The seas throughout the night had steadily improved and by morning we were sailing through calm and foggy conditions. However there was a stiff wind about and notably cooler air. The Antarctic Convergence had been crossed, which meant that from a biological standpoint we had crossed into Antarctica. From a political perspective we had also made it, as that boundary is 60 degrees south.
Many seabirds were still with us, most notably a good number of light-mantled sooty albatrosses, sometimes likened to the Ferrari of the seas. Their magnificent slenderness effortlessly plying these high latitudes. A little later we came across a number of feeding humpback whales and this explained the number of albatrosses sighted, they were here for the food.
After a hearty breakfast we attended the mandatory IAATO briefing on Antarctica and this was followed with a biodiversity security check to try and ensure that none of us inadvertently introduce exotic species to this pristine environment.
A presentation, just before lunch, about penguins was an ideal way to prep us for the adventures we would experience together in the afternoon.
Just after lunch we sailed through the English Strait between Robert and Greenwich Islands, the currents were ripping through and at one point the ship attained a speed of 19.2 knots! There were a number of icebergs about and land could be discerned through the fog. In the waters penguins could be seen porpoising in their hundreds.
By mid-afternoon we had anchored off the Island of Half Moon, a picturesque little island snuggled into the northern part of Livingstone Island. There were two options: a long walk or a short walk.
The long hikers landed on a steepish pebble beach and headed off over snow and ice up towards a hill. Along the way we crossed patches of clear stones and in these places there were opportunities to see a number of lichens as well as little moss plants. All along the way we passed south polar skuas, a number sitting on nests. We were pleased that they were unmoved by our presence and continued about their business. Along the way there were also commanding views of glaciers and ice fields.
The short-walk hikers landed on a pebble beach and a little way along a gentle incline came into close proximity with several colonies of chinstrap penguins. Most of the birds caring for two pale gray fluffy chicks. There were also skuas, snowy sheathbills, kelp gulls, and Antarctic terns. Dotted along the way were some impressive rock formations covered in brightly colored lichens.
All too soon it was time to head back for the ship, and reluctantly we trudged back. It had been such a wonderful afternoon and we all agreed that a better introduction to our Antarctic adventure would have been hard to imagine.
As we readied ourselves for the Captain’s welcome cocktails and dinner the ship sailed into the Bransfield Strait for tomorrow’s destination—the Antarctic Sound and a continental landing at Brown Bluff.
As the Captain told us about the ship’s history and introduced us to the officers, humpback whales on either side of the ship were sighted and interrupted part of the proceedings.
