Gentoo and a Hard Place (updated with pix and video)

From Mindy, dated 14 January:

As we approach Cuverville Island, we are sailing in the Gerlache Strait with 20-25 knot winds, barometer at 991, air temp at 1.5 degrees C, water temp 1.8 C. Today will be a very long day, with two landings and staying up until the sun sets at about 11 pm.

Gentoo feeding (click to enlarge)

Gentoo nest
(click to enlarge)

At our first landing we saw Gentoo penguin colonies on bluffs above a granite cobble beach.  Many of the Gentoo were making nests out of rocks and feeding their newborn babies... watching their antics was quite amusing.   The penguins would gather rocks for their nest by carrying them in their beak and building a pile one pebble at a time.  Basically, each nesting couple has about 1 meter radius for their "territory" and they defend it by squawking and nipping at those who get too close (almost like living in New York City, but more space - Ed.).  Sometimes they would try to take rocks from another penguin's pile, and a squabble would ensue.  It was so fun to watch, and could captivate one for hours.

Sea1 Feet (click to enlarge)

Leopard Seal (click to enlarge)

Zodiac Cruise (click to enlarge)

We took zodiacs out to cruise around Cuverville Island and saw very cool icebergs (Hah! - Ed.) in the water, fallen from glaciers on the coastline.  We cruised past one leopard seal lounging on a berg in the water, and gave him a wide berth as he swam around and near our zodiac (leopard seals are known to bite zodiacs for fun, which is not fun for humans).  On the bluffs above the water line we spotted some blue-eyed shags nesting with their chicks (it actually sounds dirty if you say it in a British accent - Ed.).

Gerlache whales (click to enlarge)

In the afternoon the ship cruised south through the Gerlache Strait.  The captain was kind enough to slow the ship while we watched about 8 Orca whales surround about 3 Humpback whales.  We weren't sure if the Orcas were on the prowl, but all of the whales put on quite a show.

Almost all of the passengers went out to the deck to watch, and you'd think we were the whale paparazzi with all the clicking going on! (Insert Lindsay Lohan joke here - Ed.)  Nearing the end of the Gerlache Strait we passed by some distinctively shaped rocks that are named Una's Paps (after a barmaid in the Falkland Islands long ago) (Boy, the Brits really know how to leave their mark on the world, don't they? - Ed.).

Underwater Iceberg

Iceberg keyhole (click to enlarge)

Iceberg heart (click to enlarge)

In the early evening we did a landing at Port Chacot on Booth Island.  Booth Island is the western edge of the Lemaire Channel, where Gentoos, Chinstraps, and Adelies (all penguins) (sounds like something out of West Side Story - Ed.) are known to nest together.  We hiked a short distance to a high point with a rock cairn at the top and saw a beautiful sunset over the water and icebergs in the distance.  The icebergs floating in this small inlet were in sort of an "iceberg graveyard" and were either pinned to shore, grounded, or had no place to drift.

Mindy at sunset (click to enlarge)

Sunset cruise (click to enlarge)

Metamorphic iceberg (click to enlarge)

Iceberg! (click to enlarge)

At 10 pm, we loaded zodiacs to do a sunset cruise around the icebergs in the water. We saw another leopard seal on a small piece of ice, and it just watched us closely as we cruised by.  The icebergs in this place are beyond description.  The minute you think an iceberg is "just normal" you notice a detail that captivates and distracts you then you realize how beautiful and unique each one is.  Towards the very end of our cruise we stumbled upon an iceberg that was truly amazing... The ice itself looked like an outcrop of metamorphic rock!  We saw folding and faulting and several shear zones in the ice and everyone in the boat was nearly speechless!! ("Speechless" and geology don't normally go together, you see - Ed.)  Those photos were the talk of the ship when we got back around midnight that evening.


A few of us hardy souls decided to stay awake to see the sun rise.  It was difficult to keep our eyes open after such a long day, but it was worth it and we got some great photos.  Until tomorrow... happy reading!