Cuverville Island and the Neumayer Channel

Thursday January 23. On our way out of Antarctica

Day 2 in Antarctica

It is quite a cloudy day. Not really that cold; we’ve been at 1°C or so most of the time. It doesn’t get a lot colder at night because the sun is still up most of the time. But when you are outside and it’s windy and the ship’s speed adds to the wind, it gets cold.

We had a terrible night; the smoke alarm went off at 3 a.m. and shocked both of us awake. A call to the front desk (remember that this ship is really a great big floating hotel) and a crew member arrived within three or four minutes to take the battery out and then replace it. It’s hard getting back to sleep.

About 8 a.m. and we are into the Neumayer Channel with more spectacular scenery. Even when it’s ordinary, it is spectacular. There are some humpback whales here. Generally all you see is the short dorsal fin and the tail fluke when they dive. We got a flipper flap and a roll out of one beside the ship today. There are a couple of research stations along this route and a Quark Expedition ship moored off of one. Quark Expeditions are cruise ships for a lot fewer passengers with a lot more money. There’s also a British ship here researching glacial movement; there is an active glacier here. The ice is so blue; in places it looks green particularly under water. A penguin on an ice floe. Great reflections in the water.

And then we move on to Cuverville Island which is covered in penguins. But we don’t get very close. The commentators on the bridge (who tell us what we’re looking at and should be looking for) say the waters here are uncharted and the captain won’t get too close. So the penguin photos leave a lot to be desired. But we do see some in the water just lazing about. And some “porpoising” which is the way they jump out of the water is described. (And you could say they do it on porpoise!)

Our last stop for the day is Dallman Bay. A huge ice berg here passes us by (or we pass it is probably more realistic). And there are orcas here. Half a dozen groups of two or three or four orcas. Mostly females or young from the size of the dorsal fin. Males have a very long spiky dorsal fin.

Enjoy the photos.

Best

Bob and Elizabeth

08 Lemaire Channel and Paradise Harbour

09 Neumayer Channel, Cuverville Island, Dallman Bay