The shore of Horseshoe Island was assessed by the Expedition Leader who determined the landing site was suitable for our planned visit. The temperature was mild, and winds were calm. After taking short hikes and tours inside the British historical Base Y and absorbing the exquisite views afforded by this stellar Antarctic day, we headed back to the ship for our next adventure. After another fantastic lunch, we were on location just offshore of Pourquoi Pas and transported gear ashore at Bongrain Point, a cobble shore ringed in meter-thick ice. Roughly 2,000 Adelies nest at this site, along with fulmars, snow petrels, and brown skuas. The breeze picked up by afternoon, but the sun was shining, and guests were thrilled by the antics of our penguin friends as they went about nest building and clumsily waddled. Following our landing, we headed southwest toward Adelaide Island where our on-board researchers observed B1 killer whales hunting Weddell seals in the pack ice.
Photographers: Toby Stephenson, Naturalist, and Kenneth Garrett, National Geographic Photographer
