ANTARTICA AT LAST

A long held ambition was finally achieved when we set foot on Danko Island to be greeted by the first of many many Gentoo Penguins,they were completely unphased by our presence and continued their comical walk from the sea to the colony high above the rocky shore.

 GENTOO PENGUINS

 THE PREEN GLAND THAT KEEPS THE PENGUINS WATERPROOF

They were not the only birds on the island ,the skuas were equally unperturbed by human presence .

SOUTH POLAR SKUA

KELP GULLS

ANTARTIC IMPERIAL SHAG

PLANCIUS
Back on board and more fin whales were seen

Neko Harbour was the landing point for the afternoon with lots more Gentoos.

 This nest appears to have an unhatched egg in it.

This was a very noisery "rookery"with lots of well developed youngsters,the adults raise their heads to the vertical and bray  like a donkey to greet a returning partner or warn a trespassing neighbour that comes too close.

 A VERY CONTENTED LOOKING CRAB EATER SEAL

 SKUAS AND TERNS FLYING BY.

 ANTARTIC TERN

 GIANT PETREL

S

IN THE WAKE OF DRAKE

Don`t call me Ishmael,setting sail from Ushuaia on a sunny early evening on the adventure of a lifetime,I had two main aims,to see an albatross and to walk with penguins.It didn`t take long to see my first albatross a very smart Black Browed in the Beagle Channel.I went to bed happy.Leaving the channel and entering the notorious Drakes Passage things became more interesting as the ship began to roll with the swell and bunk sliding became a new sport.However we soon found our sea legs and appetites were undiminished as the Plancius crew fed us very well, though some ate more than others!

MY FIRST BLACK BROWED ALBATROSS

In the morning birdwatching from the after deck became the norm and we were joined by giant petrels,white chinned petrels ,cape petrels,and the first wandering albatross,a wondrous beast with a wingspan of up to 3.6m or 12 ft in old money.

GIANT PETREL there are two of these northern and southern, the colour of the bill tip is the only sure way of separating them;-reddish northern, greenish southern.

GIANT PETREL

 BLACK BROWED ALBATROSS

 WANDERING ALBATROSS

WANDERING ALBATROSS

ROYAL ALBATROSS-probably a four year old southern.?

ROYAL ALBATROSS

WANDERING ALBATROSS

BLACK BELLIED STORM PETREL

WANDERING ALBATROSS-another four year old.

CAPE PETREL

 BLUE PETREL

 BLUE PETREL

BLUE PETREL

 CAPE PETREL

GREY HEADED ALBATROSS

GREY HEADED ALBATROSS

CAPE PETRELS became more numerous as we went south with flocks of 20/30 birds following the ship earning their alternative name of cape pigeon.

BLACK BELLIED STORM PETREL

BLACK BROWED ALBATROSS

 THE FIRST WHALES

FIN WHALE

FIN WHALE showing prominent dorsal fin which gives it its name.

CAPE PETRELS  aka PINTADO kept arriving as we neared the South Shetlands.

SOUTHERN FULMAR

ANTARTIC PRION

 CHIN STRAP PENGUINS

BLUE PETREL

After two days at sea the South Shetland Islands were a welcome sight and the appropriately named SMITHS ISLAND was splendid in the early evening sunshine,tomorrow its penguins and ice berghs all the way.

SMITHS ISLAND