• Petermann Island and Port Charcot

    1. April, Southern Ocean ⋅ ☀️ -5 °C

    Parked outside Vernadsky Base last night for some star gazing with the clear sky. No aurora. The base has about 5 outside lights so no risk of light pollution. Shifted the short distance to Petermann Island where we went ashore.
    Spectacular location with an Argentinean emergency hut that the Gentoo Penguins used as a wind break. Also a memorial to three researchers that died in 1983. Fell through the sea ice.
    On the way back to the ship some whales came over to see if they could play with our Zodiac.
    Did a short shift through a spectacular channel to Port Charcot. Quite a decent Gentoo Penguin colony there. You could smell it. Phew!
    The little buggers climb up so high, more so than Petermann Is.
    Temp was about -8 and sea ice was forming. It's weird. When we were cutting through it in the Zodiac bits went sliding everywhere. Should have had a camera out but I didn't.
    There is a barbecue on deck tonight. Hope they do something with all the ice. It's slippery up there already.
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