Chuginadak Island and some volcanoes

Arrived overnight at Chuginadak Island looking at the Carlisle and Cleveland volcanoes. Although a light drizzle, it has just been announced that conditions are currently good enough for a landing, we are second group off this morning so sounds good for us as weather is set to worsen during the day. Going back to yesterday, during dinner we came across a pod of whales, close enough to the ship to see their backs on the surface before they submerged and water spouts. Unfortunately too far away to get good photos by the time we had finished dinner and got to the observation deck, believe Karen has a picture of a water spout as evidence of their appearance. ( FYI - Cleveland is an active volcano having erupted over 22 times in last 230 years. Most recently has erupted 5 times between 2012 and 2017, so hopefully not due to erupt again in the next couple of hours. At breakfast the cloud was around the middle of the mountain so you could see the summit, but by the time I took the picture the top half was totally covered.) Boarding the zodiacs again, my card didn’t work so had to be manually booked off ship. Hitting the beach there was a team to pull the zodiac as far up as follows, As I was at the bow end was first off, swing legs over and drop into sea, and wade the last few step’s ashore, fortunately shallow enough not to go over the boots. It is just before low tide so lots of beach available to walk across, while I say beach it is not sand but is black as covered in fine particles from the 2017 eruption. After walking along the beach we moved inland into a small valley, here there were larger grey and orange stones also the result of the eruption. Didn’t see any wildlife but there were trails of fox footprints all along the beach, the red fox is the only mammal on the island. The walking circuit the guides had mapped out was along the beach up a small grass valley, then around more eruption deposits back to the beach and a walk back to the embarkation point. Coming back the cloud started to clear so better opportunity for volcano photos. Back at embarkation Karen pushed herself forward to get the last place on the zodiac that was there ( did she intend to leave me behind?). But another zodiac was already en-route with another group keen to set foot on the island. So 10 minutes later myself and 3 others were heading back. Appears we were very fortunate, on the previous visit to the island (the south to north version of this cruise) it was too rough to attempt a landing and as we eat lunch we can see the cloud descending and the drizzle starting. The time here is confusing the ship is running 9 hours behind UK, but the island is actually another time zone away (Hawaiian time zone) and my phone has adjusted too that, whilst the iPad is still on Vancouver time - 8 hours behind. ( For those who might have been worried I have been to reception, who confirmed I am registered as being back on board and gave me a new card, hopefully will work the barcode didn’t print very well!)
??????? Just announced 4 cases of covid on board, must have been caught at Vancouver airport, which would be where most outside contact occurred as we were all tested in Vancouver hotel and only other human contact was in Nome. ????????Read more