Cruising 2019

Today we were to land on Cuverville Island, or ice de Caveliewr de Cuverville.   It is a dark, rocky island lying in the Errera Channel.   It is the home of6500 pairs of Gentoo Penguins, the largest colony for this species on the Antarctic Peninsula, but alas, the weather has caused the captain to alter our daily schedule. Today we awoke to 60 mph winds, snow and rain.  It is so very cold - can't remember ever being this cold, even with adequate gear!  Sandi was up early this morning and out on their balcony.   She spotted nearly 40 whales, and they put on a very good show for her!! All onshore activities are cancelled.   The wind and swells make it too dangerous for us to be in either kayaks or zodiacs.   So instead, we are cruising into the caldera of an active volcano, and will hopefully enter the Le Maire Channel, which is my absolute favorite place of our last cruise here. This was the second try for the ship during the Antarctic summer, but ...

This next bit is from my journal 4 years ago. Friday, February 13, 2015 Half Moon Island, Antarctica The air is redolent with penguin poop!!!  The day is beautiful, no wind, temperatures of about  38 to 40 degrees, with some sunshine.  Weather.   We are in the red group and the second to debark to the island.  Zodiac ride from ship to shore should be very calm. Organized all of the clothing last evening, so just have to be certain of the order of layers to be worn.   We each have two basic under layers,  Getting into the "under armor" is like getting into an old fashioned girdle - takes lots of energy and is way too much clothing for indoors. After the two basic layers, we add on waterproof / windproof pants, a fleece vest.   I've added a balaclava, which is a fleece circular scarf for around my neck, and a wool hat. . . . and we're not done yet!    Next is the quilted under jacket, and the outer expedition jacket ...

We are here!    Arose at 5:45 a.m. and dressed partially for the day.   We were assigned a landing to begin at 8:00 a.m., but meanwhile, there was the approach to Antarctica, and Yankee Harbor. Yankee Harbour is a small inner harbor entered from Shopski Cove between Glacier Bluff and Spit Point, indenting the southwest side of Greenwich Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica.  It is 1.46 miles long in west-south-west to east-north-east direction, and 0.99 miles wide.   It is bounded by Provadiya Hook (a glacial moraine) to the southwest, Parvomay Neck to the north and east, and Kladara Beach to the south.   Yankee Harbour surrounded by volcanic rocks of the South Shetland arc, was known to both American sealers and the British (who called it Hospital Cove) as early as 1820, and this name is now established in international usage.  Port Foster, the crater harbour of Deception Island, has at times also been referred t...

The Drake Passage connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans between Cape Horn (the southernmost point of South America) and the South Shetland Islands situated about 100 miles north of the Antarctic Peninsula.  The Drake Passage defines the zone of limit transition separating the cool, humid, sub polar conditions of Tierra del Fuego and the frigid, Polar Regions of Antarctica.  Though bearing the name of the famous English seaman and global circumnavigator, Sir Francis Drake, the passage was first traversed in 1616 by a Flemish expedition led by Willem Schouten.  Drake Passage played an important part in the trade of the 19th and early 20th centuries before the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914.  The stormy seas and the icy conditions made the rounding of Cape Horn through the Drake Passage a rigorous test for ships and crews alike, especially for the sailing vessels of the day.  In this area the climate c...

Woke this morning at the entrance of Glacier Alley on our way to Ushuaia.  As I remembered from two previous trips through this area, the glaciers are spectacular.   One we are passing right now is that gorgeous glacial blue, but half way down to the sea, develops into a huge and thunderous waterfall.   Am in Seabourn Square having my morning coffee and without a camera - darn!   Will hope that Sandi and John having breakfast upstairs will catch a photo. Have purloined this photo from Eric's Facebook page!!   Thank you, EG!!                                          This afternoon at 1:30, Eric has arranged a Chilean wine and cheese tasting in my suite for perhaps eight persons - his clients who are aboard the Quest.   He has timed it near our approach to Ushuaia.   Have cleared all counters so that the kitchen staff can set up the spread. ...