Packing Is Going To Be Tricky...
⬅ previous ⬆intro next ➡Day 6 ~ January 19 ~ Antarctica (Portal Point and Danco Island)
At 06:45 we are awakened by piped music, and expedition leader Amy announces that it's time to get up and have breakfast.
When planning the trip, we had a few optional extras to choose from, and we've signed up for some low-key kayaking. There's a much more hard-core option but you need to be seriously keen for that, because it's quite a lot of money and quite a lot of kayaking, pretty much every day when the rest of us will be taking Zodiac excursions.
The “Paddle Excursion Program” is a single one-hour-ish kayak session and sounded much more us.
It's quite weather dependent, but conditions are looking good: zero degrees C and a bit overcast, but no wind or rain. We're in the first group and we start at 08:00.
We are issued with drysuits for this activity, so we get a team member to take a picture of us in our finery (using the waterproof camera I'm taking instead of my big one.)
Amanda's a little diffident stepping down into the Zodiac that's going to take us away from the ship to get started, but the crew are very helpful and they have undoubtedly had more difficult passengers than her.
Off we go, with the kayaks on tow behind us.
And in we get. Again, it's all very slick.
Everyone's in the water now. There's no wind, no waves to speak of, and if nobody seems to be quite Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race standard with their paddles, we all seem to be managing well enough.
We have another Chinstrap penguin, a lot closer this time. The previous picture is roughly ten times zoomed compared to this!
And a seal having a little snooze on the ice.
A little iceberg or two.
And this is us, taken by one of our fellow paddlers with a penguin looking down at us.
We've had absolutely perfect conditions and enjoyed ourselves hugely. We are so glad we've done this.
Back in the Zodiac, we're going to make a landing soon, but we'll check out more of the amazing scenery first.
The different layers must reflect climate variations from year to year. Admittedly there's nothing quite like the dark line we saw in an Icelandic glacier where they told us, “That's Eyjafjallajökull”. To remind you, that was the volcano that erupted in 2010 causing massive disruption to air travel in Northern Europe, and even greater disruption to newsreaders attempting to pronounce it.
This seal is looking for a good place to come ashore. We watch him for a few minutes as he tries out various landing sites, finding each one wanting in some way.
But he (or she: my pinnipedalogical skills are insufficient) finds somewhere satisfactory in the end.
So to landfall in the Zodiac at Portal Point.
Others who've not been kayaking have come ashore earlier. It's a little bit hard to see in this shot, but markers have been placed to show where we're allowed to walk, so for example, everyone has to keep a good distance from the two seals in the centre of the picture.
Hey, it's us again!
Back to the ship. What an absolutely fabulous morning we've had.
We can see a pod of orcas from our balcony.
And more weird ice formations. This one makes me think of the chimneys on Gaudí's Casa Milà in Barcelona (also known as La Pedrera).
More penguins, Gentoo this time.
Not the ones who were on the iceberg a minute ago, though still Gentoos.
We've been cruising for a while and now reached our next stop at Danco Island, so the team are getting ready for the next paddle excursion group. We'll be taking the Zodiacs directly to shore for our afternoon landing.
Not every boat here is a big cruise ship.
Back amongst the Gentoos. The crossed red poles mark the limits of where we're allowed to walk so we don't disturb them.
Consequently, we form a bit of a crocodile along the designated path.
The penguins, of course, are under no compulsion to stay behind the poles. Look closely, Amanda's got her big camera too. Yes, we use the word ‘big’ to mean rather different things, but it's big compared to her phone. She's often a bit frustrated that her phone doesn't take the picture she has in her head, but at the same time doesn't want the faff that goes with a more capable camera. On this occasion, though, she definitely wants to get some of the pictures that call for it.
Amanda in action!
Here's one of those pictures: nothing she takes on her phone compares, so it's definitely worth it.
Penguins are surprisingly efficient at getting around by sliding on their tummies!
But on the rocks, they have to march!
Unless they're keeping their babies warm by sitting on them. Two chicks is the usual number for a Gentoo, and both parents alternate between looking after them and going to get food.
Phone cameras are easier for selfies though.
Ok, time to head back now.
There's our ship. But we won't go straight back, we'll have a bit of an explore on the way.
On our first excursion, on the kayak this morning, I only took my little waterproof camera, but having realised that the conditions are pretty much perfect I've got the big monster now.
Which is why I can take pictures like this.
We spot a whale but it's at a bit of a distance. Yep, that lens is definitely proving its worth.
And then some penguins jumping out of the water as they swim: what's called “porpoising”.
Back on board in the lounge, the captain and senior officers introduce themselves before dinner. We eat in the main restaurant tonight, which is a lot fancier and flunkier, but that's the only real difference with the bistro.
We retire for the night with a glass of wine (me) and camomile tea (Amanda).
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