Antarctica's White Wilderness Day 8

DAY 8 - Thursday, January 21, 2016 - Cruise the Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands; View & Spot Flora & Fauna

After sailing during the night we woke to sunshine and blue skies. However, by the time we went to breakfast, the sun was under a heavy bank of clouds and it was snowing. The temperature was 31 degrees with 81% humidity.

Claudia, the Director had announced we would try to go to Oren Islands for our morning landing excursion but when the scout party radioed back that conditions were not possible, we changed course and sailed to Danco Island near by.

The icebergs were so plentiful in this inlet; the crew on the bridge had to be very diligent as we traveled in and out of the ice. Seba’s group was the first to go ashore after the scout team had OK’ed the landing.

We hiked up a very steep snowy slope. I wished we had brought our clamp-on ice cleats that we use walking in our neighborhood when it is snowy. Going up was easy, coming back down was a bit rough, but we both made it to the top and back down in one piece.

At the top we had beautiful panoramic view of mountains covered with snow and ice, the Corinthian, the nesting sea birds, and of course, the penguins. The snow was falling – huge big flakes, and we had just a little wind. Our winter weather gear kept us very warm.

We saw more penguins but also nesting seabirds. One very unique bird is the Snowy Sheathbill, the only bird in Antarctica that does not have webbed feet. Other birds observed today were the brown skuas, several cormorants, Antarctic terns, as well as gulls too numerous to identify.

When everyone returned to the ship on the zodiacs we sailed to another area and had a "continental landing". Even though all of these islands are considered Antarctica, some in our groups were just waiting for the real thing - being on the continent itself, not the surrounding islands.

Another announcement was made that because of the severe weather condition, we would not go to Neko Harbor as planned, but instead we navigated to Paradise Bay.

The crew keeps reminding us “there is NO Plan B”. Everything in Antarctica is an incredible experience, so if we cannot go to one spot, there are hundreds of others just as stunning.

Our next stop was at Paradise Bay and the Brown Base Station, an Argentine Antarctic scientific research station. We disembarked in heavy snow but because there was no wind, we were able to go ashore.

We were the last group to go out on the zodiac this time, but we were ready to face the snow and cold to get a glimpse at an Argentinian Base Station. One of the crew took our photo as we stepped on to the shore, our seventh continent!

The wildlife consisted of gentoo penguins and cormorants. The scavenger shuas were circling the rookeries in search of an unprotected penguin chick.

Last ones on – last ones off the islands; we got back to the ship about 5:30 and went to work on GarciaTrips. Before dinner we went to the recap of the day and briefing for tomorrow.

We returned from dinner at 9:15 and began to put our thoughts together to relate another wonderful day on the White Continent. The seas were calm and we anticipated moving again about 6:30 in the morning.

Accommodations: Corinthian - Meals: B, L, & D