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Antarctica & Easter Island
  • Bob And Brenda Kerr
  • Bob And Brenda Kerr

Antarctica & Easter Island

An open-ended adventure by Bob And Brenda Read more
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  • Trip start
    January 23, 2026
    Bob And Brenda KerrAntarctica & Easter IslandTraveler

    Phx to Miami

    January 22 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    We are departing on this trip with heavy hearts as my dear brother in law passed away on the 20th. We seriously considered cancelling the trip. After talking with my very considerate sister, she encouraged us to go on the trip. She indicated that she would schedule Bruce's funeral for after we return. This will also enable anyone from out of town to make travel arrangements.

    We were flying from Phoenix departing at around 3 PM. We got to the airport in plenty of time and relaxed in a very small American Airlines lounge. This gave us time to discuss several upcoming remodeling plans.

    We made it to Miami without a hitch.

    We had about an hour and a half between flights. We made the long walk to our gate-the Miami Airport is very spread out.

    We boarded in a timely manner thinking that we would nake an ontime departure at 10:10 PM. We quickly settled into our seats for the long flight to Santiago, Chile. We then waited and waited and waited. The Captain finally made an announcement that liquid had spilled in the cargo hold and as soon as a crew got it cleaned up, we would be on our way. But we then waited and waited and waited. I check our flight status online only to discover that or flight had been delayed until 12:30 AM! At about midnight, the Captain announced that the liquid in the cargo hold was actually coming from the bathroom. He then explained that we would have to deplane and switch aircraft. We packed everything up and deplaned.

    The replacement aircraft was not at the gate so we waited some more.

    The plane finally arrived passengers deplaned, a crew cleaned the plane and we were finally ready to board.

    But again we waited and waited and waited. Finally we departed sometime between 1:30 AM and 2:00 AM.

    Bob and I both got a little sleep on the plane .    Read more

  • Bob And Brenda KerrAntarctica & Easter IslandTraveler

    Arrival in Santiago

    January 23 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We finally arrived in Santiago. We quickly made it through passport control and our luggage was waiting for us at baggage claim and all pieces were there!

    We were met by a Viking representative outside of baggage. This is the first time we have had Viking do all of our flights and transfers.

    We headed to our van and then to the hotel.

    We are staying at the Intercontinental. Our check in went smoothly. We headed to our room and freshened up.

    We met our group for lunch at the hotel. The lunch was outstanding. We spent a couple of hours at lunch getting to know our fellow travelers. They seem like a very interesting group.

    After lunch we headed back to the room to organize our luggage for Easter Island. We will be leaving our large luggage at the hotel and just taking carryons to Easter Island.

    We decided to skip dinner and get some much needed sleep.    Read more

  • Bob And Brenda KerrAntarctica & Easter IslandTraveler
    Welcoming Committee
    Hotel LobbyOur CabanaBathroom in CabanaMoari at Ahu AkiviUs at Ahu AkiviProfile of Moari at Ahu AkiviBacks of Moari at Ahu AkiviSingle Moari at TahaiMoari at TahaiFlowers with Moari in BackgroundFlowers with many Moari in Background at TahaiView from Dinner RestaurantView from After Dinner Beverage Location

    Easter Island

    January 24 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    It was a 4:15 AM wakeup this morning as we needed to be in the lobby packed and bags taken to storage with the concierge. I think I was having flashbacks of oversleeping in Istanbul so we were ready really early and were the first of our group to be in the lobby.

    We had a boxed breakfast and loaded the bus for our trip to the airport.

    We are a group of 19 so checking Iin took a bit but we were at the gate close to 2 hours early.

    As a side note, Easter Island makes you document your hotel and departure flight. They clearly welcome you coming but want to make sure you leave. They also restrict the number of visitors to 2,000 per day.

    Our 9:10 AM departure was delayed and we didn't actually depart until a few minutes before 11 AM.

    Surprisingly, our plane was a 787-8 with nine seats across. We are in the back of the plane. The legroom is not bad but the plane is older and all the cushioning in the seats have long since disappeared.

    During the flight, I worked on finishing up my posts from our last cruise. I am hoping to be better on this cruise but without Patty's great descriptions or my sister's assistance, I am not very optimistic. But this cruise is not nearly as jam packed as the Adriatic and Mediterranean Cruise nor the Rhine River cruise.

    This is the first cruise that Bob and I have taken without traveling companions. This may stretch my hermit tendencies.

    We checked into the hotel. Our room is a lovely cabana.

    We had a quick lunch before heading to our first site which is Ahu Tiva. This is the only Moari site that is inland. The Moari are ceremonial burial sites. Important tribes people are buried under the platforms and the Moari are placed on top of the burial site.

    Next we headed back toward town to Tahai.

    Martin, our guide, explained the history of the Island. There was a period of conflict between the tribes which was very bloody. The tribes even engaged in canabolism. Their thinking was that by eating their enemies they would obtain the enemies ' strength.

    We observed a bunker used during this conflict.

    We headed back to the hotel for a brief time to freshen up before dinner.

    Dinner was at a quaint restaurant overlooking a spot where the locals were surfing and swimming. We had salad and an entrée of tuna.

    Bob and I opted to skip the evening 's show and walk back from the restaurant. We went to the restaurant and had a beverage on the deck while watching the sunset. We think we made the best choice.    Read more

  • Bob And Brenda KerrAntarctica & Easter IslandTraveler
    Horses Everywhere
    Rana A RarakuRana A RarakuMoari at Rana A RarakuOnly Kneeling Moari on IslandView of Tonariki from Rana A RarakuMoari Damaged During Transportation To JapanCloseup of Moari at TonarikiAnother View of Moari at TonarikiRear View of Moari at TonarikiSleeping Hut at Hana Te E VinauLunchOcean View From Lunch RestaurantBasalt Carved Platform At VinapuMoari at Vinapu That Remain Face DownMoari At Hana Rau AnakenaFacial Detail of Maori At Hana Rau AnakenaRed Of Top Knots VisibleBack of Moari at Hana Rau Anakena

    Rapa Nui (Easter Island) Day 2

    January 25 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We began the day with breakfast before meeting the group in the lobby.

    Our guide, Martin, outlined our day's activity. It is looking like a very busy itinerary.

    We left the hotel at 9:30 AM and headed to Rana A Raraku volcano where the Moari quarry is located. We learned how the Moari were carved and transported.

    Next we went to Tonariki where there are 15 Moari who have been restored.

    We saw these Moari on our World Cruise in 2019 from the ship as it was too rough to tender and there is no pier on Rapa Nui. The Moari face the interior of the Island so we only saw their backs from the ship.

    The Moari were originally painted white with eyes made of white coral and obsidian centers. Their top-notch (hats) are constructed of red stone.

    The Japanese government had asked to exhibit a Moari. Permission was granted but the Moari was damaged during transport. As compensation, the Japanese paid to have the Moari at Tonariki restored.

    A decision has been made to not restore all the Moari as having them not restored tells the story of Rapa Nui and its struggles among clans by which they pulled down the Moari of rival clans.

    We then went to Hana Te E Vai Hu to view the historic islanders' sleeping huts and method of farming. I opted not to enter the sleeping huts after being warned by Bob that the straw roof created a very moldy environment.

    We had lunch in a delightful restaurant overlooking the ocean.

    Our next stop was at Vinapu where we observed a much more advanced platform constructed of basalt stone. The Moari at Vinapu all remain toppled.

    We finally made it to Hana Pau Anakena which was to be our beach stop. I was so excited for the opportunity to get in the water but, alas, it started raining as we got out of the van. We were soaking wet so the thought of jumping in the water lost its appeal. Instead, we looked through some vendor's shops.

    Next we walked to view the Moari at this location. These are the most advanced Moari on the island which was clear from their definition.

    We had an hour at Hana Pau Anakena before heading back to the hotel for an hour and a half break before leaving for dinner. I used the time to finish up my posts for our Adriatic and Mediterranean trip-sorry for anyone who was following that trip and thinking we got stranded somewhere...lol.

    It is interesting to note that there are horses all over the island. These horses originated from when the island was a sheep farm. They now belong to the residents of Rapa Nui. The horses are supposed to be kept on the owner's property but, in reality, the horses are running wild all throughout the national parks. We saw a ton of newborns. I believe the
    shear number of horses will prove to be a huge problem in the future.

    The other animals that we saw were cows, chickens (we were woken every morning by a beautiful but very noisy rooster), dogs and cats.

    We had dinner at another open air restaurant. We both had tuna which was fantastic. Our dinner companions were Andrew and Margaret who are physicians from Philadelphia. They came to the states from Poland. Dinner conversation was compelling.

    We were happy to get back to the hotel as the Seahawks were playing the Rams. A trip to the Superbowl is at stake. Bob was trying to figure out a way to stream the game. I tried to find it on the television. We had luck with Chilean ESPN 5. The only problem was that it was in Spanish. I quickly threw on my Seahawks scarf and cheered the Hawks to victory.

    Bob may have a hard time sleeping from the excitement of the game. He called Rob after the game and then we hit the hay.    Read more

  • Bob And Brenda KerrAntarctica & Easter IslandTraveler
    Exposed Sleeping Quarters at Orono
    Exterior View of Sleeping Quarters at OronoFarthest Island Is Location of Bird NestsUs With Bird Man Island in BackgroundOrono CraterUs At Orono CraterEaster Isand Group

    Rapa Nui (Easter Island) Day 3

    January 26 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We had breakfast and were packed in the lobby for a 9:20 AM departure.

    We headed to the crater. Upon arriving at the crater, we were shown photos and given an explanation of the Bird-Man competition. This competition was developed as a means of ending the bloody conflict between tribes. The competition involved young men from the different tribes climbing down a 300 foot cliff, swimming 1500 meters to collect an egg from an island, swimming back 1500 meters, climbing back up the 300 meter cliff and giving the egg to his clan's Priest. The clan's leader whose representative made it back first got to rule the island for the next year.

    We then walked the site where the male clan's members lived during the competition.

    We also viewed crater.

    We drove a short way to an overlook from which you can see the ocean, crater and town. We paused here for a group photo.

    It was now lunch time. We were surprised when we pulled up to the same restaurant we ate at yesterday. Martin explained that on the way down from the volcano, he received a call that the scheduled restaurant canceled our reservation. So the sweet owners of the the Neptuno by the Sea scrambled to accommodate us.

    We then headed to the airport. Upon arrival, we were told that the schedule had been changed and that our 2:30 PM flight would not leave until 4:40 PM. The flight is a 5 hour flight so we won't get arriving to Santiago until 12:30 AM. I am doubtful that we will be getting to the hotel before 2:00 AM. In addition, it will come as no surprise that the airport in Rapa Nui is not air conditioned and it was HOT!

    We are flying from Santiago to Buenos Aires in the morning. I am REALLY looking forward to getting on the ship and having a less hectic schedule.

    BTW only one of our 4 flights so far have been ontime. The ontime flight was from Phoenix to Miami which was also the shortest.    Read more

  • Bob And Brenda KerrAntarctica & Easter IslandTraveler
    Hilton Buenos Aires Our Room!
    BathroomBeautiful ShowerRock Garden Outside Our Room

    Santiago, Chile To Buenos Aires

    January 27 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    We didn't fall into bed until 2:30 AM. This Pre-Extension has been a killer on my Oura Ring sleep score! I received my lowest score to date rating only a 51. I got under 4 hours of sleep.

    It was a bit trying to get our luggage checked in today for our flight to Buenos Aires. They tried to charge us twice for our luggage. We were told multiple times by Viking that any luggage allowance that we had on our flights from the US would be also allowed on all flights. This is clearly not true! It took us about an hour just to check our bags.

    We have been booked in less than desirable seats. In addition, Bob and I were not seated together today nor were we seated together from Rapa Nui. I am never going to allow Viking to book flights! I would not have allowed Viking to book our seats this time but getting to and from Rapa Nui is a little challenging.

    Our track record of being on a significantly delayed flight is now 4 out of 5.

    We are once again in one of the last groups to board so we were told that we had to gate check our bags. I had our camera equipment in my bag and Bob had medical equipment in his bag. We asked if we could keep our bags and they allowed us to keep them.

    On this flight, I was the lucky one who had a kid kicking my seat. Bob and I once again were not seated together and we both were sandwiched into window seats. We are glad it is a relatively short approximately 3 hour flight. Bob wasn't even given a drop of water throughout the flight.

    We all made it through security and met our Viking representative.

    Our group was split between the Hilton and the Intercontinental. We are staying at the Hilton. I am glad of this because we will get Hilton Honor points.

    I checked us in and upgraded our room for a small fee. I figured we are running on very little sleep and need a good room so we can attempt to get sleep.

    Our room was fantastic!

    We ordered room service, showered, put our bags in the hallway at 8:00 PM, and hit the hay.

    I am thankful that we had not convinced anyone else to come with us on this very trying and exhausting trip!    Read more

  • Bob And Brenda KerrAntarctica & Easter IslandTraveler
    Explains Why Our Flights Have Been So Bad
    2Octantis in BackgroundUshuaiaHanging GlaciersBob By Window in Stateroom1StateroomSitting Area in StateroomBathroomShowerExpedition Leader Explaining VoyageUshuaia After DinnerMountains Around Ushuaia After DinnerIt is Beautiful Here!

    Welcome Aboard! Buenos Aires to Ushuaia

    January 28 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    We had a 3:15 AM wakeup up as breakfast is at 4:00 AM. We are scheduled to depart hotel at 5:00 AM.

    I got all of 4 hours and 45 minutes of sleep last night. My Oura ring has my readiness at 37. I am usually around 84. I am crossing my fingers that I will get some sleep tonight!

    We boarded the charter flight to Ushuaia. We were actually seated next to each other but in window and middle seats. As the door closed, we spotted an entire row free. We quickly jumped up and grabbed the row. This will be the most pleasant flight since we got initially got to Santiago.

    Upon arriving in Ushuaia we gathered our luggage at baggage claim and rechecked them in with the Viking shore team.

    We headed out to our bus and had a tour of the city. The purpose of this diversion was just so the arrival of busses to the ship is staggered. Even though, when we got to the port, we had to wait in line behind another bus. This once again confirmed that independent travel suits us much better.

    When we finally got to the ship, we checked in and were told that our stateroom was ready but that we needed to do a submarine mobility check first. We met the Expedition team did a quick test which we both passed and signed a waiver.

    We were shown how to don our life jacket and were released to go to our stateroom.

    We started unpacking but wanted to make the ship tour at 2 PM. Since this ship is so different, we wanted to have an official tour. This ship is spectacular!

    After the ship tour, we attended the science expo where we learned about the science projects happening onboard.

    We went back to our stateroom to continue the process of unpacking. We met our room steward, Rita. She is delightful.

    We then attended the Introductory briefing which was followed by the mandatory submarine briefing for anyone wanting to go on the submarine excursion. These underwater vehicles are amazing and have a capability of going to depths of 1000 meters. I am hoping to post a picture of the submarines (there are 2 onboard) when we have the tour of the hanger.

    We went to the World Cafe for dinner. They served an amazing surf and turf (Tenderloin and Lobster) dinner. Brenda is one happy person!

    Then it was back to the stateroom to shower and try and catch up on sleep.

    This is the highest category of stateroom we have every had. The Kerrs can't even fill all the drawers. We have 4-5 drawers completely empty.

    After saying that I will never sail with Viking after our trying Pre-Extension, once onboard, I realize that there is a reason we sail with Viking.    Read more

  • Bob And Brenda KerrAntarctica & Easter IslandTraveler
    2Kayak Test in Hanger.

    First Day-Sea Day Woo Hoo!

    January 29, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ 🌬 10 °C

    Woo Hoo....I got 8 1/2 Hours of sleep!!! And we woke up to some, albeit only slight, movement.

    We had room service for breakfast.

    We gathered all our outer garments and took them down to Deck A for expection. The Biosecurity Team examines all outer garments for any lint, seed or dirt. This is so we do not take any foreign objects on the landings. If they find anything, they vacuum the item of clothing.

    After inspection, we dropped our clothing off in our stateroom and headed to the Aula (theatre/auditorium) for the 10 AM daily briefing on the Falkland Islands, Biosecurity, and Zodiac Operations. This briefing was immediately followed by the Mandatory Kayak briefing. We were assigned to a 2:30 PM time to test our ability to transfer from the zodiac to the kayak.

    We stopped by Guest Services to sign up for additional excursions before heading to the World Cafe for lunch.

    We went back to the stateroom where I washed some items.

    I went to the 2 PM Binocular Workshop which I left early to get Bob and head to our kayak test. It was an easy test and once again, we both passed.

    It was back to the stateroom. I did some ironing and updated this blog.

    Soon it was time to get ready for dinner as there is both a Welcome Reception followed by the daily briefing.

    We are having dinner in Manfredi's with Andrew and Margaret from our Pre-Extension trip.

    There is a lecture at 8 PM by the Chief Scientist Dr. Kimberly Galvez entitled, "Introduction to Viking Science".

    Finally, at 9 PM in The Hide (Viking's secret Speakeasy) there is the Expedition Diaries where one of the Expedition members will host a fascinating story telling session of their person experiences.

    I am hoping to make it through all these activities!

    It has been a busy sea day!

    BTW, we have some motion-but not enough. I am happy to report that there is a noticeable difference in the amount of motion from midship to our stateroom just next to the Explorer' Lounge which is at the bow.    Read more

  • Bob And Brenda KerrAntarctica & Easter IslandTraveler
    Napier Farm House at West Point
    All Geared Up...Ready to Go...Well...NopeLine For Rib BoatTake Two Finally on Rib BoatNapier Farm HouseMrs. Napier overlooking her exceptional baked goodSurprise-Roses in Napier Garden in Falkland IslandsTurkey Buzzards2Napier's SheepStriated Caracara-Very Inquisitive BirdsSpecial Operations BoatBlackish OystercatcherKelp Goose-MaleKelp Goose1Turkey Buzzard-A Face Only A Mother Could LoveUpland Goose-MaleMagellanic PenguinsMagellanic PenquinReady for SOB...Nope

    West Point Island, Falkland Islands

    January 30 in Falkland Islands ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    West Point Island boasts some of the most magnificent coastal visas with soaring cliffs spilling into the surface. This visually dramatic land was founded as a sheep farm in 1879 by Arthur Felton. Today, his nephew Roddy Napier owns the entire island; he and his wife Lily oversee the farm and regularly welcome travelers. The island and its neighbors also enjoy status as an important Bird and Biodiversity Area with Bird Life International. Significant species include the Falkland steamer duck, black-browed albatross, southern rock hopper penquin and Magellanic penquin.

    I inquired at Guest services yesterday if we could do an additional included excursion which is a self guided exploration of West Point. This excursion includes a zodiac ride to the island and then a 1.4 mile walk to view a rookery of rock hopper penguins and albatrosses. I was called yrsterday while getting ready for dinner and told that a spot opened up for this morning. I was so excited. Bob is rolling his eyes as I am packing our schedules. He would have liked a relaxing morning.

    We got up and put on all of our gear and headed down to the Landing area on deck A. Our life jackets were secured and checked by the Expedition team. We stood in line for about 30 minutes sweating like pigs. The Captain made an announcement that the scheduled landing has been changed because the expedition team has determined that the fog is too dense to see anything at the rookery. He told us to got back to our cabins and wait for further notice.

    The Expedition leader then announced that they are modifying our landing and we will now make a short walk and view the Magellanic penquins. The time for our group is now 9:30 AM.

    This is an example of how the weather can significantly impact the excursion schedule.

    We redressed and headed down to the Landing Area all geared up. We were quickly ushered onto a zodiac for the quick ride over to West Point Island, population 2.

    We walked to the Magellanic penquin colony. We saw many birds on our walk to the colony including an Upland goose fight over territory.

    After a short time at the colony, we walked to the farmhouse for cakes and tea. Mrs. Napier is a fantastic baker! The cakes were so moist and delicious! She probably has a bit of time in the winter to perfect her baking. It takes a special personality to be able to live this remotely!

    We walked in the garden before returning to the ship via a rib boat.

    We ate a quick lunch before gearing up and heading to the lobby of the Aula (theatre) for our special operation boat excursion. We waited for about 15 minutes before the dreaded overhead announcement to tell us all special operations boat trips were cancelled due to an abundance of seaweed and high winds in the afternoon.

    We were so thankful that we went this morning.

    Edith, a member of the Expedition team, said that the cancelation was probably for the best as this is not the best place for SOB (Special Operations Boat). Everyone gets at least 1 SOB trip so we will be rescheduled.

    We went back to our room and removed all of our gear.

    We grabbed a quick nap as we are still feeling the effects of our Pre-cruise extension.

    We had dinner in the World Cafe. It is Surf and Turf (Lobster and Tenderloin) once again... This is our option as it is served everyday at the grill. The chef at the grill is now calling us by name.

    Off to bed as we have an early morning wakeup.    Read more

  • Bob And Brenda KerrAntarctica & Easter IslandTraveler
    2King Penguins Reflections In Tide Pool
    King Penguin6Taking A StrollEgg Being Turned To Uniformly Warm Egg1A face only a mother can love. Newborn ChickA Little Older ChickJuvenile ChickOlder Juvenile in Process of Molting1King Penguin ColonyUpland GooseKing Penguin ColonyJuvenile MoltingKing Penguin with Sea Cabbage in BackgroundSmall Gentoo Colony Due To Avian FluGentoo Penguins1Rough Ride-Video Smoother Than Actual Ride

    Port Stanley, Falkland Island

    February 1 in Falkland Islands ⋅ 🌬 10 °C

    We have a 7 hour tour today so it was an early wake up.

    We managed to make it to our gathering point in the restaurant by 7:15 AM but managed to forget both of our sunglasses and our wallets.

    We were quickly called to head down to the Landing area where we boarded the tender AKA life boat for the quick trip to the Port. The Octantis' life boats are beautiful boats with doors that fully close-good to know that if we ever need the life boats down here in the frigid south, we will be safe and warm.

    We walked to our number 3 lollipop and were introduced to our driver, Jo.

    Soon the other couple, John and Marti, arrived and we departed towards Volunteer Point to hopefully see gentoo, Magellanic and King penguins.

    The roads were quite smooth and well maintained until we got to within about 11 miles of Volunteer Point at which time we began the offroading portion of the adventure. We have been on a lot of 4 X 4 excursions with Viking and they all have been relatively tame. We hit the peat tracks and began a very wild ride. At one point we didn't make it up a hill and had to back down. There were also times when I thought we were going to get stuck in the boggy peat. We loved very minute!!

    When we got to Volunteer Point, we had to walk through a disinfectant to protect the birds from disease.

    Jo encouraged us to go to the beach first and then to the colonies. On our way to the beach, the sun came out and we saw many Gentoo penguins warming themselves outside their burrows.

    When we got to the beach, there were many King Penguins. Since it was such a calm day, we were able to get some picture of King Penguins being reflected in the tide pools. Jo said she has never been able to get shots like this and she is a native! The sun is usually not shining. When the sun does shine, it is usually windy. We are very thankful for the great weather!

    We then walked to the colony. We observed adult, juvenile and baby King Penguins. We saw parents feeding babies. We were even able to see adult penguins rotating their eggs in order to keep the eggs equally warm.

    Next we headed to the Gentoo penguin colony. This colony was small due to the fact that the Avian flu has arrived in the Falkland Islands. The Gentoo population has been affected more than the King Penquin population.

    We then had a boxed lunch before we headed back to the port via another wild ride.

    Back onboard, we unpacked and watched the Daily Briefing & Recap via the TV in our stateroom.

    We headed up to the World Cafe for....you guessed it...Surf and Turf.

    We hit the hay early as we have an early morning Biosecurity Inspection followed by a Manadatory South Georgia Briefing. We were hoping to be able to sleep in...uggg    Read more

  • Bob And Brenda KerrAntarctica & Easter IslandTraveler
    Biosecurity With Paul and JoyceBiosecurity InspectionOur gear being checkedVenison in Restaurant

    Sea Day-I love Sea Days

    February 1, Scotia Sea ⋅ 🌬 8 °C

    We are sailing toward South Georgia Island.

    We had another manadatory Biosecurity Inspection. We brought all of our outer gear for inspection. They screen our gear with headlamps and magnifying glasses. We had picked up some grass inside a velcro flap on our pants while we were on the Falkland Islands. So the velcro area was brushed and vacuumed. I also had a small piece of plastic that had not been completed removed when I took off the price tag. It is an amazingly thorough examination.

    We took our gear back to the stateroom and stowed them before heading to the Aula for the mandatory (attendance was taken) South Georgia Briefing.

    We had lunch in the World Cafe.

    We had some time in the stateroom. I sat on the couch in the sunshine and worked on doing some slight edits to our pictures. I am not spending much time editing (as I am sure the Pritchetts will notice...lol) because I want to get these posts done. We don't seem to have a lot of free time so I feel I need to get them done as quickly as possible.

    Next was the Photography Workshop. We walked to the Aula. We saw that the complete title of the workshop stated that it was for beginners. Bob opted not to stay and I followed.

    I am glad that I followed as we stopped by the Gift shop and some purchases were made.😃

    We watched the photo workshop on the TV in our stateroom. We were glad we did not stay as Laurence is a delightful French young lady but she is very hard to understand.

    We caught up on other lectures before getting ready for the Interdenominational Service.

    We were meeting Paul, Joyce, Michael and Kerry at the restaurant at 6:45 PM. We were a bit late but had a great time at dinner.

    I had venison and Bob had a steak. We both missed our Surf and Turf!
    I sure you can guess where we will be eating as much as possible...and it is not the Restaurant.

    We closed down the Restaurant as we were having such great conversation.

    Off to bed-looking forward to catching up on sleep.    Read more

  • Bob And Brenda KerrAntarctica & Easter IslandTraveler
    Special Operations Boat
    KayaksZodiakSpecial Operations Boat's Seats3Bob on Special Operations BoatDive Boat-Support Boat for SubmarinesSubmarineInterior of SubmarineScience LaboratoryKrill CollectorMicroscopes1Iceberg

    Sea Day February 2

    February 2, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ 🌬 7 °C

    Have I mentioned that I love Sea Days?

    We had a late morning wakeup as we are still trying to catch up from our trip to Easter Island. With no alarm set, we woke up refreshed.

    I did a bit of work and updated Find Penguin.

    We had the mandatory crew drill so our quiet morning was interrupted with several alarms and announcements.

    I checked the weather and it will be 43 degrees. I am happy to report that there forecast shows several days of snow in the future....woohoo.

    The Captain is observing the mandatory slower speed which is instituted as a means of protecting whales in the area. As a result, we are rocking a bit. I am still holding out hope for a wild ride but this is delightful!

    And just like that, our relaxing day came to an end. We listened to the Port Talk/Daily Recap from yesterday and we found out that we were making a diversion to sail close to the stag (I believe) islands. We grabbed our cameras, coats, hats and gloves.

    We thought that we would grabbed a quick lunch before we headed out on deck.

    I caught a quick view of a whale breaching and another one spouting.

    We also saw a lot of birds.

    We grabbed a hot cup of tea to warm up after being outside for several hours.

    Next we toured the hanger area where we saw all the toys. These included zodiac boats, Special Operations Boats, kayaks, 2 submarines, and a dive boat (serves as a support vehicle for the submarines).

    We also toured the onboard laboratory.

    After touring these areas, we went back to the stateroom to review pictures that we took today.

    Upon opening the curtains, we saw our first iceberg of this trip.

    We have dinner with 2 of the scientists onboard this evening.

    Dinner was....Surf and Turf!!!! The crew members, Conor and Freya were wonderful. We had a lovely discussion including research on the use of kelp as feed for cattle to minimize methane gas produced by the cattle. The kelp is also beneficial for the cattle as it allows nutrients to flow to cattle instead of feeding unbeneficial bacteria in the gut which is the main source of methane production.

    We headed back to stateroom to prepare for 2 excursions tomorrow.    Read more

  • Bob And Brenda KerrAntarctica & Easter IslandTraveler
    Grytviken from Ship
    Rusting Oil TanksArctic Terns from ShipInterior of WarehouseSir Ernest Shackleton's GraveJuvenile Fur SealFur SealKing PenguinsElephant SealBaby Fur SealRusting Whale StationLuthern ChurchInterior of ChurchLibrary in ChurchPicture of Shackleton's FuneralKing Edward PointJuvenile Fur Seals Sparring2Whales From Dinner Table

    Grytviken, South Georgia

    February 3 in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C

    Grytviken is built on a substantial area of sheltered, flat land and has a supply of fresh water. Although it was the largest settlement on South Georgia, the island's administration was based at the nearby British Antarctic Survey research at King Edward Point. The whaling station closed in December 1966 when dwindling whale stocks made it uneconomical. Grytviken no longer has permanent residents but occasionally accommodates researchers and British administrative and military personnel. It is also temporarily inhabited during summer months by a few staff who manage the South Georgia Museum. The settlement has become a popular attraction for Antarctic cruise lines, with many tourists visiting the final resting place of Sir Ernest Schackleton and Frank Wild in Grytviken's graveyard.

    We had a Special Operations Boat excursion at 11:00 AM. After breakfast, we headed to the the Aula's foyer. We checked in and waited sweating significantly as we were wearing many layers because we anticipated significant windchill during our ride on the SOB.

    We headed down to the hanger and boarded the SOB. Stephanie, our guide for our trip, gave us a safety briefing. We made our way around the bay receiving information about the rock formations, the glaciers and animals of the region.

    We had a very enjoyable and comfortable ride. The seats of the SOB have hydraulic suspension.

    Due to the amount of wildlife in the area, we were not allowed to experience the speed capability of the SOB.

    We left our outer layers in the stateroom before heading to the World Cafe for lunch.

    After lunch, we put on our gear once again and headed down to the Landing area for our Zodiac ride ashore.

    The old rusty whale station structures were quite the juxtaposition to the teaming wildlife in the water and ashore.

    We walked to the cemetery to see Schackleton's grave. On the way, we were taking photos. I was doing my usual squatting to get down on the level of the animals. One of the Expedition team came running over yelling at me not to squat. I said I was not kneeling which we were told not to do. She said if the officials saw me squatting they would end the landing. We were never told not to squat! I am a rule follower and would not have squatted if I was told not to squat. I guess the reasoning is that one could fall (touching the ground with anything other than your boots is a no no). Being yelled at really put a pall on the rest of the day.

    We saw a ton of fur seals, elephant seals and King Penquins. The baby fur seals reminded us of playful puppies. Some would come up to us and "bark" at us with a ton of bravado until you turned towards them and they would run away.

    I visited the church. It was a Lutheran church. Shackleton's funeral was held in this church. The church had a surprisingly large library.

    I found Bob in the gift shop attached to the Post Office.

    We made a quick walk through the museum before heading back to the ship via a zodiac.

    We had dinner in the Restaurant with Chuck and Catherine. We met Chuck while taking photos on deck. It was a divine meeting as the 4 of us have a lot in common.

    During dinner, hundreds of whales surrounded the ship. The Captain stopped the ship and we floated for about an hour just watching whales spouting and showing their tails. You could say that we had dinner and a show.    Read more

  • Bob And Brenda KerrAntarctica & Easter IslandTraveler
    Fortuna Bay, South Georgia

    Fortuna Bay, South Georgia

    February 4 in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ⋅ 🌨 2 °C

    We opened our blinds to see the Expedition Crew all coming back from shore. I told Bob that this was not a good sign. They either found signs of Avian Flu or the weather is not conducive for landing. Sure enough, a little later, Isabella (Expedition Leader) made an announcement that the swells were too bad for landing. In addition, the wind was borderline and expected to pick up. She indicated that we would wait an hour and then reassess.

    After waiting an hour, it was determined that the weather was not improving. It was determined that we would move to Hercules Bay to see if the weather was any better.    Read more

  • Bob And Brenda KerrAntarctica & Easter IslandTraveler
    Macroni Penguins
    Macaroni Penguins in WaterOpps, hang on, a bit of a rocky road to the waterHopping Uphill to NestSouthern Giant Petrel2Waterfall in Hercules BayFur Seal12Sunburst LichenMacaroni Adult and Chick

    Hercules Bay 2nd Stop of The Day.

    February 4 in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ⋅ 🌬 4 °C

    Since we couldn't land in Fortuna Bay, we relocated down the coast. We had a couple of hours on the deck viewing Macaroni Penguins, Arctic Terns, Albatrosses, Giant Petrelas, along with others.

    The Captain soon took the ship into a Hercules Bay which was sheltered from the wind.

    We received notification via the PA system at noon that we would be having Zodiak boat tours of Hercules Bay starting at 2 PM and to check our stateroom TV or App for our tour time.

    We had lunch and returned to our stateroom. As we ate lunch, we saw a National Geographic ship sail by because the bay was too small for more than one ship. Now I know why we left Fortuna Bay after only an hour of waiting for the wind to die down.

    Our tour is not until 5 PM so I watched out our window at all the Zodiaks touring the Bay. I should spent more time editing pictures but it was too tempting to watch the beautiful views out the window.

    We were down in the Landing Area and we were lucky enough to have Stephanie as a guide once again. We saw a bunch of Southern Giant Petrels feeding on the surface of the water.

    We made our way to the cliffs and were mesmerized by Macroni Penquins. They were hopping up the cliffs, jumping in the water, and launching themselves out of the water. They are absolutely adorable. We are thankful that we stopped at Hercules Bay because Stephanie said that she had never seen the Macroni penguins.

    We continued throughout the bay and saw Gentoo Penguins, King Penguins, Elephant seals, Fur Seals, and one lone Chinstrap Penguin.

    Stephanie stopped at a rock formation to point out Sunburst Lichen which is beautiful. I thought of Jenni and was wishing she could see it since she loves lichen.    Read more

  • Bob And Brenda KerrAntarctica & Easter IslandTraveler
    View in Royal Bay
    Beautiful views as we sailed from Royal BayView on way to

    Windy Royal Bay

    February 5 in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ⋅ 🌫 4 °C

    We woke up in the middle of the night to very windy conditions. We threw on our clothes and walked into the Explorers Lounge and briefly out onto the deck. The wind is gusting to above 35 MPH.

    We were scheduled for a Zodiak at 9 AM so at the sound of my alarm clock, I turned on the TV to read a notification that due to high winds, all excursions were canceled.

    We had breakfast in the World Cafe.

    We set sail from Royal Bay at about noon. We had lunch at the World Cafe.

    As we were sailing from Royal Bay, there was an astonishingly formed iceberg.

    The beauty of South Georgia is utterly amazing!    Read more

  • Bob And Brenda KerrAntarctica & Easter IslandTraveler
    King Penguins Fur SealGreat South Petrel1

    Gold Harbour, South Georgia

    February 5 in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    We arrived at Gold Harbour. The winds were still rocking the boat.

    I did not think we would be going out. But, alas, we were told that we would have Zodiak Excursions and to check our apps for our time.

    We made our way down at our designated time and boarded our Zodiak. Our guide is Yens who is Stephanie's husband.

    As we headed out, the sun was peaking between the clouds. We made our way near the beach and saw thousands of Penguins. (Not quite as many as in Royal Bay).

    We had a great Zodiak ride albeit, a bit too short.

    We had dinner in World Cafe. Tonight, I strayed from my usual fare. I skipped the Turf and just went for a double portion of Surf.    Read more

  • Bob And Brenda KerrAntarctica & Easter IslandTraveler
    Scrubbing Boots During Biosecurity

    Sea Day

    February 7 in Argentina ⋅ 🌬 11 °C

    We have a delightful time rocking and rolling last night. Unfortunately, it was not a wild ride but just gentle rocking.

    We had Biosecurity once again this morning so we packed up all of our outer layers and headed down to Landing Area.

    We had a quick breakfast before going to the Aula for the mandatory briefing to Land in Antarctic. In this briefing, they said no sitting or squatting. I wish they would have added that instruction sooner!

    It was back to the stateroom. I started to review the hundreds of photos we have taken.

    My photo "editing" was interrupted by an announcement that whales were sighted. We threw on our gear and spent some time out on the deck. There were TONS of blows in the distance. We saw as many as 5 blows at a time which just attests to the number of whales in the area. A couple of whales came close to the ship but we were on the other side of the ship so didn't get great pictures by the time we repositioned.

    We dropped our gear in the stateroom and headed up for lunch.

    It was then back to the stateroom. I did a bit of work.

    We listened to several lectures. I think we have pretty much caught up on all lectures.

    We have dinner tonight at Manfredi's.    Read more

  • Bob And Brenda KerrAntarctica & Easter IslandTraveler
    Huge Iceberg
    Release of Weather BalloonIceberg During Lunch

    Sea Day 2nd in a Row...Woohoo!

    February 7, Southern Ocean ⋅ 🌬 -3 °C

    Today we woke up to wind again. The schedule was to release a weather balloon at 8:45 AM. We were debating on if we should go. I decided at 8:15 that we should throw on our warm clothes and go.

    We went up to the 6th deck and stood around for a bit as they were having some technical issues with the communications with the balloon.

    The Octantis and Polaris are the only two civilian ships certified to release and gather data from weather ballons.

    As we were releasing the balloon, we were next to a huge iceberg. It was 2 times the size of Manhattan, 1300 Feet Deep, and estimated to weigh 33.9 billion tons. These icebergs create their own weather so the weather balloon data could prove to be very interesting.

    They came out with the balloon and quickly launched it. We are looking forward to hearing all about the data that it relayed during the daily recap.

    We headed to breakfast to try and thaw out.

    We went back to stateroom and did some work.

    We had lunch in World Cafe. Tug and Angela came to lunch just as we were finishing up. We stayed and had a lengthy conversation with them.

    We had a quiet afternoon as we are going to try to go to the Expedition member's talk in the hide    Read more

  • Bob And Brenda KerrAntarctica & Easter IslandTraveler
    Brown Bluff
    27th Continent/One of Us Is Happier Than The Other21Adelie PenguinOut of my way everyoneBaby Getting Fed2Heaven for One of UsSnowy SheathbillGentoo PenguinAdelie StruttingBob Attired for Special Operations BoatHumpback WhaleAdelies Chilling on IcebergBeautiful IceDive or Partial Flip?Just When You Think You Are Winning Someone Comes Sliding ByIcy, Slushy Zodiak Landing

    Brown Bluff, Antarctica

    February 8, Bransfield Strait ⋅ ☁️ -3 °C

    We had a morning Zodiac Landing. I was so excited that I woke Bob up really early.

    We got dressed while watching a lecture on penguins.

    We made our way to the Landing area while being very warm.

    Boarding the zodiac was really easy as the swells were minimal although the bottom of the zodiak was a bit icy.

    We scored with our zodiac driver. You could just tell that he was so comfortable handling the boat.

    As we approached the beach, we entered an area of slushy water with several large ice chunks. One of the Expedition team members was up to his chest in the icy water helping the zodiacs enter and exit the beach.

    The landing was easy with the help of the team. I only had to dodge one or two large ice chunks.

    We received our briefing on land.

    We had the obligatory 7th Continent flag pictures before heading up the beach.

    We saw Gentoo Penguins, Fur Seal, Adelie Penguins, and an Snowy Sheathbill.

    Adelie Penguins are a bit hard to see as they usually like ice and ships have difficulty getting to their colonies. This is Judith's (one of the Expedition team) 7th trip this year and this is the first time she has seen Adelies.

    We spent less time on shore than I would have liked. I think poor Bob was ready to head back. We had a Submarine Dive and wanted to make sure that we got back in time.

    We got our favorite zodiac driver for the return ride.

    When we got back to the ship, we were told that our submarine trip had been canceled. We are hoping to get rescheduled.

    After lunch, we headed back to the stateroom. I kept opening the window to take pictures. Bob was very tolerant with me allowing the snow to fall into the stateroom. I love the snow and cold!

    This afternoon, we had a Special Operations Boat.

    We got dressed and headed to the Aula foyer.

    Judith was our guide for this afternoon.

    Soon after we left the ship, we saw Minke whale and a Humpback Whale. My pictures of the Humpback was not great as my camera was not loving the cold, snowy weather.

    We continued to see more Humpback Whales.

    We continued to some icebergs with a Fur Seal, Adelie Penguins, and a couple of Gentoo Penguins.

    We also stopped to see beautiful icebergs made of old ice.

    It had been a good day.

    We are hoping to cheer the Seahawks onto Victory but the game starts at 8:30 PM and is scheduled to end around 1 AM.

    We cheered on the Seahawks to VICTORY! So it has been a late night.    Read more

  • Bob And Brenda KerrAntarctica & Easter IslandTraveler
    Cormorant
    Beautiful Ice Not so Beautiful Guano Covered Ground In BackgroundSnowy SheathbillComorantCaracara Fighting Over FoodSnowing!

    Paulet Island, Antarctica

    February 9, Southern Ocean ⋅ ☁️ -4 °C

    We finally got to go kayaking. I am thrilled that this was the location of our kayaking trip as there were so many birds, icebergs with fresh snow, penguins porpoising, cormorants, caracaras, a Wendell seal, and so many Adelie Penguins.

    We were dodging beautiful icebergs.

    The pictures show pinkish tan ground. This is actually penguin guano and a lot of it!!!

    It was a magical, albeit aromatic, morning.

    I headed down at 2 PM for a zodiak excursion. It was really snowing hard! We traveled about the same route as we did during our kayak trip.

    We had dinner with Chuck and Cathryn.    Read more

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