Antarctica Wrap-Up

 Our landing for Feb 12 at Half Moon Island in the South Shetlands was cancelled due to sudden high winds, so we don't have any photos of our own to post.  Fortunately, other passengers have posted photos on a special facebook page of chinstrap penguins and fur seals they saw on the island.  I've also included additional photos of other wildlife seen during our expedition trip.

It was certainly a trip of a lifetime!  We have now been to all 7 continents.  Antarctica is special, unique, and unlike any other place on earth. I will warn you, though, getting here is not easy.  We took a 12 hour charter flight from Miami, FL to Ushuaia, Argentina.  It takes 2+ days to traverse the Beagle Channel out of Ushuaia and the Drake Passage to get to the Antarctic Peninsula.  The sea can be rough. But it was worth every inconvenience to be able to see this special place.

The Viking Octantis carries 328 passengers (we had 283 on our cruise) and 261 crew
Not sure what type of seal this is - possible a weddle
Gentoo penguin building a nest - they need small-medium sized rocks 
A whaling ship that caught fire in 1916 and partially sunk
It can snow in Antarctica in summer! Most days it was 32-35 F
Saw lots of colorful icebergs. The amount of color is due to how pure the water is and how many air bubbles are trapped in the ice that reflect the light
Gentoo penguin chicks
Adelie penguins (characteristic white around the eyes) - we only saw a few of these
On the bow of the ship - it was very windy
Chinstrap penguins - aptly named!
Fur seal - these guys were hunted for their pelts. They are the only seals with visible ears and can walk on land due to their bone structure. 


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