Day at Sea
By morning, last night’s tumultuous seas had calmed considerably, and the Endeavour was making good speed towards Antarctica. There was a high overcast, but excellent visibility. The day was one for relaxing after our full and exciting days in South Georgia. In the morning we were treated to engrossing tales by Kim Heacox about the heroic age of Antarctic exploration, Iron Men and Wooden Ships. After lunch and a well-enjoyed nap, there was a presentation by Jack Swenson about Entering the Digital Realm for those new to, or thinking about, digital photography.
Throughout the day we were accompanied by a throng of seabirds reeling skillfully on the winds surrounding the ship. Most numerous were the small, pale gray, Antarctic prions, but the most noticeable seabirds were the dramatically plumaged pintado petrels whose dark and white feathers zoomed past the windows repeatedly throughout the day (photo). Other less often seen seabirds such as light-mantled albatross (formerly light-mantled sooty albatross) and blue petrels also passed our ship on our southwest heading. A group of fin whales was also sighted by some attentive observers, but they quickly disappeared between the tossing waves.
In the late afternoon our Undersea Specialist, David Cothran, showed us his captivating underwater video footage from his dives in the frigid waters around South Georgia. The aquatic world there contained a multitude of strange and colorful creatures that he described to us, and told of their strange and wondrous adaptations. By early evening we were passing numerous large icebergs, and we turned to cruise close by one with several hundred chinstrap penguins dotting its icy slopes. Below them, in the frothing blue seas, a predatory leopard seal patrolled along the edges of the ice. Gazing toward the distant horizon ahead of us, we continued to see the occasional errant iceberg drifting northward from the white continent that lies ahead.
By morning, last night’s tumultuous seas had calmed considerably, and the Endeavour was making good speed towards Antarctica. There was a high overcast, but excellent visibility. The day was one for relaxing after our full and exciting days in South Georgia. In the morning we were treated to engrossing tales by Kim Heacox about the heroic age of Antarctic exploration, Iron Men and Wooden Ships. After lunch and a well-enjoyed nap, there was a presentation by Jack Swenson about Entering the Digital Realm for those new to, or thinking about, digital photography.
Throughout the day we were accompanied by a throng of seabirds reeling skillfully on the winds surrounding the ship. Most numerous were the small, pale gray, Antarctic prions, but the most noticeable seabirds were the dramatically plumaged pintado petrels whose dark and white feathers zoomed past the windows repeatedly throughout the day (photo). Other less often seen seabirds such as light-mantled albatross (formerly light-mantled sooty albatross) and blue petrels also passed our ship on our southwest heading. A group of fin whales was also sighted by some attentive observers, but they quickly disappeared between the tossing waves.
In the late afternoon our Undersea Specialist, David Cothran, showed us his captivating underwater video footage from his dives in the frigid waters around South Georgia. The aquatic world there contained a multitude of strange and colorful creatures that he described to us, and told of their strange and wondrous adaptations. By early evening we were passing numerous large icebergs, and we turned to cruise close by one with several hundred chinstrap penguins dotting its icy slopes. Below them, in the frothing blue seas, a predatory leopard seal patrolled along the edges of the ice. Gazing toward the distant horizon ahead of us, we continued to see the occasional errant iceberg drifting northward from the white continent that lies ahead.
