Land ahoy! After a day on a choppy Drake guests awoke within 40 miles of the South Shetland Islands. Although the islands were shrouded in low cloud and fog guests that made it to the bridge were treated to sightings of fin and humpback whales on the approach. As we passed our first icebergs accompanied by wandering albatross and our first porpoising penguins, the rugged islands finally came into view.
The Aitcho Islands were the afternoon’s destination where guests were greeted off the Zodiacs by a panoply of gentoo and chinstrap penguins. At this stage of the season the penguin chicks are preparing to fledge and are often very inquisitive of visitors to the island.
After guests were officially greeted to the vessel with the captain’s welcome cocktails and dinner we made our way into the crater of Deception Island.
