Cuverville Island & Gentoo Penguins (3)

When I got back to the ship, Paul had gone to a meeting so I went for a hot chocolate and by the time I got back to the cabin, he had returned. So we went for lunch. After lunch we went out on deck and saw Snowy Sheathbills near the swimming pool and hot tubs, eyeballing the water. One or two birds attempted to bathe by sitting on the drainage slats of the hot tub and putting it's head into the warm water and trying to shake the warm water over it's head and wings. Sweet!

With a bit of the delay back to the ship from the Cuvervill Island, the zodiac cruises are delayed a bit. It looks like we are going a bit further south within the Errera channel rather than continuing into Andvord Bay because, as per another expedition ship which passed by the Pursuit, the bay was blocked by ice.

Errera Channel Zodiac cruises started about half an hour later due to the delay earlier this morning. By the time it was my group’s turn at 3:45pm, Paul (who was still awake), and I decided not to go out. The wind had got up and it was snowing a lot. We felt that we wouldn’t be able to see much on the water.

Just as well we didn’t go because about 45 minutes later the zodiacs were recalled back to the ship. The winds had taken a turn for the worse and icebergs were moving fast and getting to close to the ship for comfort. The ship had to take avoidance measures. Paul went to the Bridge for a bit and we saw the zodiacs from the last groups coming back. The captain also decided it was in our best interest to continue south through the Errera Channel and into the Gerlache Strait, and then up north in the Gerlache strait to our next possible landing tomorrow. This was instead of heading through the icebergs, northwards out of the Channel and back into Gerlache Strait to our next destination. A bit of a longer route but safer.

It was an interesting time!Læs mere