Days 9, 10, and 11
January 31st, February 1st, and February 2nd
Heading to South Georgia
The storm had passed so we headed toward South Georgia. Once we were away from the protection of the islands we noticed how rough the seas were and we were experiencing waves up to 26-30 feet! Heading west we were rocking side to side and forward and back! Many people were not feeling very well! The outer decks were closed! By mid morning the Captain decided to turn back for the protection of the Falkland Islands and wait until the swells had died down!
Even though the waves were rough, the expedition team continued to give their presentations. If you were not feeling well, you could watch from your cabin on your TV so that was helpful for many passengers. I went to the presentations, Dave stayed in the room because he wasn’t feeling very well! DJ, our geologist on board, gave a talk on “An Introduction to Geology”. Later in the morning, Nicky, our ship’s photographer, gave a very informative talk about taking pictures in Antarctica and what settings would be beneficial for our cameras. Also, David, the historian, gave a talk about the history of South Georgia. We really appreciated the expedition’s presentations that informed us about what we would be experiencing and also did follow up presentations to give us more information about our experiences!
When the ship was back to the protection of the bay, our captain did a “drive by” of Berkeley Sound!
Going back to the bay gave the kitchen and dining room time to secure their dishes, bowls, pitchers, etc… Earlier they were crashing everywhere! We had to double check everything in our cabin because of the rocking of the ship!
February 1st was a gorgeous day with the sun shining brightly. It was a great day to be on the outside decks. However the boat was still rocking some. This video gives you an idea of the movement but it is nothing compared to yesterday and the night before!
We came inside to hear Miko’s presentation on “The Pinnipeds of South Georgia” and Sam’s talk about the “Southern Ocean Galapagos: Birds of South Georgia”.
After dinner, Tara, one of our kayak guides, gave a slideshow and talk about her kayaking trip around Svalbard. Her journey included polar bears and kayaking through ice! It took her and the 2 friends kayaking with her 72 days! She’s quite brave to tackle and conquer this feat!
Today is Friday, February 2nd, and it is our third day at sea as we approach South Georgia. The ship is still rocking quite a bit. It was cooler, cloudy and foggy. Some Orca whales were spotted. We didn’t get any pictures of them.
This morning we listened to the historian’s talk on Shackleton’s expedition to Antarctica.
In the afternoon we cruised by Shag Rocks. These rock formations are isolated in the middle of nowhere. They are jagged, peaked islands that are estimated to be about 150 million years old! They are home to thousands of blue-eyed shags along with some other species of birds.
The ship’s bridge is open almost all of the time. It is fun to go there and sit and watch the captain and his crew work.
At our recap, Ali, our expedition leader, announced that we’d have a 4:15 AM wake up call to get ready for a 5 AM departure to Prion Island. We are looking forward to visiting this island because it is difficult to get a permit to go ashore. Only 50 people are allowed on the island at a time! It is a nesting area for the Wandering Albatross. Other wildlife thrives on this island too. Getting off the ship after three days is a bonus too!
