Date - 1 December, 2016
Weather - Sunny, 1 degree to a maximum of 11 degrees
Seas - Rough overnight, calm, sunny and warm
Sunrise - 3.12am
Sunset - 11.26pm
We had a rough night crossing the Cranfield Strait as we made our way to the South Shetland Islands. The ship was rolling dramatically and we were rocked to and fro in our bunk. At one point in the night we were collecting things which had fallen to the floor and piling them in little bundles in the corner of our cabin. There was no wind but there was a huge swell coming off a major low in the Drake Passage.
Our expedition leader, Solan, woke us at 6.45am to a beautiful, clear sunny day. The South Shetlands are known for being cold, dark and windy but we could not have had a better day. We had anchored in a calm bay with the nearby snow-covered Half Moon Island looking spectacular in the sun. Half Moon Island lies at the entrance of Moon Bay between Livingstone and Greenwich Islands. It is only two kilometres long and is crescent-shaped, hence it's name. We had a clear view of the Argentinean Camara Station on the south west of the island. The red-brick coloured buildings looked stunning in the clear conditions.
Our group firstly cruised around the bay before landing. It was a glorious, sunny day and it felt warm in the sun. We went out to the mouth of the bay and skirted around a number of small rugged islands which had a range of birds including penguins. On our way back we spotted a leopard seal near a large iceberg. It was very curious and we saw him swim elegantly around and under the zodiac as the water was crystal clear. We all madly took photos.
As we approached our landing site we could, once again, smell the penguins before we saw them. When we landed on Half Moon Island we had our first close encounter with the smart-looking chinstrap penguins. The island is home to about 3,300 breeding pairs and we saw many sitting on their stony nests with their partners bringing more stones in their beaks.
Their guana-pink stained penguin highways in the snow were all around us. We used their highways rather than walk in the soft snow but we had to follow the rule that if any penguin was using the same track at the same time then we had to stop and make way for them. We unexpectedly saw a rogue Emperor Penguin lying on the ice. We were so fortunate to have such a clear, sunny day for our last day on Antartic land.
Our last excursion for the entire expedition was at Yankee Harbour, Greenwich Island. We could not have had a more perfect afternoon. It was a sunny, warm afternoon and we spent about three hours off the ship. We firstly walked around Yankee Harbour on the stony ice-laden beach and then cruising in the zodiac.
As it was our last land excursion Henk and I slowly walked between the stranded ice on the beach taking it all in and trying to appreciate as much as possible the serenity and beauty of the place before we left it for the last time. In the distance we could hear the thunder-like sound of the glaciers cracking. There were many Gentoo Penguins stone hopping and a number of seals soaking up the lovely sun.
We spent the last hour in the zodiac close to the bottom of the glaciers which circle the harbour. They are about two hundred metres tall and are stunningly beautiful with their deep Aqua colours. We were hoping to see one calving but it didn't happen. On occasions we heard their loud cracking. The zodiac had to keep two hundred metres away from the base in case any calving did take place.
On many occasions when we return to the ship they have either hot soup, hot towels, savouries or hot chocolate waiting for us. Today we had hot chocolate with Baileys which was very welcoming.
Just before our daily recap and briefing in the Nautilus Lounge we were all called to the bow of the ship for a group photo. It was freezing. Two photos were quickly taken and we all couldn't get inside quick enough.
There is no wake up call tomorrow as we make our way into the open ocean into the Drake Passage which is one of the most challenging of seas. The forecast is looking "not horrible" as stated by our expedition leader, Solan. We have now left Antarctica and head back to South America. It will take about two and a half days to return to Ushuaia.
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