{"id":1762,"date":"2019-08-12T11:16:43","date_gmt":"2019-08-12T11:16:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ganeandmarshall.com\/blog\/?p=1762"},"modified":"2019-08-12T11:17:11","modified_gmt":"2019-08-12T11:17:11","slug":"my-antarctic-voyage-exploring-the-antarctic-peninsula","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ganeandmarshall.com\/blog\/my-antarctic-voyage-exploring-the-antarctic-peninsula\/","title":{"rendered":"My Antarctic Voyage – Exploring the Antarctic Peninsula"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the third and final of her blogs detailing her journey into Antarctica, G&M wildlife consultant Sarah Williams describes exploring the Antarctic Peninsula, and her return to Argentina.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sailing from\nSouth Georgia, sometime during the night we crossed the 60-degree line which meant\nthat we were officially in Antarctica!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

After a\ncouple of days sailing, we eventually arrived at the scenic Laurie Island in\nthe South Orkney Islands, on the most gorgeous sunny day. This is where the\nScottish explorer Williams Spears Bruce built a hut in 1903, the remains of\nwhich can still be seen. Nowadays the Argentinians have a base here – Orcadas\nResearch Station – and they kindly showed us around their small museum before\nenjoying a coffee in the warmth of their quarters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we sailed\nout of Scotia Bay, we were treated to incredible sightings of ice bergs of all\nshapes and sizes, set against the cloudless blue sky. The further we travelled south,\nthe more icebergs we saw, including one massive tabular iceberg which the\nCaptain estimated to be 2 miles across!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Close to\nPaulet Island we were treated to a large pod of humpback whales swimming around\nthe ship, impressing us with their diving skills and showing off their tail\nflukes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Browns Bluff<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A shore\nexcursion at Browns Bluff took us to a large colony of Adelie penguins, our\nsixth species of penguin! Some had fluffy grey chicks and it was a fabulous\nafternoon observing these busy creatures as they went in and out of the ocean. Around\nthe headland there was a beautiful glacier and stunning views out to sea where\nPlancius was being dwarfed by massive icebergs.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overnight we\nsailed to the South Shetland Islands, arriving at Half Moon Island, another\nincredibly scenic spot, where a large colony of Chinstrap penguins greeted us along\nwith a solitary Macaroni penguin! The scenery was simply breathtaking. Back on the\nbeach a group of passengers took the polar plunge while the rest of looked on\nin admiration or possibly bewilderment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next stop was\nDeception Island which, as a collapsed caldera, provides a natural harbour, the\nvolcano last erupted in the 1960s. Entry is only possible in good weather\nthrough a narrow gap called Neptune\u2019s Bellows. \nWe went ashore at Whalers Bay, which as the name suggests was a whaling\nstation in 1911. I found the place to have a strange and melancholy atmosphere,\nwith steam rising from the black sand reminding you of the island\u2019s volcanic\nhistory.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was suggested that we get up\nearly the next morning as the scenery would be especially spectacular through\nthe Gerlache Strait, so I set my alarm! The following morning, I woke to a\nbeautiful sunny day and was soon out on deck appreciating the mind-blowing\nscenery. We slowly sailed towards Neko Harbour through icebergs and jagged\nsnow-covered mountains, and were soon joined by pods of Orcas and Humpback\nwhales \u2013 certainly worth getting up early for!  \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Neko Harbour<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After breakfast we went ashore, most of us climbed a steep\nhill for amazing views of the harbour, Plancius looked very insignificant surrounded\nby huge glaciers and mountains. Groups of Gentoo penguins had carved out\npenguin highways in the snow, some were so deep that the penguins disappeared\nbetween the steep sides!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After lunch we arrived at Port Lockroy, a small Antarctic\nbase comprising a post office (the most southerly post office in the world),\nshop and museum. Gentoo penguins were nesting on any available space, completely\nnonplussed at our arrival. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following morning would be our last day in Antarctica\nand the weather could not have been better – clear, bright and sunny. After\nbreakfast we boarded the zodiacs for a cruise around the Melchior Islands. What\nan awesome sight this was! Snow cliffs, icebergs in different shades of blue,\ncrabeater seals, penguins and birds \u2013 it was a most memorable way to end such\nan incredible cruise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Returning to ship we soon set sail for Ushuaia and on the\ntwo-day journey we were kept busy with lectures and a photo competition. As we finally\nsailed down the Beagle Channel towards Ushuaia, we enjoyed a glass of fizz as\nthe Captain and expedition leader thanked their teams and we toasted them for\nproviding us with such an outstanding journey of unforgettable memories. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cruising around the Melchoir Islands<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We arrived at Ushuaia on the longest day of the year with a luminary\nfull moon guiding us into port. The cruise had been jam-packed with the most\nextraordinary experiences, we had seen wildlife aplenty, enjoyed the most\nincredible scenery, been educated through many lectures, made new friends and\nbeen blessed with good weather. That pink sky on the first evening had been an\nexcellent omen after all.<\/p>\n

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