Saturday, March 12, 2016 - The Antarctic Peninsula

Today was a great day with a rough start. I could tell during the night that we were in some pretty rough seas. During the morning announcements we were told that the winds reached 50+ mph with waves of 25-30'. Fortunately for me due to the sleep aid I took last night I slept through most of it.

The first ice bergs were seen just after breakfast as we approached the South Shetland Islands. We passed through a strait toward the south western end of the island chain and into the Grassfield Strait which runs between the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. We made it!!!

The views were everything I had imagined and more. This is yet another instance where pictures just don't tell the story. but I sure took enough to try. By this time the wind had died way down, the sky was clear and the temperature was right at freezing. 

Upon entering Curtis Bay we boarded Zodiacs (10 per) and cruised the bay. We drifted among the brash ice and open water. The were many small icebergs and some large ones, some of which we grounded. There were at least a dozen Humpback Whale sightings. We were out for about an hour and a half.

After lunch it was back into the Zodiacs for a trip to a small island named Duno Island where we expected to see seals and many penguins. The island is very small; approximately 200 yards long by 100 yards wide. One of the highlights was seeing a Chinstrap Penguin which is rare in this part of the Antarctic. 

Tomorrow morning we will enter the Weddell Sea where we really begin to "Follow Shackleton's Footsteps.

ILYB

    Antarctic Peninsula

    Icebergs with glacier in the background

    Small iceberg. The blue is under water.

    Seal

    Chinstrap Penguin 

    Our ship "Polar Pioneer"