A morning ramble and Chinstrap penguins.

Day 5, a morning of brilliant blue skies and strong gusts of wind that whipped a white foam up on big breakers that barreled through smaller silver tipped waves. The mind just can't take in the sight of white mile long icebergs. It stalls, though in an odd way: you just stare and stare. The strangely shaped ones are better somehow.





As we moved into our more sheltered anchor point in Half Moon Island across from Livingston Island I was able to watch the disembarkation of the Green group. There are green dots and red dots on the swipe cards that we have to present going on and off ship (they really don't want to leave anyone behind!) it's become a bit of a light-spirited rivalry between the groups because no one wants the 7am call for disembarkation, although no one wants to miss out either. But to get to two different locations in the course of a day early starts are needed, and of course there is no problem with it being dark out!

But us reds got to relax and have a lovely breakfast enjoying the scenery until it was our turn to make landfall and of course, it was an amazing trip!

The unused Argentinian outpost Cámara Base was too far to get to and off limits anyway, but it was already a bit startling to keep catching a glimpse of a man-made structure. Basically the time again spent scrambling about to see and be in the midst of the wildlife and the landscape, which is so different with every change of angle and elevation.

And in the midst of the wildlife we were! In the original orientation we were told to stay 15 feet away from the penguins, but as Larry the expedition leader said, they could never manage to get the penguins to understand that, so we are just to stand still . So I was watching a bunch of Chinstrap penguins get out of the water and head up the hill, and realized they were heading right for me. So I stood as still as you can be when you are madly taking pictures and watched them get up to me and then stand there trying to figure out the best way to get around this big red thing standing in their way. SO CUTE! So funny, why are they so funny? Funny and charming and delightful, you don't believe me do you? You think it is the exhaustion talking but they really are!

See for yourself:


































































Now imagine standing there in front of them as they stalk away on their little ankle to hip feet, and stalk they do -- in a humph, even as they are doing it in a kind of scooting motion.



Anyway, after that it was over to the other side of the island to take in a seal. And with no wind it was warm enough that Mom and I and some others took off our coats and left them in a heap (penguin theft of red parkas not being much of a problem these days) before we had to climb up and over a low shoulder to get to them. And even without our coats we were warm. Warm in Antarctica, I know it's the summer but still. There we met up with a lovely couple that Mom and I are becoming friends with Kate and Gary Loyd-Rees (actually when Mom and I went to the Tango, we were mixed up with them, Laiken/Lloyd and that's how we met and we are both red dots so we have been hanging out on the ship too) notice four people, four cameras -- and that's a light bit of hauling.



So fabulous landing all around.

This afternoon is Deception Bay and I might be doing something a bit over the top. But it is over the top to be here so we shall see......