Drake Passage & South Shetlands
National Geographic Endeavour experienced some moderate pitching during the night in 4 to 6 meter beam seas, but the weather eased in the afternoon, the wind went aft and our speed increased to 14.4 knots.
The first ice berg was sighted in the morning as we approached the South Shetlands. By noon we were in English Passage and threaded our way through the group of islands to land on Halfmoon Island. The wind picked up again to 40 knots (gale force 8), but despite the weather, everyone landed and walked around the chinstrap penguin rookeries, while terns and skuas patrolled the sky. A lone Adélie penguin wandered amongst the chinstraps, and just as we were leaving the island, gentoo penguins came ashore as well. Nonetheless, it was time to go back to the ship, enjoying an invigorating and wet ride on the way.
During dinner, on the passage to Deception Island, the wind began to increase again, but we would not be deterred. We entered the volcanic caldera through the aptly named entrance Neptune's Bellows. Fortunately inside Port Foster it was more sheltered and we intrepid souls were able to land at Whalers Bay. This is the site of an old whaling station and the British Antarctic Survey base abandoned in 1969, after Deception’s second major eruption in 2 years. I was able to tell some of the story of the eruption and evacuation having been there on the RRS Shackleton shortly after the eruption, and share some film of the event’s aftermath.
We ended the day by sailing south in search of calmer winds and more adventures.
National Geographic Endeavour experienced some moderate pitching during the night in 4 to 6 meter beam seas, but the weather eased in the afternoon, the wind went aft and our speed increased to 14.4 knots.
The first ice berg was sighted in the morning as we approached the South Shetlands. By noon we were in English Passage and threaded our way through the group of islands to land on Halfmoon Island. The wind picked up again to 40 knots (gale force 8), but despite the weather, everyone landed and walked around the chinstrap penguin rookeries, while terns and skuas patrolled the sky. A lone Adélie penguin wandered amongst the chinstraps, and just as we were leaving the island, gentoo penguins came ashore as well. Nonetheless, it was time to go back to the ship, enjoying an invigorating and wet ride on the way.
During dinner, on the passage to Deception Island, the wind began to increase again, but we would not be deterred. We entered the volcanic caldera through the aptly named entrance Neptune's Bellows. Fortunately inside Port Foster it was more sheltered and we intrepid souls were able to land at Whalers Bay. This is the site of an old whaling station and the British Antarctic Survey base abandoned in 1969, after Deception’s second major eruption in 2 years. I was able to tell some of the story of the eruption and evacuation having been there on the RRS Shackleton shortly after the eruption, and share some film of the event’s aftermath.
We ended the day by sailing south in search of calmer winds and more adventures.
