(Part 2 of our Antarctic Journey)
After all of the detours we took to get there we finally landed in King George, Antarctica! The landing strip was just that, a gravel landing strip. We were met by Taylor, one of the two scuba divers who work on the ship, the National Geographic Explorer. She took us, along with the other passengers from the red plane to board our zodiacs that would take us the the Explorer. We were greeted by some chinstrap penguins on the shore as we collected our life preservers and embarked into the waters of the Southern Ocean.
We were so glad to finally make it to the ship but we were also starving. Luckily, a delicious breakfast buffet was ready for us. We sat with our new friends, Craig and Lorraine from California, in the dining room as we waited for our safety briefing. After the safety briefing we headed to our cabin and took a much needed nap sleeping right through lunch.
Before dinner, there was an announcement informing us that we were going to be passing Edingberg Hill, a unique volcanic rock formation similar to Devils Tower in Wyoming. Dave and I went up to the bridge to get the best vantage point. While we were up there a beautiful full rainbow came out signifying hope for a successful (and long) expedition.
The following morning before heading to breakfast I was lucky enough to get a great picture of a humpback whale breaching with my cellphone. We saw a lot of whales on our trip but mine was the only picture like this.
After breakfast we took our first excursion. The ships crew was trying to find a spot where we could land our zodiacs however, their usual spot had been covered with small icebergs making it impossible for a landing. Instead, they took us on a 50 minute ride inside the cove where we were able to see the beautiful scenery and more penguins. Since Dave and I were in Group E we were usually always in the second outings. It worked out great for us since it rained pretty hard on the first group, but stopping by the time we went out for our ride. Our zodiac operator was Alex, and we shared it with 8 other people.
We were able to see a mini avalanche on a glacier in the inlet as well as the chinstrap and gentoo penguins swimming and jumping in and out of the water. Although the temperature stayed in the mid 30's consistently, Dave and I were well suited with our heated vests that my sister gave us for Christmas, heated gloves, long johns, neck buffs and parkas. Actually, we were a little too warm on our first outing but we adjusted for the rest of the trip.
After our excursion, the Explorer made it's way to our next destination, Portal Pointe. It seems to be very important for some people to step foot on the "white continent" and not just one of the islands so the captain went in search for a place to do just that.
After lunch, while the first group of zodiacs went on their hour and 15 mins tour we sat in the lounge for an interesting history lesson on the discovery of Antarctica.
When it was our turn to go down to base camp and board our zodiac, Dave and I suited up with all of our cold weather attire. I put on my life vest and activated my heated gloves and we headed downstairs. Right before it was our turn to board I looked down at my legs and realized that I wasn't wearing my insulated rain pants! All I had on was my long johns. So, I ran back to our room and quickly took my boots off to put my rain pants on before running back downstairs where Dave was "patiently" waiting for my return. By the time I got back I was so hot that I took my gloves and neck warmer off and unzipped my jacket and vest.
The quick zodiac ride to land was beautiful. We were greeted by a small group of penguins. As soon as we got on land we took our picture holding the Antarctica flag. Our time was limited as we only had an hour and 15 minutes to explore so we quickly hiked up to where we knew the penguins were before exploring the other areas.
Upon returning to our ship we had cocktail hour and our nightly briefing with the crew and captain, Captain Pike. After cocktail hour we headed to the dining room and sat down and began talking to another couple. Moments later, a crew member approached us asking if we were in room 226. After confirming that we were, he reminded us that we were invited to the captain's dinner and were in the wrong place.
We needed to go to the chart room. We were quickly ushered upstairs where we were immediately welcomed with a glass of champagne. Everyone had been waiting for us to make the toast (14 guests plus Captain Pike and the head of hotel management). We were seated at the captain's table and made some new friends, Alan and Danette. We had a great time at the captain's dinner with some very funny people. In fact, a lady who was seated at the other table came over and said that she was jealous of all the fun we were having at our table. Before heading to bed we signed up for the kayaking trip scheduled for the next morning.
Breakfast the next morning was followed by a safety briefing for those of us kayaking. We were informed the night before that the polar plunge will take place after all of the kayaks return.
It was snowing big flurries during our kayaking adventure. The water was full of slushy ice and tiny icebergs. A few times we spotted some whale pods but they were a little too far away for a good picture. In the distance we saw a small piece of ice that a group of penguins were diving from. The scenery was just spectacular.
At noon they announced that the polar plunge was about to begin. Dave and I put on our swimsuits and covered up with a bathrobe before making our way back down to basecamp with our signed waiver. The crew had some motivating music playing as we stood in line for our turn to torture ourselves with the shock of plunging into the 34 degree water. I decided that I needed to go before Dave, who was stretching because he thought he was actually going to swim.
They had us standing on one of the zodiacs with the photographers ahead of us in the distance. The man assisting me was giving instructions but I couldn't wait a second longer with anticipation so I just jumped right in. The sudden shock of that freezing cold temperature was immediate, it practically took my breath away. The crew reached over with a long pole that I grabbed to assist me up to the floating platform and back in the ship.
I was going to wait and watch Dave jump in right after me but I went into survival mode and beelined it inside. As soon as I got back inside the ship I was greeted with a towel and a shot of cognac followed by a hot toddy and a polar plunge patch. My toes were freezing!!! The hot shower that followed was one of the best showers that I have ever taken in my life.
That afternoon we headed to Danco Island for another landing and more penguins. This time we were in the first zodiac group which worked out because our stay on Danco was cut short. The crew began noticing many dead penguins in that area and concluded that that colony might be suffering from avian flu. They reported their findings to whoever you report it to and we were told that area was going to be closed to the upcoming cruise ships.
On our last full day in Antarctica the plan was to pass through Neptune's Bellows and hike Deception Island, an old whaling station. Udo, our funny cruise director promised that it would be a beautiful 3 mile hike where we could also check out some vacant whaling buildings. However, once morning came we were told that the winds were approximately 40 knots therefore we could not disembark the ship. As a compromise, the captain navigated though Neptune's Bellows so we could at least view the landscape from the boat. It also allowed for calmer waters inside the crater so we could enjoy a smooth breakfast. The rest of the day was spent on board since the weather wasn't cooperating for land excursions.
We enjoyed our last dinner with Craig and Lorraine which included a lot of wine. By the time we went to sleep we were already back at King George Island.
The next morning the plan was to have a late breakfast and then go back to our room and pack for our 2pm flight back to Puerto Natales, Chile. We were to leave our luggage outside our cabin as we went to lunch in the bistro. Afterwards, Dave and I sat on the stern of the ship for while taking in our last sights of Antarctica. At 4pm, Udo got on the loud speaker calling all guests up to the lounge in 15 mins for an important announcement. Little did we know that our cruise was about to get extended by 2 more days!
Stay tuned for the 3rd and final part of our Antarctic adventure!
Awesome pics and story!!