Introduction to today's journey
Today's journey takes us into Wilhelmia Bay where we kayak around part of Enterprise Island to a shipwreck before doing another landing at a penguin colony. Upon returning to the ship, we sail to nearby Palaver Point to a large chinstrap penguin colony. From there we do a zodiac cruise out amongst some humpback whales before returning to the ship as strong winds pick up. Once back on the ship, we leave the Antarctic Peninsula starting our journey back towards South America. As the sun slowly sets we watch the dramatic mountains of the peninsula disappear in the distance.
Today's Journey
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Cruising into Wilhelmia Bay at sunrise looking up the northern end of the Antarctic Peninsula. |
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Kayaking at Enterprise Island in the bay. The water here is shallow with glacial moraine boulders visible below us. Ahead of us is Foyn Harbour which we kayak into. |
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Reaching the shipwreck of the whaling ship Governoren which was deliberately run aground here in 1915 after a lamp was knocked over during a departure party causing the whale oil to ignite and the ship to quickly burn. Fortunately all 85 crew were saved. This was just months after Shackleton's ship was encased in ice on the other side of the peninsula just 800 kilometres away. |
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We return to the ship and sail out of Wilhelmia Bay heading northward towards Two Hummock Island. |
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We reach Two Hummock Island and anchor just off Palaver Point for our final Antarctic stop. |
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The point is named due to these very noisy chinstrap penguins in this large colony. |
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A skua flies overhead hunting any weak penguins. |
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We take the zodiacs from the point out into the bay towards Babrant Island in the background where we have some close encounters with a pod of humpback whales as the wind picks up making for very cold conditions. |
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We return to the ship and depart Antarctica. Babrant Island and the peninsula gradually disappears behind us as the sun draws low. |
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The sun sets with the moon further around the horizon as we pass Hoseason Island as we head northward across Bransfield Strait towards the South Shetland Islands. |
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