Antarctica Adventure - Day 4

Our first day of off ship excursions, we were able to go out for the first stroll with the penguins. This year the snowfall has been exceptionally heavy, and the penguins have been mostly unable to lay their eggs. They are stamping around on their nesting areas trying to help melt the snow. In the afternoon, more off ship excursions took place (kayaking, mountaineering, and hiking).

That night the first group had their night of camping ashore. We departed the ship at about 2100 and rode the zodiac boats to shore with a bag filled with a cover, two sleeping bags, and a thermal mat. We were also handed a bivvy sack upon arrival. We set about digging our graves in the snow, big enough set up our sleeping bags ensemble. That took about an hour for most, and many took the first opportunity to jump into bed and get to sleep .

We waddle back to our snow holes to jump in for a cold night’s sleep in the open. It would not be under the stars, as there was no darkness. While the sun did slip over the horizon for a couple hours, it never got dark enough out for stars to make their presence known.Read more