In the very early morning, we sailed south in the Lemaire Strait. It was foggy at first, but as we entered the strait, the fog lifted a few feet off the sea surface. This gave us the chance to appreciate the narrowness and picturesque scenery of the channel.
As we approached Petermann Island, the sky opened. Although cloudy, we could still appreciate the magnificent, mountainous scenery surrounding us.
Our expedition leader and the captain swiftly located a suitable location for a landing, and we launched the Zodiacs. The operation was soon underway, and guests explored the island’s natural highlights and cultural remains while cruising around to observe beautiful icebergs.
On the island, we learned about the past expedition of Charcot to Pourquoi Pas and about the three men whose fate is immortalized by a plaque at the bottom of the iron cross on the shore. Wandering freely in the approved area, we enjoyed observing scenes from the late summer season. Large gentoo and Adelie penguin chicks bullied their parents for food, and busy birds hurried between the sea and their nests. Skuas were a constant presence, ready to take advantage of any possibility for a meal.
During lunch, we retraced our course northwards through the Lemaire while humpback whales surfaced just a few meters off the ship, oblivious of our passing. Shortly after, we were blessed by sunshine and a magnificent view over Mount Francais, a majestic peak towering over Anvers Island.
The bridge team brought us smoothly to our afternoon destination, Skontorp Cove in Paradise Harbor. In a swift operation, we landed on the Antarctic continent. We enjoyed a few minutes of reflection on the new experiences we have had over the last few days as we thought about how much we would all like this trip to continue.
In the protected waters of the Gerlache Strait, the sun was shining over the splendid glaciers and peaks, bathing them in soft-toned, sunset light. We enjoyed our last dinner in Antarctica as we headed towards the Drake Passage on our way to Ushuaia.
