Antarctica 2025/26

Day 22  At Sea With lectures and film presentations to complete our Antarctic experience, there is still plenty of time to enjoy the magic of the South Atlantic Ocean and the life that calls it home.  There is time for reflection and discussion about what we have seen and experienced.  We hope you become ambassadors for the Antarctic region, telling your family, friends, and colleagues about your journey to this magical part of the planet, advocating for its conservation and preservation so that they might one day visit the region to experience what you have been lucky to see and do here. As we approach the tip of South America, our Captain may sail close to legendary Cape Horn, weather and time permitting.     Well, this was pretty much a wind-down day.  A session on procedures for tomorrow.  A last trip to the gym.  A hilarious and very successful auction run by Gaby to raise money for two charities  - South Georgia Heritage Trust and ...

Days 19-21  Falklands-Malvinas (Cont'd) After three days at sea we pulled into Stanley Harbour just before breakfast this morning.  It's a Falklands requirement that we go to Stanley before we land anywhere else, so given that we want to be back at sea by mid-afternoon that kind of limits our options for seeing much of the islands.  Oh well - we've been lucky with the weather up until now.  We probably missed out on seeing nesting albatrosses and rockhopper penguins but we've seen albatrosses in the air and, lord knows, we've seen hundreds of thousands of other penguins.   I see my phone automatically updated to a new IOS overnight.  What I didn't realize right away was that when it did that it took my phone off airplane mode and dropped the wifi.  So - I can't wait to see my bill for roaming charges; ugh.......... We started ferrying guests to land shortly after 8.  They had arranged for a big bus to take us out to Gypsy Cove.  I signed...

Days 19-21  Falklands-Malvinas (Cont'd) At sea - on the way to Falklands - again today.  The swells seem a bit calmer, but some folks are still struggling.  I'm still proactively taking a bit of Gravol and I continue to feel well.   A leisurely day of reading, lectures, and a tour of the bridge.  My tour was at 4:30 and we can see the Falkland Islands in the distance.  It will be a brief stay there.  Another storm is brewing and the captain wants to be gone by 2:30.  

Days 19-21  Falklands-Malvinas The Falklands-Malvinas comprises two large islands (East and West Falkland), with over 700 islands scattered off the coast.  All but seven of these are uninhabited, with windswept coastlines, white sand beaches, and crystal-clear water.  These beautifully barren islands are true wildlife havens, sheltering an impressive diversity of birdlife, including the largest black-browed albatross colony on earth.  The cold, nutrient-rich waters surrounding the islands make this a prime location for spotting marine life. There are many beautiful areas to explore across the Falklands-Malvinas, each offering a unique perspective on this magnificent archipelago.  Your experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to design your voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on the prevailing winds, weather, and wildlife opportunities. Even though we're north of the Antarctic Converg...

Days 17-18  At Sea (cont'd) We headed out "to sea" after we departed King Haakon Bay yesterday.  It was a bit rocky overnight, but (with the help of Gravol) I'm still feeling well.  Today was a rather lazy day.  Breakfast and a couple of lectures in the morning.  Lunch, shopping (I found out my ship credit which was part of my booking isn't available to offset the gratuity payment), gym (two hands holding onto the treadmill), shower, reading, and then recap & mini-lectures followed by dinner.  As we were finishing dinner the ride was getting noticeably rougher.  Could be a rocky night!   I am now the proud owner of a nice Patagonia fleece jacket, a merino base layer, penguin socks, and a map.  All totally unnecessary, but since my bar bill was $0 I had to spend my credit somewhere....... We have another 2 days at sea and they're looking to be rough ones.  

Days 17-18  At Sea As we sail towards the Falklands-Malvinas, there is plenty to keep you occupied on board. Our expedition team will continue to share their wealth of knowledge about the wildlife, history, and natural world as part of the onboard lecture series.  You will have ample time to enjoy observing seabirds from the stern of the ship, keeping a close watch for whales and other marine wildlife, or simply enjoy the many facilities available to you on the ship. Well, apparently I lied yesterday about leaving South Georgia.  The day that we were originally due to arrive in the Falkland Islands coincides with a predicted storm that will likely close the port of Stanley (where we need to go first).  So..... we're going to spend an extra day in South Georgia and try to make a couple of landings at more Shackleton sites - Cape Rosa and Peggotty Bluff - in King Haakon Bay. Cape Rosa (called Cave Cove in Shackleton's day) - marks the entrance to King Haakon Bay on the...

Day 16  South Georgia / At Sea Sea and weather conditions will determine our departure time from South Georgia today. We're not actually leaving South Georgia quite yet.  Two more 'operations' here.  Salisbury Plain this morning.  Looks like there are lots and lots of penguins (and probably seals) ready to greet us on shore.  Bright sunshine first thing this morning, but a bit more clouded over now (8am).  From the boat the plain looked a little shallow, but looks can be deceiving; it went on forever!  Lovely setting.  So much room and so much wildlife!  Mountains and glaciers right behind it. It is a broad coastal plain found within the Bay of Isles.  It lies between the mouths of the Grace and Lucas glaciers.  It is best known as the breeding site for as many as 60,000 king penguins.  That info is from Wikipedia.  Lonely Planet says that number is more like 250,000.    Today I thought I would take less pictures...

Days 12-15  South Georgia (cont'd) Well, I'm wondering if our good luck with the weather may have come to an end.  Snow squalls onshore this morning and new overnight snow has come down quite low.  It may be deemed too slippery for our planned hike this afternoon.  We'll see....... This morning we're landing in Fortuna Bay.  The landing site is thick with penguins and we will be walking (about 15 minutes) inland to even more penguins.  What a fabulous site!  Well - I guess someone sometime made that walk in 15 minutes, but with stopping to look at wildlife it took much, much longer.  It's a beautiful expansive plain filled with tussocks, streams, ponds - wildlife!  Fur seals, king penguins, and a few elephant seals.   While we're doing a hike from Fortuna Bay to Stromness, the rest of the folks will do a zodiac cruise from Leith Harbour to Stromness, in Stromness Bay.  In the day, Leith Harbour was the largest of the seven whal...

Days 12-15  South Georgia (cont'd) Wow!!  Bright sunshine streaming in my window this morning.  This morning is our scheduled visit to Grytviken - South Georgia's only whaling station that can be visited, and the site of the governing presence.  Jeff and Gaby were off to shore early this morning to deal with paperwork and bring back a representative of the South Georgia Heritage Trust organization as well as bio-security inspectors.  The SGHT rep gave us a short presentation on the area and their mandate.  The inspectors gave a pretty thorough inspection before we got off the ship.  Grytviken's whaling station has had its hazardous material and dangerous structures removed (at a cost of 7.5M pounds).  It was the island's first and longest-running station.  It operated from 1904 to 1965.   In addition to seeing abundant wildlife (fur seals, a few elephant seals, king penguins, and a few gentoos) we visited a few key sites and wandere...

Days 12-15  South Georgia (cont'd) A smooth overnight sailing finds us in Ocean Harbour this morning.  The forecast was for calm(ish) winds on this side of the island and windy on the southwest side.  The two sides are separated by high mountains, so we're in the lee of the worst of it.  Sure enough blue(ish) skies out to sea and cloud cover onshore.  Something different this morning - we're going for a hike!  Most of the ship seems to have signed up for it; I think everyone is craving some exercise.  Of course, some people are heading out on their usual activities - snorkelling and kayaking - so most people will be busy.  Perhaps trying to wear off some of the last week's overeating of delicious food? Just had a message - we're lifting anchor and repositioning.  Apparently the tide is rising and freeing some close-by grounded icebergs, so we're looking for a safer spot to put the ship.  Safety first!  We had to change the hike beca...

Days 12-15  South Georgia As you near the rugged island of South Georgia, spare a thought for Captain James Cook, who arrived here in 1775 and believed it to be the northern tip of a great southern continent.  In fact, it is a small island only 176 km long, but with a 3000m snow-capped mountain range, some of the world's largest congregations of wildlife and a truly fascinating human history.  South Georgia is an island of incredible riches.  On approach, jagged mountain peaks rise steeply, while seabirds are often spotted soaring around the ship.   Remember to layer up before joining Zodiac cruises around craggy coves and along the rocky coastline in search of nesting penguins, seal haul-outs, and bird cliffs.  Remember to keep an eye out for South Georgia's kelp forests as well - these remarkable underwater ecosystems are quite mesmerising as their fronds sway back and forth on the water's surface.  Zodiacs will also shuttle you from ship to sho...

Day 11  At Sea / South Georgia Sea and weather will conditions will determine our arrival time in South Georgia today. We're actually still at sea all day today, with a planned arrival at South Georgia early tomorrow morning.  Once again, it seems we stayed ahead of the storm all day.  Apparently Ushuaia got hit hard, with some ships breaking free from the pier and running into each other.  Our weather was actually quite good; fairly clear and the tailwind continued.  The waves and swell were quite tolerable.  Lots of seabirds - petrels and albatross, I think.  On the lecture program today - the history of whaling, penguin counting, an introduction to South Georgia, and diving in the south ocean.  We get more mini-lectures during our daily recap and plans for tomorrow.  Lots of food, a bit of reading, a bit of napping, and a trip to the gym.  Another full day aboard the Greg Mortimer.................  

Days 9-10  At Sea (cont'd) Not much to report today.  Continuing to make our way to South Georgia.  The rough seas overnight did not materialize and we seem to be staying ahead of the storm.  I suspect we have a pretty good tailwind.  About 6 pm, and visibility has actually improved over the course of the day.  There are even a few specks of blue sky about.  I've seen a few whale spouts but really haven't spent much time today looking out the windows.  Oh - and lots and lots of seabirds.  Cape Petrels seem to be particularly abundant.  Starting tonight we have been asked to draw our cabin blinds so that seabirds will not be attracted to our lights.  Also - we're a bit further north now so we won't have as much all-night light.  Apparently we turn our clocks ahead an hour tonight and another hour tomorrow night.  Not sure how that works with everything setting itself automatically these days.  I suspect I'll be unsure ...

Days 9-10  At Sea Enjoy informative and entertaining lectures from our expedition team and learn about the wildlife, history, and culture of the places that you will visit on the voyage.  You may want to use the sauna and jacuzzis, stay active in the gym, or borrow a book from our well-stocked library and relax in one of the many observation areas on board the vessel. One last planned stop before we set out on the 800 mile journey to South Georgia.  The overnight sail wasn't very rough at all, and our hope is that we will stay out in front of the storm all the way to SG.  We took a bit longer than planned, though, as the ice pack that changed our plans coming into Antarctica is still there and we had to go around it.  We're approaching Elephant Island now.  Lots of evidence of whales - Fin and Sei, apparently - but just seeing spouts and no bodies.  Visibility has stayed poor since last night, so we can't see much up high on Elephant Island.  It's...

Days 5-8  Antarctic Peninsula (cont'd) Our journey last night was a bit rougher than what we've become used to over the last few days.  A harbinger of things to come, perhaps.  As we pull into our destination (Yankee Harbour) the wind is up bur the sun is out; clearest day yet.  There is another ship in view - our first since leaving Ushuaia.  It looks like a big one, though; too big to land any people.  We're in the South Shetland Islands now; still considered part of Antarctica.  Yankee Harbour is on the southwest side of Greenwich Island.  In order to work around the weather as best we can, we're scheduled to land about 7am.  Yawn! A short, but beautiful landing.  Lovely scenery all around and hundreds of Gentoo penguins.  There were lots of chicks; the biggest ones we've seen yet.  They grow so quickly so that even if these are only a week or so older than the ones we saw on the peninsula it makes quite a difference. Back o...