From the Jungle to the Deep Freeze - Antarctica

  12/17/2022 Damoy Point inside Dorian Bay on Wiencke Island   Our group returned to the zodiacs after climbing to the peak for a moment of silence for those brave souls who discovered this fantastic land mass. I took short videos of the penguins and skuas while waiting to board a zodiac. https://youtu.be/uL-Sb8utlCU https://youtu.be/kbK7Js9YnAU https://youtu.be/EGX-5vHqna8 https://youtu.be/C2iTk4Kaja0

  12/17/2022 Port Lockroy and Damoy Point Port Lockroy is a British Antarctic territory on Goudier Island in the Palmer Archipelago, and it is home to Antarctica's only post office and museum.  More than 1,500 Gentoos live there, and 4 women, chosen from over 4,000 applicants, contractually inhabit the building for one year.   We enjoyed listening to Natalie Corbett on the ship during a morning "Learning and Discovery" briefing before we climbed into the zodiacs to visit. Her story was fascinating. Please take a moment to learn about her and the other women, and you will be amazed! https://www.ukaht.org/latest-news/2022/say-hello-to-our-new-port-lockroy-team/ Polar Pride is everywhere,  even outside  the only post office/gift shop in Antarctica, thanks to the earlier UK ship bearing the UK flag. Postmarking my postcard Homely-looking Snowy Sheathbills engaging in a disagreement. Nasty, crafty Skuas lie in wait for the moment  when the penguins are careless.  Check out the

  12/16/2022 Adventures With Diego and Vicki   We launched first with Diego at the helm.  Record snowfalls and glaciers blanketed the sea.  Duane's zodiac was right behind us and  Sandy was the first to discover the leopard seal  pictured in the earlier post. Vicki was at the helm of our expedition to  Yalour Island's Adelie Penguins.  While we were in shallow waters,  she grabbed  a sample of the crystal-clear ice. Green Algae and icicles. Sy lvia and Vicki getting ready to hoist up the zodiacs at the end of the day.

12/16/2022  Argentine and Yalour Islands A Banner Day for Wildlife Sightings  I was in the morning's first zodiac to the Argentine and Yalour Islands and feeling a little disappointed with my photography up to this point. Suddenly Duane, the expedition team member guiding the zodiac behind us, radioed that a leopard seal was showing off close by. I was ecstatic when I downloaded this photo! Not only one kind of seal, but our first sighting of the Weddell Seal napping on the ice shelf above a new species of penguins - the Adelies. Taking a leap. Back on board the ship for lunch we learned whales were following our ship. The previous photos of the Humpback Whale were taken from the deck.

12/15/2022 Danco Island Landing   My beautiful moment with Carlos,  our trip leader for team Yellow Albatross Bunny and mom styling with attitude More ice floes, glaciers, and gigantic mountains   How's this pic of our ship for a sense of scale?  Chinstraps in the land of the Gentoo

 12/15/2022 Why Antarctica? Barb, Brian, and Vicki Answer from most of our group?  To set foot on all 7 continents. Through the Gerlache Strait to Neko Harbour. From my 5th-level balcony, I can see why avoiding ice floes and glaciers is so difficult since more than twice their size is underwater. Penguins are cute, but their rookeries reek since they poop and live in the same area. They leave their nest when they can't stand themselves, waddle down the penguin highway they've built, with arms akimbo to maintain balance, and jump into the sea, which must be loaded with chlorine (really salt water) since they emerge spotlessly white, before returning back to the nest. On the way back for lunch

  12/14/2022 Land Ho!                                                 The South Shetland Islands The penguin rookeries own this island. The Gentoo Penguins The Chinstrap Penguins howling a warning Dejected or asleep? Nasty Skua kidnapped a baby penguin  and slammed it on the ground until it died.