Eight bells rang out the old year, and eight bells rang in the new. New friends, old friends, hugs all around, may this new year smile kindly on you, wherever you’ll be found.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Early morning zodiac tours took us to a sharp, sea-sculpted ledge that served as home for the crew of the Endurance for over 4 months. The steep black basalt slope seemed an impossible place to over-winter. Waves tumbled over boulders and splashed the island. The reach of the waves is now delineated by chinstrap penguin nests. Crowded conditions are the preference and protection for penguins, but here the lack of level ground emphasized the scarcity of a foothold for Shackleton’s weary crew. Also above the splash zone slept two fur seals. Frequent travelers across the Scotia Sea, these animals breed on the Island of South Georgia and swim 800 miles to Antarctica for plentiful, seasonal food. To our great delight, a Macaroni penguin stood among the chinstraps with its bright orange tufts blowing in the winds. As the last zodiacs were headed to our National Geographic Explorer home, large snowflakes parachuted down on us. This was our first snowfall since reaching the peninsula and our final goodbye to Antarctica as we headed out into the Scotia Sea toward South Georgia Island.
This day was also our final goodbye to 2008! Ribbons curled down from the ceiling of the lounge and dining room. We feasted on a New Year’s Eve dinner with champagne and good cheer. Just before midnight we gathered in the lounge as a group of people bonded together by a shared experience rare and breathtaking.
Captain Leif Skog led us through a sailor’s celebration of the New Year. Eight bells rang out the old year, and eight bells rang in the new. New friends, old friends, hugs all around, may this new year smile kindly on you, wherever you’ll be found.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
