En route to Antarctica we anchored in the South Orkney Islands and visited the Argentinean Antarctic base at Orcadas, where we were shown around the station and research facilities by the military staff – they were incredibly hospitable but then I’m sure anyone would be if you have to spend 12 months in complete isolation! A bit random but interesting nonetheless!
We were very lucky with the weather conditions, and on the afternoon of the twelfth day the ice conditions permitted us to sail through the Weddell Sea amongst huge tabular ice bergs, in blue and white hues, broken off from the ice shelves closer to the continent (Ronne Ice Shelf and Filchner Ice Shelf). Scattered amongst these were smaller ice bergs each in their own twisted form. Every now and then an ice flow would pass by with a single or group of penguins, or seals – be they Fur seals, Weddell seals, Crabeaters or Leopard seals. The Weddell Sea would offer our only opportunity for spotting Emperor penguins and everyone spent the afternoon and evening out on deck watching the passing spectacle, with one eye keenly watching for passing whales, seals and the entourage of birds that had been accompanying us. And then we spotted a juvenile Emperor penguin, albeit from a distance, which cut a solitary figure amidst the passing icescape.
