Iceberg......Right Ahead

Travel through The Drake Passage to the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica

Wednesday, February 19th, 2014

Not to worry, we didn't even come close to hitting it, but we did in fact see our first iceberg of the trip. As I mentioned we had crossed of the Antarctic Convergence last evening and we woke up very excited to start seeing some animals and stuff. It really did not take long at all.

There she is.....our first iceberg. Not to worry, there will be many, many more and we'll get a lot closer. Icebergs are made up of fresh water and depending on their size, they can take anywhere from 50 to 200 years to melt. So this iceberg,...at least 50 years old. Pretty cool eh?

Land!!!! My first view of Antarctica. Well to be correct, these are some of the outer islands and not the continent itself but it all counts as Antarctica. 

Standing out on deck in my new jacket. I saw my first whales of the trip while taking this picture. Not totally sure what kind but my description of it being lighter in colour led people to think it was a Minke. 

The closest I got to getting a picture of the first whales of our trip. With the boat moving at a pretty good speed and the whales being unpredictable, you just never knew when and where they would breach next. I was always just a second too late on this day.

Penguins!!!!! Yep, first penguins of the trip. Very, very exciting.

Our plan of the day (or any day) was not known first thing in the morning. Whether or not we get to shore or where we might go to shore is usually very weather and ice dependent and can change at anytime. For us, there was no scheduled landing today, however, The Drake Passage was so nice to us, that we made fantastic time and arrived at the South Shetland Islands with some beautiful sunshine and plenty of time to get off the boat.

Of course we couldn't just jump off the boat and onto shore. There were a few more things to do first. As you can imagine, Antarctica is a very sensitive ecosystem so as tourists it is important that we do not introduce anything foreign. So all our outer clothes and bags and anything we would take to the continent with us (unless new), had to be checked for foreign particles and vacuumed. 

Anxiously waiting to get off the boat.

A look at some of the beautiful glaciers in the area.

Eventually it was time for us to get off the big boat and take our first steps on Antarctica. Anyone who has been on a cruise knows that getting people on and off the boat can be a bit of procedure. Heading to Antarctica is made a little bit more complicated by the fact that laws stipulate only a certain number of tourists can be on land at a time and we need to do our best not to disturb any animals in the area. This means a few things. First, that members of the crew go to shore first in order to mark out some areas and walking trails for us. Second it means they often have to find ways to split the group. Lucky for us, we were on a relatively small boat (some have 500 or 600 passengers, so when a max of 100 people can be on land, means not everyone is going to get a chance to get off the boat) so it worked out pretty good.

At this stop there were two islands that we got to visit, Barrientos and Cecelia Islands. We were called down in groups and then transferred to the islands by the zodiacs. This time our numbers were easily split between the 2 islands. The landing was about 2 hours long, so once you had enough at one island, you simply hopped on a zodiac and they took you to the other, or back to the ship if you preferred that. 

I patiently waited for my number to be called and got in line for a zodiac. We all carry electronic ID cards that we scan as we get on and off the ship. Of course you do not always have to get off the boat but unless you were dying (and there were a few illnesses on the boat as you can imagine) why come all this way and not get your boots on the ground? After a short little zodiac ride I very excitedly stepped foot on my 7th continent for the first time.

And look who decided to greet me. Mr. Chinstrap Penguin. So named for the black stripe across the throat. Easy to pick out.

A couple little fur seals having a bit of a fight on the beach. The guys aren't babies but they aren't fully grown just yet either. Adolescent males is how they were described to us. They weren't fighting for territory or females, they were just practicing.

Not just ice and wildlife to look at. There are also some very interesting geographical formations in the area as well.

Of course penguins are not the only birds to see. Antarctica is home to a lot of different birds. These are Southern Giant Petrels. The little fuzzy one in the front is of course still a chick. This birds will eat krill, fish and small squid, usually while swimming but can also dive while flying.

Look at this lazy little fur seal taking a nap in the sun. He looks so peaceful. For seals, we had to try to stay at least 15 metres away from them so as not to disturb them. Apparently if they chase you, running is not the best response. Better to turn around and growl at them. As fun as it would be to be chased by a seal in Antarctica....I'll probably try to avoid it.

A cute little penguin, just coming out of the water.

Where's Waldo......for beginners.

Just sitting there....as penguins do.

This is an adult penguin and penguin chick. These are Gentoo penguins. They are not that different in size at this stage, but you can see the chick is still very fuzzy. Until he loses all those soft little feathers he has to live on land, depending on his parents to bring him food.

A little chinstrap penguin.....just wandering around. You can see the MS Expedition and 2 waiting zodiacs in the background.

Another shot of some penguins and the boats in the background.

How cute is this little chick? 

Yes I am looking a little cold. My first Antarctic experience with my thin warm weather blood. Don't worry, I won't always look this cold.

Hmmm......does the pole taste good?

Or maybe my pants taste good.

Simple rules when it comes to the penguins; stay at least 5 metres away and you can't touch them. However, the rules don't apply to the animals themselves, which means they can come as close to you was they want. It seems unfair.....and a little tempting.

Eventually it was time to head back to the ship, but the first landing did not disappoint. Made me very excited for the rest of the trip. After the landing we had a briefing, just to discuss what we saw and how everyone was feeling after our first landing. I can assure you the room was full of happy people.

The briefing was followed by dinner. Excellent as always.

Now this is what happens when you ask for a "lactose free" meal. You get fruit for dessert......while Jeff gets a cream filled, chocolate covered eclair. Not fair.

Well day one in Antarctica was in the books. Tomorrow hopefully we would get to touch more land.....and this time the actual continent.

Julie