We spent two solid days crossing the Drake Passage, or “Drake Lake” as some call it when it’s relatively calm. Except for the rolling swells that rocked one to sleep at night, and reminded everyone to keep one hand free to grab a railing, the passage was smooth. We spent the time with lectures on geology, whales, birds, seals, and how to get in and out of the Zodiac craft. We photographed a lot of birds, including Albatrosses, Petrels, Fulmars, and Chinstrap Penguins. I woke up this morning and looked out of my porthole to the low sun rising over glaciers and icebergs. Breakfast was announced early, and by 9:00 AM we were on the Zodiacs heading for Detaille Island, the site of a former British research station, and south of the Antarctic Circle (66 degrees, 30 minutes south).

Small rocky islands, and blue chunks of glacial ice surrounded us. I was finally here, on the continent that old maps referred to as Terra Incognita. Antarctica. Adelie Penguins abounded by the hundreds, as well as fat Weddell seals and the fast and vicious fur seals. Weddell seals are designed for swimming, and except for the Emporer Penguin is the only Antarctic animal that doesn’t migrate to somewhere else come Winter. Fur seals can get up on their flippers and run faster than we can, so we kept our distance from them. Brown Skuas flew overhead looking for the occasional lone penguin chick to eat. The little Adelies waddled by us, sometimes stopping to look for a moment, and then waddle on. The old wooden buildings had been long abandoned, but are designated historic sites.

Adelies were named by an early French explorer in honor of his wife, and were an important food source for early expeditions, though they, and all wildlife here, are protected

We returned to the M/S Expedition and saw several Humpback Whales, some very near the boat. After lunch we went out on the Zodiacs to cruise around the icebergs. Some were a deep turquoise blue. These are the remnants of glaciers that calved, and the ice within them had been under so much pressure that there was no air in the ice, hence the blue color. We found several Crabeater seals basking on the icebergs, looking up at us, then going back to sleep. I asked if they were named by an irate explorer after his wife, but they poo-pooed that theory.

We’re heading back north now, after reaching 67 degrees south. Like I said in my last post, internet service is sketchy at best. If I don’t get another post off soon, I’ll get several off back in Argentina. Gotta run: Humpbacks have been sighted.