The weather yesterday was dark and brooding. Snowy mountains in the distance, in lines behind each other, like ghosts and barley discernible.
Overnight we are headed for a new location and this morning, on pulling back the curtains, a whole new world and the very opposite of yesterday. Blue sky and water, intersected by incredible white shapes. It’s stunningly beautiful and we have tried to capture some of the beauty. Penguins are swimming and racing underwater, observable from upper decks.
As it’s calm and sunny, the rear deck heated swimming pool is open and inviting with steam rising from it.
Soon we will be going for a walk on the ice. Solar radiation is going to be a big factor Reflection off the ice will see undersides of chin and nose needing extra sunscreen. I’m hoping my standard tinted glasses are going to give my eyes some protection as I omitted to pack sunglasses!!! Jen is well protected there.
Wordie Hut
We are in the Blue group. The ship is divided into four groups to better manage outings. It’s not our turn to visit Winter Island in Grahamland, to visit Wordie House, until later. Wordie house was a British scientific station from the ’40’s to 1954. It was rebuilt on the site of a previous building from the ’30’s which was believed to have been swept away by a tsunami. Wordie was the chief scientist on Ernest Shakleton’s expedition.
A rebuilt Wordie House.
One of the books in the library of Wordie House.
Some of the supplies as left when abandoned.
The hut has been retained in the condition it was left in 1954, by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust. It is not very far away from another former British station, now occupied by the Ukrainians. Vernadsky Station, which also incorporates a radio telescope. The station was sold to the Ukrainians by the British for £1, which is apparently still on display in the station.
Wordie House is a brilliant example of living conditions and equipment used during the 40’s and 50’s, with books and food packages and scientific equipment from that period.
Later in the day the Blue team took to Zodiacs for an exploratory ride around the bay and into an inlet where penguins abound on rocks and in the sea.
Leopard seals
On a small flat iceberg outside the inlet, a Leopard Seal. A menacing, magnificent looking animal, with a head and mouth more like an Anaconda with a wide mouth that opens to 160deg! Lean and mean, completely unlike other seals. Swimming all around the iceberg, as if taunting it, penguins, which make up much of its diet. It was probably lazing after having consumed one or more and was completely uninterested.
The sea is so clear, you could see penguins flying underwater then briefly resurfacing. The waters are rich in food source, krill and small fish. Humpback whales calmly surfacing and feeding before arching their backs, exposing their flukes and diving deep for some time. Icebergs in the bay of varying sizes and shapes, making for a surreal, beautiful scene, with the ship completing the picture.
Some exercise
In between events, we are visiting the gym. There is a range of equipment including 3 cycle machines. We set up one each and do some miles. There is a digital readout of miles done, rpm, speed, distance covered, kilowatts generated and calories burned. Maybe we can balance the food intake by peddling?..:)
In the afternoon also, an excellent talk on the ill-fated Belgian expedition to Antarctica in the 1870’s.
After dinner the next day’s event are announced. We again, put our names forward to go kayaking.
Food.
The food situation is dire. We are eating far too much. The variety and volume are overwhelming and it’s difficult to resist going back to try something else. We have been going to the restaurant for afternoon tea, or coffee or hot chocolate and a yummy piece of cake or strudel. It has to stop!
We both stuffed ourselves, me, to an uncomfortable level that impacted my sleep.
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