How to match yesterday’s excitement of walking on fast ice at Lallemande fjord? It seems almost impossible but the magnificence of Antarctica has no limits to our eyes.
Our plan for today was a little different. After hosting two members of the British Antarctic Heritage Trust for breakfast and hearing about their work in this remote place, our Zodiacs promptly shuttled us to two destinations: Goudier Island and Jougla Point.
The first is a small island better known as Port Lockroy, a safe bay with protected anchorage for small vessels that was discovered and well used by the Français expedition of 1901-03. Port Lockroy is the place to visit an iconic building from the secret British Operation Tabarin of 1943-45. Bransfield House or Base ‘A’ has been restored and it is now a museum and a Historic Site in the Antarctic. Looking around the premises, we could appreciate the harsh living conditions of the men working here until 1960s. Also, much to our surprise and pleasure, the base is still operating a gift shop and the postal office, which has been now inundated with all the postcards we wrote on our voyage. This is a unique opportunity to send mail from Antarctica, although no one knows how long it will take to reach the addressee!
At Jougla Point, the thousands of pairs of nesting gentoo penguins were shadowed by the blue skies and the peaks of the Fief Range, sharp and spikey snow-covered mountains that seemed taller than the 4,700 feet of their real height. The ‘Seven Sisters of Fief’ are seldom seen in such a spectacular fashion and we were lucky to witness this breath taking scenery.
No one wanted to miss out on our last landing in Antarctica, thus the afternoon visit to Danco Island was welcomed. The weather was holding up and there was no breeze, which meant it was time to take the yellow kayaks out for a last outing. And out we were, exploring, smiling, photographing, and wishing this voyage had no end. Penguins were swimming by us while we were navigating through bergy bits, which from the kayak looked like proper icebergs. Danco Island provided a hike to a gentoo penguin colony and spectacular vistas of the Errera Chanel and surrounding islands. It feels as if we could watch endlessly these endearing birds waddle up and down the slopes of the island, busy in their own affairs and not bothered by our presence.
They say plans are made to be changed. In this case, the flexibility of our captain and the fantastic hotel department was shown once again before and after dinner when the bridge officer spotted killer whales. The ship turned and once again we were all out on deck watching these iconic predators of the sea in action. This was a terrific way to finish the evening.
Now, it’s time to say goodbye to Antarctica. Many of us are left wanting more of the icy continent; many of us must return back. But the National Geographic Explorer is heading north and the Drake Passage awaits.
