Today was one of the most exhilarating days of the whole expedition so far. We started the day with a 90-minute Zodiac cruise along the coast of Nightingale Island. This extremely remote island, some 43 kilometers south-southeast of Tristan da Cunha, was always going to be a challenge to see, with big swells and high winds. But we were extremely lucky. The swell and winds decreased and the sun came out. We carefully maneuvered Zodiacs to a place where we got excellent close-up views of northern rockhopper penguins. Approximately 90% of this small penguin species, with its weird long yellow crest, breed in these islands. It was such a treat to watch them and take photographs, while sitting in a Zodiac just off shore. Sub-Antarctic fur seals were also in abundance and added to the excitement.
After lunch we relocated to Inaccessible Island, another volcanic island around 31 kilometers from Tristan da Cunha. We took a ship cruise around the island getting wonderful views of the abundance of seabirds, including great shearwaters, yellow-nosed albatrosses, and spectacled petrels. We waited until the winds receded before heading out again.
