Pretty good subject matter in Lemaire Channel
LOCATION: Antarctic Peninsular
What's happening?
Today marked the first time that we have woken up in the destination pinpointed as the goal from the night before. Our balcony provided a spectacular viewing point for the beauty of Argentine Island as we made our way in early ready for the first Zodiacs to be called at 7.30 am. @Mac had ordered room service the evening before to be delivered at 6.30 am and his omelette arrived right on time - piping hot and delicious. He made the comment that it was "nearly as good as the one Richard makes. " High praise indeed.
We couldn't ask for better weather- it was such a vivid blue by the afternoon and the wildlife was out in numbers for us to enjoy.
Of course, guests don't have to participate in everything - but other than the routine of having to layer up and struggle with boots - participation is a no brainer.
The Adventure
Ticked off attendance at a few activities:
A. First commitment was to answer the Zodiac call at 8 am for group 2. This was a cruise around the islands and a visit and landing at Wordie House.
The sea and sky change so quickly
Our driver this morning was @Alveras from Colombia whose other seasonal job is to guide puma tracking tours in Patagonia. Have to say he was exceptional - so knowledgeable and willing to share. It did help that his favourite animal in the universe is the Weddell Seal and we fluked one basking in the sun. What he didn't know about these creatures probably wasn't worth knowing.
Penguin backdrop
This Zodiac ride included a vist to Wordie House which is an historic British research hut on Winter Island in the Argentine Islands. It was stablished in 1947 as Base F - we are working our way through the alphabet! It served has a geophysical and meteorological research station until 1954 and is now a preserved museum. The structure that includes a generator room, a dog room, kitchen, living space, a dark room, bathroom and research room housed hundreds of artefacts. Really served to reinforce for us that we would NOT be a scientist in these conditions.
Had lecture and guide from the Expedition Team to give us the facts and wandered around the pebble strewn beach and watched the resident Weddell seal soak up the sun.
It is smooth operations for the landing with @Mereika on shore and plenty of staff to ensure to can get in and out of the Zodiac for our first wet landing.
B. Only had time for a quick dry of the gear and a simple lunch and it was time to make our way back to the Zodiacs for our waterside cruise of Pleneau, the icebergs graveyard. The icebergs are prolific here and get stuck and anchored on rocks and may take years to move on.
@Jeremy looked after us quietly this time and he was backed up by the resident ornithologist @Chris who was on the hunt for an Emporer Penguin. He has been 22 years in the field and never spotted one. No luck change today.
But we did see loads of penguins in and out of the water and perhaps they were in a hurry because they were hotly pursued by a leopard seal. One of the groups this morning witnessed the "blood in the water scene." A leopard seal destroyed a penguin. So fast. So slick. We watched one circling the icebergs and popping up out of the water to check for potential prey. But didn't witness the kill.
One of the Expedition team shared photos of the kill - this is the collection snaped in the afternoon debrief. Quality not there ... but get the idea.
I commented to @Chris how polite the penguins were. They always seemed to stand back and let someone else go first. He informed me it was more "smart" than polite ... there was a tendency to "let someone else go first" to distract the hunting seal.
It was a day of wildlife though. The gentoo penguins were out in numbers - on shore moulting, slipping on rocks, preening, diving in the water and porpoising in speeding rafts. The Weddell , crab eater and leopard seals were either basking or hunting and the flippers and backs of the minke whales added to the excitement. All were supervised by patrolling birds in stunningly clear blue skies.
C. The last organised activity of the day was the traverse of the Lamiere Channel. It is nicknamed Kodak Valley or Gap because it is one of the most photographed places in Antarctica.
Squeezing by that little berg on the left - a tight fit
Our access was blocked at the entrance by a massive piece of ice and its position had been monitored all day by @Captain Sasha. When it was time to move, the opening to the channel was still blocked but we inched our way through and took up a perch on decks 8 and 9 to take in the breathtaking transit of just 11 kilometres. The Channel is a dramatic and narrow strait marked at its entrances by the Kyiv Peninsula and Booth Island. Known for its steep, 1,000-meter-high cliffs and icy waters, it narrows to just 600–800 meters wide, with a depth of roughly 150 metres. The towering cliffs did seem to be just there and we scored that perfect moment of reflection as the sun was dipping behind the cliffs. Absolutely picture perfect.
Had made our very first poor choice of gear this arvo. The sun was blazing and we thought it would be fine to hit the outer decks, at the pointy end of the ship, facing into the breeze, in our own wind jackets. That lasted about 15 minutes before we conceded that we were frozen to the core! Had to make a mad dash back to the room to layer up in the "real thing." From now on when @Marieka advises "put your red jacket on and come out on deck" - we are going to take it on advisement.
So that was the day! @Mac started the day with a quick in room omelette to welcome the day - we scrambled to find a hot chocolate and a snack between Zodiac rides and finished the day in The Restaurant. But these isn't much time left. Between putting on and taking off your layers, scrubbing your boots, rotating and drying your gear - the day is pretty full. Going to confess that today we were "dirty stinkers" - started the day at 6 am and found our way home at 10 pm and somehow hadn't managed to find the 10 minutes needed for a shower!!! Will improve on that tomorrow.
PS Meant to highlight the great addition to the mudroom. A piece of timber with a "v" cut in it. This little gadget is the gem that helps to remove boots. Genius.
Survival Barometer
Steps 3418 ... because we are sitting in Zodiac! Need to move it!
Weather 3 degrees - blue skies
Health no complaints!
Can you believe this?.
🧩 Impossible-but-True Detail fro Co Pilot
Despite being in one of the harshest climates on Earth, the Lemaire Channel is so sheltered that its waters can look like polished glass, reflecting icebergs and mountains perfectly—creating optical illusions where ships seem to float in mid-air. This surreal calmness is why Kodak Alley is considered one of the most magical places in Antarctica
For Jesse ... on deck on the Lemaire Channel
"I'm packed ... are they coming to get me soon?"
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