01/29/2010 Artic Circle,Detaille Island and The Gullet

We were awakened at 6:30 am with the news that we were about to cross the Antarctic Circle ( I have a certificate to prove that I did so!). I dressed hastily and hurried up to the front of the boat. We are in a icy wonderland. The sea was choppy but the sun was shining.

Went ashore onto Detaille and viewed an abandoned British hut. It is designated on of the historic sites (No. 83) in the Antarctic. We cruised in the Zodiacs and chased a Humpback which would occasionally show it flukes. We saw basking Weddell Seals and a Fur Seal.

After lunch there was a toast on the stern to commemorate crossing the Arctic Circle.

The Gullet. We navigated through the narrow channel dodging ice floes and icebergs. Lots os Skuas and Giant Petrels flying around the ship. We saw Minke whales and Crabeater Seals (they don't eat crabs).

1/28/2010 Humpback Whales- Danco Island

Early this morning we saw lots of Humpbacks and four of them swam right in front of the bow. We could hear their exhalations. We saw heads, backs and huge pectoral fins.

On shore we found ourselves amidst a Gentoo colony. On the way back to the ship we saw a Leopard seal sleeping on a ice floe. They are huge and have serpentine looking heads very lizard like in appearance. The water is calm and the icebergs an indescribable shade of almost translucent.

Spotted three Minke whales through my trusty binoculars.

01/25/2010 Drake Passage

Seas are not too rough although I am reeling about it when navigating around the ship. The maxim on board is "one hand for the ship" and it is one well worth observing.
We saw penguins last night - Megellanic Penguins - which are native to South America and the Falklands. John Sparks, a naturalist and very entertaining man, is about to give his talk on the Albtross.

We were in the lounge at about 1:30 pm when it was announced that one of the passengers, one of our group, had fallen down the stairs. Condition unknown. It is has been extremely treacherous on board for the past few hours. Even holding on you are thrown around like a rag doll. The Steward in the lounge said that the seas were not terribly rough and that he had seen much worse conditions!

An update on Carol's condition: she was severely injured although we have no details as yet. A meeting was called about 3 pm. in the lounge where we were informed that Carol was to be evacuated via a Chilean med. vac. plane as they are the closest to us. We have to change course
to accommodate that operation.

01/24/2010 Ushuaia and Beagle Channel

We boarded the Polar Star at 4pm. at the port at Ushuaia. Ushuaia reminds me of Shetland - cold, damp and windy. Masses of Lupins everywhere and they thrive in these bleak conditions. I wrote postcards today and deposited them in a antiquated English style post box.

We are in the Beagle Channel and are just clipping along. The Drake Passage looms ahead at midnight and we are prepared for some very rough seas. I am wearing a seasick patch and hope that it works.

The cabin is small but comfortable. My cabin mate is an 82 yr.old from New York City - Millicent McKinley - she is a firecracker. The staff are pleasant and very helpful. There are 83 passengers aboard and we are a diverse lot - Americans (32), Canadians, Aussies, Brits, German, and a smattering from other countries around the world.

I am going to a lecture tomorrow morning about the Albatross. I have been on the lookout for Skuas which I saw in Shetland and I think are most impressive birds - like very large brown seagulls with with white feathers under their wingtips. They are predatory and aggressive - I hope to se them this trip.