Drake Passage.
Yesterday morning we did a zodiac cruise of Danco Island where we saw
more icebergs, seals, and birds. In the afternoon I hiked to the top of
Useful Island with stunning views of the Antarctic peninsula and nearby
islands. Steph did another zodiac cruise which found an Adelie penguin
(first we'd seen) and an Elephant Seal.
As we headed out of the Antarctic waters toward the Drake Passage we
passed some Orca and Humpback whales. The picture with the two fins are
the Orca whales and the two pictures of the tails are the Humpback whales.
It has been a great trip, meeting or exceeding expectations. The weather
was very good, only a couple of times were we out in uncomfortably windy
snowy conditions. A couple of days it was so sunny and warm that we were
peeling layers. We're tired from five days of strenuous physical
activity and since the best way to tolerate the rocking and rolling
during our transit back is lying flat we're spending a lot of time in
bed relaxing. Tomorrow we get everything packed up which will be a
challenge then Tuesday morning we're off the ship and start our long
voyage home.
Steph says: I felt like a wimp opting out of the hike since there were
only three of us who opted for the Zodiac cruise but after spotting the
Elephant Seal which everyone else got to see, I felt redeemed. Also, it
was incredibly beautiful on the water. The views of the glaciers and the
surrounding terrain were beautiful in the late afternoon sun. I also
learned from our guide that Colin, one of the other guides is an expert
on Orcas. He was one of the principal people responsible for the rescue
of Keilo aka "Free Willie". He and a woman were involved for over two
years in the rescue and unsuccessful release of the whale. They tried to
reunite him with his Pod in Norway but he ultimately died. There is a
movie "The Untold Story of Keiko" which features his story. I am hoping
we can get it on Netflix when we get home.
The chef prepared a chocolate dessert extravaganza for us to enjoy after
dinner. It was quite an extraordinary array of desserts which were fun
to sample before we hit the Drake Passage. It is nearly noon on Sunday
and although we aren't seasick, this makes me wonder if we shouldn't
have taken the flight option home. We heard that the airport down here
was closed though and that people who were on that journey on another
ship were out of luck and the whole trip was cancelled.
I am looking forward to being on land again and having a hot shower in a
warm steady bathroom. Although this suite is nice, being at the front of
the ship has its disadvantages including a constant cold draft when
we're a underway and the worst of the rock of the ship. I am going to
see about getting some dramamine. We had dinner with the ship's doctor
and her husband who is also a doctor They told us that the prescription
for Zofarn I was given is useless for seasickness. Unfortunately, I
unknowingly only bought a few dramamine tablets a the airport.
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