Day 13 Tuesday 3 February Grytviken South Georgia

Our ship arrived in Grytviken, South Georgia at 8.00am and anchored in a sheltered inlet.  

Grytviken is the site of a historic whaling station which closed in 1966.  There are no permanent residents in Grytviken, but there are occasional researchers and British administrative and military personnel.  There are several structures on the site - a warehouse, Whaler's Church, museum and a functioning Post Office.

Our morning involved a zodiac landing - a "wet" landing this time, so our muck boots were definitely going in the water.  We kitted ourselves up - lots of gear as it was cold outside (about 4 degrees C).  Felt like Scott of the Antarctic.  Hopefully a better outcome.

As we approached the shore in the zodiacs, we could hear these mournful cries.  

Thought it was seabirds, but then realised the noise came from fur seals and their pups cavorting in the water.  The whaling station and its rusting equipment has become a home for the fur seals, King penguins and elephant seals.

We were instructed to keep a good 5 metres away from the wildlife. Not easily done. Some of the seal pups were very curious and had no fear.  They insisted on trying to get close.  We were instructed to wave our arms about or make some noise to deter their curiosity.

                                                            Cuteness overload

                                                         Female elephant seals

                                                            Pilates anyone !

                                                                 Good guys ?

We visited the cemetery where the remains of the great Antarctic explorer, Ernest Shackleton, are located.  Also the ashes of Frank Wild, who was Shackleton's first mate.  His plaque describes him as Shackleton's "right hand man".

We sent ourselves a postcard from the Post Office.  Will it beat us home ?

The small museum was actually rather good.

Once back on board, we spent the afternoon in the Explorer's Lounge, enjoying the panoramic views.

We also indulged in afternoon tea at Mamsen's Cafe.

Our ship sailed late afternoon on its way to Fortuna Bay.  An announcement came over the speakers about huge numbers of humpback whales feeding all around the ship.  We could see the puffs of water from their blowholes.  The captain changed course so we could enjoy the spectacle.  The challenge was to photograph their tails as they dived under the water.

                                                           This was no fluke !

Day 12 Monday 2 February South Atlantic Ocean

 Another sailing day on our way to South Georgia Island.  The crew had a safety drill in the morning, dealing with a fire which had started in the laundry!  The passengers were not involved in the drill and were able to watch the crew scurrying about.

We saw our first iceberg in the morning, from our cabin window.  It was a non-tabular iceberg (meaning not of square sides).  In other words, it had jagged edges.

We finished the day at Manfredi's Restaurant.  This was our one allocated booking.  Very nice food.  Stephen's dinner involved a large slab of meat!

Day 11 Sunday 1 February South Atlantic Ocean

This was a sailing day on our way to South Georgia Island.  Not a day of rest however.  There was a mandatory South Georgia briefing.  Some very strict rules apply to landing in South Georgia.  There was another biosecurity inspection of our outerwear (boots, gloves, bags, jackets etc) if we had worn these items in the Falkland Islands.  Velcro is a particular enemy of biosecurity as it can catch seeds, spores, dirt, small particles.  This check is undertaken on the lower deck of the ship.  The very vigilant staff use a miners light to examine your stuff, and have a range of picks, brushes and cleaners to scour your clothing etc.

Day 10 Saturday 31 January Port Stanley Falkland Islands

 The Falkland Islands are a British Overseas Territory some 300 miles off the Argentinian coast.  About 180 bird species call these islands home.  British traditions remain in Port Stanley.  Locals take teatime and gather in pubs!

Our first adventure of the day was to see the penguins of Bluff Cove Lagoon, a privately-owned nature reserve.  There were white-sand beaches and a large lagoon, which is home to more than 1,000 breeding pairs of gentoo penguins and a growing colony of king penguins.  Terns, geese and skuas can also be found on the beach.

                                                               King penguins

                                                     Gentoo penguin chicks

                                             

We had a very tasty morning tea at the Sea Cabbage Cafe.  

We chose the scones with Diddle Dee jam (a small local berry) and fresh farm cream.

There was a small museum at the Lagoon.

Back in Port Stanley, we visited the cemetery which has 33 Commonwealth war burials.

Port Stanley's Christ Church Cathedral with the distinctive Whalebone Arch in its garden.  This is the world's southernmost Anglican cathedral.

                                                          A little bit of Britain

                                            

                                                The 1982 Liberation Memorial

                                                      Government House

                            In commemoration of the Battle of the Falkland Islands 1914.

                                                    Historic Dockland Museum

Day 9 Friday 30 January West Point Island Falkland Islands

 We got to land - on West Point Island, part of the Falkland Islands.  Because of the weather, the program has been modified.  The early scouting crew from the ship found the landing site completely fogged in and visibility nil.  Changes were made.  This will be the pattern of our travels.  The weather rules !!

Once the weather cleared sufficiently, we were off.  Our first experience of a zodiac landing.  This however was to be a "dry" landing.  Meaning there was a nice pier waiting for us at the other end.  We didn't have to wade through water - this time.

West Point Island is a private island established as a sheep farm in 1879.  It is also a significant Bird and Biodiversity Area.  Bird species include the Falkland steamer duck, black-browed albatross, southern rockhopper penguin and Magellanic penguin.

Our destination was a small colony of Magellanic penguins.

Before our return to the ship, we visited the farmhouse to enjoy tea and homemade cakes.

Day 8 Thursday 29 January South Atlantic Ocean

 Serious business today.  Lots of preparation for our coming Antarctic landings.  Fittings for our expedition jacket, waterproof pants and muck boots.  Briefings on biosecurity arrangements.  We had to take all our landing-on-shore gear to be inspected for potential biohazards.  The governments of the Falklands and South Georgia Islands are fanatically rigorous about keeping their environments pristine.  Avian Flu is a current threat.

We got to meet our Captain today - Joergen Cardestig, the Senior Officers and the scientific staff.  This is a group of about 25 men and women from all around the world, doing scientific studies of many different types.  There was a young woman from Melbourne and a young man from Greenland, as well as scientists from France, UK, Spain, Denmark and more.  A truly multicultural staff.  They were all equally passionate about science, the environment and their speciality fields of study.  Christopher was the "birdman".  We saw him prowling the decks at all hours, searching the skies for the different seabirds.  Of which there were many.

We were able to find time to explore our ship.  As an expedition vessel, smaller than the more familiar Viking ocean fleet.  But very stable in the water (so far!).  Decor is similar - that cool Nordic chic.

Stephen had a mandatory kayak briefing - a few squats apparently!

We both went to the binoculars workshop.  Such a lot to learn about this useful device.

Lots of seabirds to view on our travels.  When we were sitting in the Aula (auditorium), we could see a magnificent albatross circling the ship.  Its wingspan up to 3.5 metres.

We unexpectedly dined at Manfredi's restaurant that evening.  Thank you to Jim and Lauren Davenport from the Atacama Desert Extension.  They have a suite, and are thus entitled to a group booking at Manfredi's.

Stephen's main course of slow cooked beef short ribs on the bone, polenta croccante and red wine sauce.

Day 7 Wednesday 28 January Ushuaia Argentina

 Another transit day with our morning flight to Ushuaia. This is a chartered flight so all passengers are Viking travellers.  Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world.  Its population has grown in recent times to about 100,000, largely due to tourism to Antarctica.  

We embarked our ship, the Viking Octantis; had a mandatory safety talk in the Living Room; and went to our cabin, number 3001 (right at the front of the ship).  We met our cabin steward Ferey, and his assistant Herman (both are from Indonesia).

These views of Ushuaia were taken from the deck of the Octantis with the remnants of the Andes in the background. The day was unseasonally warm with clear skies.

Our ship departed Ushuaia that evening, and like many of the Antarctic explorers before us, sailed out through the Beagle Channel.  Hopefully, our journey will be much more comfortable than theirs !