Chile and Antarctica cruise

The southern coast of the island was no less dramatic

Sth coast 2.JPG

The offshore island

Val Pt island 3.JPG

And, yes, some hot tub action, in the sun

Pool 4.JPG

Then, just as we hove to at our destination, Echo Bay, we were magically transported to the Caribbean

Carrib view 1.JPG

Bugger. The glaciers are a real give-away, aren't they?

Carrib view 2.JPG

Echo coast.JPG

Echo coast 2.JPG
 
It was an exceptional afternoon on Elephant Island, as the Exped leader proudly announced that we would do a landing - a first for him, and all of the Exped crew.

IMG_4240.JPG

My landing was one of the last groups, about 4pm and the sun was getting a bit low

IMG_4242.JPG

The penguins here completely un-accustomed to the red things moving about, and just wandered between us, curious.

IMG_4289.JPG

We were only allowed a 100m stretch of beach - a grey sand - due to elephant seals all about.

IMG_4275.JPG

IMG_4292.JPG

But back to the Chinstrap penguins

IMG_4268.JPG

IMG_4274.JPG

IMG_4247.JPG

IMG_4299.JPG
 
Read our AFF credit card guides and start earning more points now.

AFF Supporters can remove this and all advertisements

It was only a 30 min visit on-shore, so soon we were off like this guy.

IMG_4297.JPG

IMG_4298.JPG

IMG_4299.JPG

... or rather, in a more comfortable zodiac with the usual hot chocolate and Kaluha waiting for us back on board.

IMG_4312.JPG

I took a chair and a white wine on the back sun deck, which actually got a bit warm to stay out

IMG_8854.JPG

Contemplated some glacial festures and concluded that this was where a glacier had flowed into a shallow valley, then ridden up and over a hill again, causing it to break up into spikey pieces.

IMG_4304.JPG

IMG_4309.JPG

Zodiacs up, and we are away, bound for the Antarctic peninsula, but this day wasn't finished with us yet!

IMG_4315.JPG
 
We had the customary look forward to the following day's activities - two stops on the Antarctic Peninsula and hopefully a landing at one.

IMG_8993.JPG

IMG_9005.JPG

And I bring you these two, who always arrive 5-10 mins after briefing started, proceed to the front, wave to friends, then sit down.

IMG_9001.JPG

Weather won't be as good as today :cool:

IMG_9010.JPG

And a session on whales

IMG_9018.JPG

Sailing on, we encountered quite a large iceberg, so the captain moseyed over and we did a 360 around it. I'm glad they warned us!

IMG_9030.JPG

IMG_9031.JPG

IMG_9034.JPG

IMG_9035.JPG

IMG_9037.JPG
 
People are incredibly rude and selfish these days, aren't they. Totally oblivious to the disruptions they cause around them. And think that everyone is pleased to see them.

But what a beautiful iceberg. Fingers crossed for the landing.
 
I was feeling a bit croaky in the throat, so decided to lie low in my cabin, so ordered room service dinner, served immaculately by my butler, Kiran. Yu can't order just a glass of wine - you get the whole bottle!!

IMG_9040.JPG

We were heading south, past some offshore islands of Elephant Island (and the usual icebergs), about 9:30pm when the sunset show commenced.

IMG_9041.PNG

IMG_9050-2.jpg

IMG_9052-2.jpg

IMG_9053.JPG

And the offshore islands

IMG_9058.JPG

IMG_9059.JPG

IMG_9060.JPG

IMG_9062.JPG

All in all a pretty remarkable day.
 
While @RooFlyer had headed to his cabin, a few of us headed to La Terrazza on deck 7 after for dinner. I needed to have studied Harry’s “blow” charts! There were whales by the dozen to the left and right. Mostly we only saw the blow and a bit of smooth grey back. Most likely Fin whales, but unable to determine. Harry is one of the expedition crew, and a New Zealander. Forget about table service, the crew were out on the aft deck with us all!
 
I was feeling a bit croaky in the throat, so decided to lie low in my cabin, so ordered room service dinner, served immaculately by my butler, Kiran. Yu can't order just a glass of wine - you get the whole bottle!!

View attachment 362795

We were heading south, past some offshore islands of Elephant Island (and the usual icebergs), about 9:30pm when the sunset show commenced.

View attachment 362796

View attachment 362797

View attachment 362798

View attachment 362800

And the offshore islands

View attachment 362804

View attachment 362805

View attachment 362806

View attachment 362807

All in all a pretty remarkable day.
Really enjoying your TR @RooFlyer
Hope you are feeling better and Happy New Year 🎉
 
Good to know you really are in Antarctica and the world is not flat 🤣


A social media video claims The Antarctic Treaty of 1959 bans people from travelling to the icy continent, citing it as evidence world powers are covering up proof that the earth is flat.

This is false. Tourists regularly travel to Antarctica and it is accessible to anyone who can afford the organised cruises and flights to one of the most remote parts of the globe.

Experts told AAP FactCheck the claim is nonsense and Antarctica has a thriving tourism industry.

They honestly had someone 'fact check' this? I note that they didn't actually go there themselves - so its just AAP speculation, not a fact check. (This isn't the Beetoota Advocate in drag, is it?)
 
Anyway, where were we? Oh, yes, we'd just left Elephant Island in near perfect conditions of calm seas and largely cloudless skies, heading for Brown's Bluff on the Antarctic Peninsula.

Here is the type of running sheet we get every evening, for the following day. Everything subject to change!!

IMG_E9046.JPG

I opened my curtains early in the morning to see that the weather had changed ... This is Antarctica!!

IMG_4398.JPG

IMG_E9068.JPG

Sailing into the vicinity of Brown Bluff, the weather lifted a bit, but was very cold and windy. The proposed landing got cancelled, and we'd have to make do with a zodiac drive-by.

IMG_4408.JPG

IMG_4417.JPG

IMG_4418.JPG

IMG_4429.JPG

Why is it called Brown Bluff??

IMG_4426.JPG

OK, gotta get the penguins in

IMG_4438.JPG

Penguins porpoising are simply every where you look.

IMG_4430.JPG
 
Now, Brown Bluff. Some gorgeous geology which unfortunately nearly all the expedition team were ignorant of. If they just learned some basics, they could add some really interesting info to the passengers. I mean, who doesn't like a volcano erupting underneath a glacier?? The geology lecturer on the cruise knows it of course, but not the zodiac drivers/exped staff.

So, a volcano started erupting underneath a thick glacier. Glacier melted from the bottom up, eventually breaking through to the surface. A crater formed in the ice, filled with water. Volcano continued to erupt under the water, forming glass and 'pillow lava' (have a read). After a while, either the lake fell a bit or the volcano rose above it, and then it rained down ash, tuff and volcanic bombs which deposited as sediments above the pillow lavas.

Here is the outcrop. Scree slope on the right; pillow lavas are black. Sub-aerial tuff and ash beds in brown. Uneven

IMG_4447.JPG

Uneven surface between lavas and tuff/ash.

IMG_4452.JPG

The round things are the 'pillows', cut through. The yellow between them is cough spalled off the lava as it hits the cold water. The ash layers begin above the lava.

IMG_4510.JPG

You can see the volcanic bombs in certain layers of the ash beds above. I mean, just phwoar!

1704142799437.png

OK, maybe that's enough of rocks ... for now. I guess we haven't seen enough penguins :rolleyes:?

IMG_4515.JPG

Penguin cam!!

IMG_4523.JPG

Penguin highway (with a nice volcanic breccia in the R foreground)

IMG_4543.JPG

IMG_4509.JPG

IMG_4472.JPG

Yes, ta-ta, Adélie penguins.

IMG_4519.JPG
 
We upped anchor and headed for the next stop, a few hours away, Hope Bay, home of the Argentinian base "Esperanza" (means hope of course).

I had lunch at The Restaurant:

IMG_9078.JPG

IMG_9079.JPG

Fillet of lemon sole. Nice!

IMG_9085.JPG

On the motor in, I noticed this leopard seal on an ice-flow

IMG_4585.JPG

IMG_4586.JPG

Every now and then, he would dunk his had in the water, looking for lunch

IMG_4587.JPG

ergo:

IMG_4601.JPG
 
Arrived Hope Bay, just a zodiac cruise scheduled. Off we go! What's to see?

Guess.

Penguins on the ice.

IMG_4611.JPG

Penguins on the shore (by their stinking thousands). Oh, and a bird flying over.

IMG_4623.JPG

Penguins in the water; and on ice (and stinking on the shore)

IMG_4656.JPG

More- but at least they are leaping penguins!!

IMG_4676.JPG

IMG_4673.JPG

Penguins on cough and vomit ingrained snow. And people think its weird to like rocks!

IMG_4671.JPG

And then there was this poor chap - a fur seal, very unusual in Antarctic waters, who seems to have expired at the moment of taking his last breath. No one was quite sure what was going on here.

IMG_4694.JPG

IMG_4701.JPG

IMG_4700.JPG
 
Around the corner, thank God, was the Argentinian Esperanza research station. ABout 35 military, same number of civillians, including about 8 children. The first child born in Antarctica was to the commandant of the base and his wife about 25-30 years ago.

IMG_4709.JPG

IMG_4710.JPG

IMG_4716.JPG

IMG_9083.JPG

Zodiac cruise done, it was G&T time again on my verandah.

IMG_9100.JPG

Just warming up for the New Years Eve bash; @Port Power and I (and 6 others) have been invited to be on the table of the Expedition Leader and Deputy.
 

Become an AFF member!

Join Australian Frequent Flyer (AFF) for free and unlock insider tips, exclusive deals, and global meetups with 65,000+ frequent flyers.

AFF members can also access our Frequent Flyer Training courses, and upgrade to Fast-track your way to expert traveller status and unlock even more exclusive discounts!

AFF forum abbreviations

Wondering about Y, J or any of the other abbreviations used on our forum?

Check out our guide to common AFF acronyms & abbreviations.
Back
Top