Drake Passage, Half Moon Island and Bransfield Strait
Our morning is spent sailing the final portion of the Drake Passage; and we do so in the familiar company of cape petrels, southern giant petrels, Wilson’s storm petrels and an occasional Antarctic petrel.
The wind is gusting strongly, between 28 and 35 knots, and the tops of the waves are lopped off becoming a jumble of white foam. However we know in our hearts that we have had a good crossing and for that we are thankful.
The South Shetlands loom out of the rain and the low clouds and we catch our first glimpses of the ice and the whiteness which so characterize this remarkable continent. A little later we are sailing through the English Strait between Robert and Greenwich Islands and head towards our destination, Barrientos Island, part of the Aitcho Archipelago. It soon becomes evident that any thought of a landing is impossible, the winds are whistling off the land causing sizeable waves on the landing beach. However our Captain expertly guides the ship close to the rocky shoreline and gives us our first views of chinstrap and gentoo penguins. We are delighted by the whole experience. Shortly afterwards we head off for an alternative destination which it is hoped will offer us more protection from the elements.
During lunch we sail along the coastline of Greenwich Island with its snow and ice fields cascading down steep mountain slopes and skirting the coastline as long glacier fronts.
Shortly after lunch we are anchored off Half Moon Island and soon enough board the Zodiacs to make our first landfall.
On the shore to greet us are a few penguins and a slumbering young elephant seal. During the afternoon we get to walk over snow, often sinking to our knees, having a good laugh before hauling ourselves out and heading off again. We are able to take in the wonderful geological formations of the place covered by a rich variety of brightly colored lichens. And of course lots of opportunities to see chinstrap penguins: carrying stones, courting, preening, on nests, mating or simply resting on the snow. We are all enthralled and delighted as the notion that we have made it to “The Ice” sinks in and so begins our very own experience here.
For the rest of the day we sail across the Bransfield Strait en-route for the Weddell Sea and by late evening we catch our first sightings of the tabular icebergs which calve off the ice shelves deep in the Weddell.
