Lemaire Channel/Yalour & Argentine Isles

We started the day navigating the Lemaire Channel - steep cliffs hem in the iceberg-filled passage, which is 11 km long and just 600 metres wide at its narrowest point. Amazing to be so close to the icebergs and see the deep blue of the compressed ice.
The Yalour Islands allowed us to see the Adelie penguins - one of two exclusively Antarctic breeds (Emperor being the other). Most of the penguins are chicks about to head off into the water for the first time - hence they are all dirty and covered in krill coloured poo!
Later we visited another set of islands on which is an Antarctic base that was initially British but sold for 1 pound to Ukraine in the 90's. We also visited an historic site Wordie House which was the initial hut built in the 50s for the British scientists.
All around the waters are filled with groups of penguins porpoising along in the water - all the while being alert for the leopard seals that prey on the new penguin chicks at this time of year. We saw a leopard seal hunting in the water and the penguins just flew out of the water onto rocks and safety. Also a group of crabeater seals came straight at our zodiac and under and around us - the water is so clear we could see them gracefully cruising past us under water!
Bur the main focus was on the ice landscape all around - the icebergs and snow caps - just incredible shapes , textures and colours.Read more