Antarctica's Got Talent!

This message from Jim was sent before the last one just posted :-)

Haven't e-mailed in a bit because we lost our satellite connection yesterday, but we now seem to have a good link. In my last message we had just arrived at Cuverville Island, a tiny rocky island off the Gerlache Strait. Here we saw more penguins -- adelies and gentoos -- and then had the great fun of hiking up a wide snow field to go sliding. We tramped up the steep hillside a good ways and then slid down just on our backs like one of those giant slides at a water park. It was great fun and once again felt surreal -- we were playing in the snow in the Antarctic!

From there we scooted farther down the Strait to Paradise Harbor, a wide, rocky cove jutting into the mainland. Glaciers came down to the water's edge from all sides, and you could hear them popping and cracking; they sound like thunder. We kept urging particularly precarious pieces to break off, but all remained still.

The captain then took the Prince Albert II back up the Strait a little ways to the deep and well-protected Neko Harbor for an after-dinner excursion ashore. It was cold and grey and not too many of us were all that eager to redon the heavy gear, but we did, and it was worth it! The guides led up us another steep mountain side where we had an awesome view of the iceberg-strewn bay with the ship resting in the center. More glaciers surrounded us. Then they took us to an even better sliding hill. After my high-speed ride down the hill, I walked off into the middle of a big snow field and just plopped down in the snow to listen to the glaciers. They were really active, and eventually, all sorts of slides and calving took place. One loud crack was followed by a huge chunk of ice's falling into the bay, sending out a pretty big tsunami that sent ice chunks (growlers and brash ice) bobbing. The breaking of the icy wave on the rocky shore gave out its own eerie noise. Very cool.

Today took us to the southern-most point on our trip -- Petermann Island -- at the southern end of the striking Lemaire Channel. We steamed through this narrow strip of water, which slips between jagged cliffs on both sides, early this morning. Our guides had urged us to get out of our warm bunks to appreciate the views, but what really sent everyone scrambling was the report of whales. We were treated to a wonderful display by a humpback whale family yesterday -- a mother was feeding while her very playful calf was breaching over and over. Every jump was greeted with cheers and applause from us. The ship listed to starboard as everyone stood at the rails to see the whales. Well the whale sighting this morning was orcas, and they were wonderful! They cruised just past the ship -- so smooth and powerful. One of the members of this pod was a male with a huge dorsal fin that sliced the air. It was very exciting.

We toured Petermann Island -- a quiet, rocky bit of land with lots of penguins -- then headed back up the Channel to Port Lockroy, a British outpost on Wienke Island. Back in the first half of the 20th Century, this was a busy whaling port, and the shores are strewn with massive whale skeletons and piles of bones. The base also has a little gift shop (the proceeds go to support the UK's Antarctica Heritage Trust) and a cool little museum that preserves the base's facilities as they existed in the 1950's. After the Brits set up this nice base on some good, rocky ledges, a bunch of gentoo penguins decided to move in and be neighbors. They nest just inches away from the main building's front door, and they generously share their guano with everyone!

We are all now back aboard the ship and getting ready for dinner. Tonight's entertainment centers on a talent show.

We only have a little time left in Antarctica. Tomorrow we head to the South Shetland Islands, where we will be able to explore (and swim in) the thermal waters of Deception Island. Then it's a couple days of sailing across the Screamin' Fifties of the Drake Passage to get us back to Ushuaia.

Hope all is well. Lots of love to my preps, LM's, and Shakes & the Bibes buddies!