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Emperors!
We sailed down the Weddell Sea on a calm and partly sunny morning looking for creatures. The mountains and glaciers were exotic looking and the sea was calm. As we stood on the front deck, the Expedition Crew were scouring the ice floes for seals and penguins. A few Blue-eyed shags flew by as well…
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Brown Bluffs a No, Emperor Penguins Maybe?
Brown Bluffs, the Northernmost location on the Antarctic Peninsula was looking good, clear skies and an ice-free landing zone. One of our guides, Fritz was excited to point out that all those tiny spots on the hill were penguins and he thought we would have an ideal landing. Then over the PA system we hear…
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Two Tickets to Paradise
We’ve reached Paradise Bay and the Argentinian research center, Almirante Brown Station. The ship is just off our landing location and the views of the bay and the icebergs are wonderful. There are Blue-eyed Shags and Antarctica Terns nesting in the nearby cliff face and lots of Gentoo Penguins fishing just off our landing site.…
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The Stunning Beauty of Lemaire
After our wet day, our shipped turned North, and we reentered the Lemaire Channel under clearing conditions. Standing on the back tenth deck, looking at the Mountains and their reflections in the still waters was inspiring. We were giddy at the sheer magnificence of the terrain, no matter where we looked. Definitely one of the…
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Adeline Penguin at Rainy pleneau island
Our excursion this afternoon was what one would expect of Antarctica. Our gear, bought for this trip was in its full glory. We had a continuing icy rain, some wind and of course near freezing conditions. We entered the Zodiac to a pelting rain that was highly unpleasant, but we were essentially covered from head…
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Snow, Wind, rain!
Our outing last night at Port Lockroy was in heavy snow. Our other objective here was to drop off several scientists who would spend the next four months on the island. The zodiac cruise was chilly with near whiteout conditions. We saw two islands of Gentoo Penguins, but two icebergs were more visible and interesting…
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gentoo Penguins on the hill
We were the last group off to visit the Gentoo Colony at Danco Island. Early in the day we saw the Expedition Crew prepare the site. They brought over equipment and prepared the landing area and path, as we needed to stay a distance from the penguins. After breakfast we caught a very interesting lecture…
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Glorious Danco Island
I awakened at 6 to a Winter Wonderland. We are scheduled to visit Danco Island and the breeding Gentoo Penguin colony at 11. For now enjoy the early morning landscape photos plus one of an Antarctic tern.
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It’s All About the ice!
As the morning expedition came to a close, we couldn’t see the last adventurers, just a few hundred yards away due to the snow. I felt that our second expedition later in the day was probably going to be cancelled. Sure enough, the Captain said that the second outing was cancelled but they were working…
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Up, Up, Up!
Our 8:40 outing began with spectacular views surrounding the ship. After a quick breakfast, we climbed into the Zodiac for a short ride to shore. We had missed last nights briefing and when we saw our landing site, we had a great deal of trepidation. The path led up and up and up! Switchbacks to…