Cruising in toward Paulet Island you had the sense of the adventure that awaited us this morning. The shore, and the hillsides were covered in Adelie Penguins! The medium walk along the beach back to the main landing site was filled with adventure, and wildlife of all sorts. Penguins, Weddell seals, Antarctic shags and a unique bird called the snowy sheathbill. The finale was a visit to the remains of an historic remains of a stone hut where 17 men of the Nordenskjold Expedition had to survive a winter. Next was an amazing ship cruise through countless massive tabular icebergs in the northern Weddell Sea. This was on our way to a group of islands known as the Danger Islands, where we were lucky enough to Zodiac cruise ice-filled waters with incredible scenery, Leopard Seals and an abundance of Adelie penguins. These islands hold probably a large percentage of the world’s Adelie population!
2/27/2022
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The Drake Passage
Almost home. Land is in sight as we complete our crossing of the Drake Passage and draw within view of Cape Horn. As sunrise begins to illuminate the clouds, we see the blinking light of the Cabo de Hornos lighthouse. Expedition leader Lucho tells us about the poignant albatross sculpture dedicated to lost mariners and reads us the associated poem in Spanish and English. We are sailing in sheltered waters now, and the sea has reached the balmy temperature of more than 7° C. The seabirds we have learned to recognize in the open ocean–albatrosses, petrels, and prions–are now joined by others, such as imperial shags from Patagonia. Fur seals are once again frolicking near the ship. With formalities complete, there is time for a last series of presentations from our expedition staff, including: a lively account of the world-defining voyage of Ferdinand Magellan by naturalist Madalena Patacho, intriguing ‘Behind the Scenes’ insights into the life of an undersea specialist from Brett Garner, and more about the famous Endurance expedition under the leadership of Sir Ernest Shackleton. After making time for some excellent afternoon Swedish pancakes, we sailed the remaining stretch along the Beagle Channel and came at last to port in Ushuaia. We gathered in the lounge for farewell cocktails with our captain. We celebrated the wonders we experienced over the last ten days, the good friends we traveled with and with whom we shared our discovery of the Antarctic, and the glorious land of Antarctica–the seascapes, history, and wildlife. Where will we travel next? Photo caption: An avian harbinger of the coming day. Photo by Steve Backus
