Petermann Island & Booth Island
Low clouds, a light drizzle, and a stiff breeze at Petermann Island was the sight we were awoken to this morning. The wind kicked up quite a chop on the water. Brave souls bundled up at 8:30am to go ashore on this rocky island. Soaked by splashing waves and wind-blown spray we piled out of the Zodiacs onto the rocky shore. Snow algae colored the hillsides red and green, one layered behind the other. Gentoo penguins wandered about. Some adults still had chicks chasing them across the beaches looking for food and others stood miserably puffed out waiting to finish moulting.
Buffeted by the wind, most returned to the ship early ending the landing a little earlier than planned. Thankfully, the Captain continuously manoeuvred the ship so offloading the Zodiacs was comfortably calm and wind free.
Repositioning down the bay we stopped again for the afternoon at Booth Island. Here the wind was much less and this time Zodiac cruising through the ice was possible. Heading out into the thin fog the large bergs loomed ahead of us. Fantastic shapes and colours were sculpted out of dense ice. All shades of blue stood out in the foggy grey landscape. A few crabeater seals were hauled out, oblivious to the changing weather. In rain and a rising wind cruisers made their way back to National Geographic Explorer and the few who trekked ashore came back as well.
Grateful for a warm shower and a hot cup of tea, most revelled in the excitement of the morning and the amazing and extreme weather of the Antarctic. This, our last day on the Antarctic Peninsula was certainly not for the faint of heart. Those who braved the weather were rewarded with a true sense of ever changing Antarctica.
