Half Moon Island

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After the magnificent sunrise of the previous morning I decided I'd give it another try. It was a bit misty and cloudy so no chance of any repeat!

The ship moored at its last destination in Antarctica - Half Moon Island. As the mist turned to thick fog we boarded the Zodiac. As it left the ship we could see absolutely nothing, just the immediate water around the dinghy. The ride in could only be navigated by compass. As we neared the island, the silhouette of land crept out of the fog along with the resident colony of chinstrap penguins. After a beach landing we walked around a small part of the island watching the penguins. In the distance on the other side of the island you could see two Antarctic Fur Seals playing 'King of the Castle' on a rock close to shore.

After a while the thick dense fog retreated back to the sea to uncover just about the whole island for a few minutes - it was surprisingly bigger than I had first expected. As the fog rolled back over rocks the island extended into a long narrow crescent shape, making the Argentinian summer naval landing site visible. Out of the fog appeared more huddles of penguins, while objects that a few moments ago looked like rocks become crashed-out seals. A wooden lifeboat also became visible, beached on the shore. It isn't known who it belonged to or how it came to end up here, but it is known to be of 1930's construction and probably from Norway.

The fog rapidly closed in again so we headed back to the ship. With the ship's course now set to return to the mainland, it was time to say farewell to Antarctic waters.

The ship sailed back down the Gerlache Strait and out of the fog giving us a last look at the peninsula and the South Shetland Islands. While getting out on deck to catch the last views for myself I bumped into a passenger who I hadn't seen the whole trip, which was a bit strange seemings we'd been sailing for nearly two weeks. He told me this trip was his 80th birthday present from his wife. He'd waited since he was 12 years old to come and see 'the white continent' and was evidently bowled over by the experience. While admiring my last views I thought this eighty-year old had just summed up my feelings on my own experience. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to be able to visit such a barren and surreal place. It's left me not wanting to leave, wishing I was able to see more and experience more of what simply makes Antarctica what it is - something words nor pictures can describe.

As the ship sailed away from the peninsula and back into the Southern Ocean, we wondered what the Drakes Passage had in store for us this evening. I also thought about the fact that Cecilia has been the best travelling companion I could have hoped for - she has sorted out pretty much everything, which has been a godsend seeing as I can't speak Spanish. She gives a great massage and, despite wanting to leave work behind, she has taken the time to edit and proofread these blogs at my request. It's probably time I started being a bit nicer to her...
Full Photos on Flickr

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