We celebrate another remarkable day in Antarctica with a morning visit to Port Lockroy. Gentoo penguins nesting around the structure, part of a clandestine British effort to monitor German activity during World War II. A great deal of thievery, as penguins filch valuable pebbles from nearby nests. Snowy sheathbills scavenging around and amongst the penguins.
Inside the building we are taken back more than half a century for a glimpse into the lives of the people who occupied the station. Tins of dried vegetables, oats and coffee, and condiments including H P Sauce and mustard. Pinup posters of Jane Russell, Elizabeth Taylor and, of course, Marilyn Monroe. The small shop does a brisk business and many postcards are dropped off to be mailed. They should reach their destination within two months.
Just behind the station is a patch of fast ice, perfect for a stroll and for a cross country ski outing. With the sun poking through the clouds and an expansive backdrop of mountains covered by snow and ice, it is a memorable experience. We have a full morning.
This is our final day in Antarctica. We head towards the Drake Passage to head north to Ushuaia. But there is much more before we leave the White Continent. We transit Neumayer Channel, a spectacularly scenic passage made even more so by a dense covering of pack ice. Captain Glaser expertly maneuvers our sturdy ship through the ice creating magnificent photo opportunities and endlessly beautiful and fascinating vistas.
We hit the jackpot. A rare emperor penguin! Resting on an ice floe. Binoculars are raised, cameras are called into action. Images are imprinted in our minds.
We make our way through Dallman Bay and into a gentle Drake Passage as we sit down to enjoy our Blue Ice Gourmet Dinner.
