After saying goodbye to South Georgia in Drygalski Fjord, we spent our day at sea traveling further south, destination: South Orkney Islands. Many of us had never heard of this small island archipelago and we were excited for the adventure. An easy following wind and sea swept us along throughout our journey. All day snowflakes fell, making for a very atmospheric and wintry ocean scene.
Visibility was low, but several whales were spotted throughout the day; both fin whales and humpbacks were seen, and quite close! After a leisurely breakfast, “Captain James Cook Part 2” series was played, then we rallied back in the mudroom for our fourth biosecurity session! At this point it was fairly quick, we all knew what to look for and the activity was finished within an hour.
We lunched and napped. In mid-afternoon Adrian spoke about preparing for polar expeditions either by skis or snow machine in the high arctic. The snow continued to fall, icebergs were scrutinized in the mist, and we enjoyed the daily teatime as well.
We had a full day of catching up on our photos, good conversation, some card playing, and then sharing a cocktail as we tucked into a full recap from our expedition team. This was followed by plans for our excursions in the South Orkneys tomorrow.
After dinner the photographic team of Eric, Susan, Bryan, and Martin hosted a friendly and educational photo critique for those of us that contributed. We headed off to bed with the gentle rolling ocean and excitement for tomorrow.
