Islands. We were taken ashore in zodiac boats at about 9am to spend
several hours walking among the penguins and a couple of seals. Most of
the penguins were Chinstrap penguins, recognizable for the thin black
line around their chin. There were some Gentoo penguins recognizable for
the orange beak.
The penguins have laid their eggs and are tending them until they hatch.
The parents take turns sitting on the eggs, occasionally turning them.
The free parent goes down to the water to clean off and feed. The
penguins heading down to the water are muddy and the ones coming back
are nice and clean white.
Steph says:
Learning to walk in deep snow with heavy rubber boots and thick parkas
(they have fleece vests inside) takes time.
You have walk carefully because there are deep imprints from others and
the surface is often slick. It would be
easy to twist an ankle.
It was 38 degrees outside with light winds but even so, I wore snow
goggles which Caitlin recommended. They are
a life saver especially on the Zodiac trip over from the ship. There is
a special procedure for boarding the Zodiac.
You first step on the side and then onto a step inside of the boat. You
hold onto two helpers wrist to wrist to make
certain that you don't slip. When you get in, you have to sit on the
side. There is a thin rope to hold onto but
I always lean forward. About eighteen months ago, a Zodiac tipped over
near shore when a rogue wave hit. One woman
was hit by the engine and died. I find that every moment of this trip, I
have to pay attention.
Thankfully, the violent rocking of the ship has stopped since we are out
of the Drake Passage. Since our room is at the front of the boat, we
took more of a beating. Fortunately neither one of us got sick. We took
Dramamine and Zofran before we felt sick and they worked but it was a
very scary trip mainly because it is so easy to fall which I have done
several times, and get tossed around.
We have been surprised by the great number of people in their twenties
and thirties that are on the trip - not your usual cruise crowd. There
is one elderly woman who walks with a cane. I am in awe of the fact that
she can
navigate the steep slippery slopes and stairs. We are always climbing
something. In Iguazu Falls, we climbed at least
50-60 vertical feet after the boat trip and on Cape Horn there was a wet
slippery wooden stairway that
we had to climb up (and down) from the shore. It was quite a work out!
We are stopping again this afternoon at Deception Bay for an hour which
will mean suiting up but it's worth it: truly
a lifetime experience.
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