Damoy Point, Wiencke Island - 64.5 south

First stop was to drop off someone at the American research centre here in Antarctica, then onto Damoy Point where we arrived late morning. On the way we were accompanied by a pod of whales some coming close to the ship. Here we had an early landing spot. As well as the penguin colony there are 2 rescue huts, one British and the other Argentinian, neither been used since 1990s. We were able to enter the British one, which was left effectively as a museum piece from when it was last used, with bunks, tables, benches and some very old supplies for anyone to use while waiting there to be rescued. A walking trail had been marked out to the penguin colony and we did the circuit, pleased to be an early shore group this time with pristine snow to walk unlike the conditions at Port Charcot. The potentially treacherous part of these trips is getting out and in the zodiacs at the landing spot as you have to either drop in to the water or wade out to climb back over the side. Later we had a zodiac trip and had some penguins swimming alongside us as we were taken to see the colony from the waterside, after the trip along the shore we were taken out to some icebergs, caught a glimpse of a seal swimming alongside one of the icebergs but disappeared before I could get the camera out. Back to the ship for tonight’s dinner an Asian themed buffet.Read more