January 14th did not go according to plan as one thing no one has any control over is the weather. We awoke to a very foggy morning so the plan to stop at Astrolabe Cove was abandoned and we set off to Lindblad Cove with hopes that the fog would lift. It was not to be and thought we could see many icebergs through the fog it was deemed much too dangerous to put zodiacs into the water as the proximity to icebergs could not be properly judged. The naturalists filled the time on board with several interesting presentations while some of them stayed on the bridge keeping their trained eyes on the lookout for wildlife which paid off when they spotted three Type A Orcas in Orleans Strait. These killer whales differ from ours in that they are larger and are meat eaters consuming seals and smaller whales such as minke whales. Two of them had truncated dorsal fins which was apparently probably due to getting caught in fishing lines when they migrate to South America in the winter. Many on board had never seen an Orca so were extra excited. Dinner was served early in hopes that the fog might lift and we would be able to do an evening activity and much to everyone’s surprise it did and we stopped and got off at Trinity Island which is a Gentoo Penguin colony which was the only one of this type that we saw which was fantastic. The gentoos are larger than the adeles but breed a little bit later so their chicks were a little smaller and look a lot different from the others we have seen. The island was literally covered in poop and you could not avoid walking in it so a good wash of the boots in the ocean was in order before returning to the ship. Apparently by the end of February the poop is several inches thick. There is also an abandoned Argentinian research hut on the island which now serves as a refuge hut should anyone be in distress and has food supplies, cots and a radio to call for help. So the day did not go as planned but turned out to be another fantastic one down here in Antarctica.
Heading out through the fog knowing there is land and lots of icebergs out there
The fog would lift just enough at times to give us short glimpses and then drop right down again
The fog added a bit of an eerie silence to the landscape
Every iceberg is a unique size and shape
These orcas are bigger than the ones we see at home. Sad to see their damaged dorsal fins which do not regrow.
This was the female in the group
We watched them for awhile and then left them to their feeding as not to stress them One of the naturalists on board is a killer whale specialist so had lots of information to pass on
The giant cracks in the ice show how dangerous it can be to get to close as it can give way at any time
Trinity Island with the fog lifting and the continent in the background
The greeting party
A parent with their two chicks
Looking at me as if to say “what are you”
This elephant seal on the island almost appears to be grinning
Remains of a boat along with some whale bones on shore
Very protective of their young
This penguin had an egg and a chick though apparently if the egg had not hatched by now it probably would not
Even penguins like to have fun in the water
Mostly they porpoise in the water but they can enjoy a leisurely swim
This guy looks like he is bulking up in case there is a shortage of food
This lone chinstrap penguin was on the gentoo colony. Who knows, maybe he stopped in for a visit to promote diversity
This chick child definitely benefit from a bath but it sure is cute
This parent seems to be saying to the other parent “where on earth have you been”
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