Chinstrap penguins, Cape Petrels and a wet bum

Finally, calmer seas as we near the Southern Shetland Islands. We had quite an itinerary today, the starting by vacuuming all of our kit to avoid bio contaminants being passed between islands. The vacuuming including travelling Brownie. We had a compulsory IAATO briefing about the Antarctic treaty. We are now below 60 degrees so we are in Antarctic Waters, which means that the ship can’t discharge, no litter, we wash our footwear before and after landings, we stay 5m away from all wildlife and 15m away from seals. You need special permission for a drone, every landing has to take shelter, food and water for 100 people, including survival suits. 30,000 tourists visit Antarctica every year, we are asked to be ambassadors for the last wilderness.

In the afternoon we had a penguin lecture which was fascinating, there are 17 species. The penguins are currently moulting and the babies are 140% the size of the adults, ready to fledge. After lunch we had to get ready for a landing, which takes quite a while. Thermals, fleece, rab coat, waterproof coat, trousers, waterproof trousers, life jacket, wellington boots…and then we are ready. We jumped off the Polar Circle boats onto the beach of chinstrap and fur seals. It was absolutely freezing, the wind was still strong. Just taking your hands out of your glove to take a picture froze your fingers. The snowy Sheathbills were doing their thing, stalking the penguins to steal the food as it passes from parent to baby. On the way back our boat got soaked, especially Ali’s bum as the wave went right down her trousers.

Rather random, but we have famous Chinese artists and a monk travelling with us. In the evening they hosted a cultural evening talking about their art, performed a traditional dance and talked about Happy Buddha…in Antarctica. The differing countries and currencies is rather confusing. We are on a Norwegian Boat, paying in Norwegian Krona, we have translations in German and Chinese each time, we started in Argentina with Spanish and paying in Pesos. We next go to pay in US dollars for Port Lockroy, then pounds for the Falklands…all very confusing but it does make me think about Antarctica, not owned by anyone, joint nationality.