I woke to the sound of sea ice crunching along our hull. I looked out the porthole to discover we were parked in it. This gave us the chance for a sea ice walk, as well as a penguin colony visit, and a tour of Port Lockroy, all before lunch.
After a blustery day yesterday, we welcomed the bright sun and calm. The clear sky also gave us a view of the highest peaks on the Antarctic Peninsula as we lounged outside of the Port Lockroy museum and gift shop. We’ve enjoyed so much ice and wildlife, it was wonderful to expand our horizons into the human history of this place. The museum at Bransfield House displays everything from tinned mayonnaise to antique dive gear, and the rooms are restored to give us a sense of what it might have been like to live in the Antarctic decades ago. We found woollen balaclavas, knitted long underwear and anoraks that all looked like poor insurance against the brutal weather.
By afternoon we had reached Danco Island, our final landing before heading back north. It was a perfect place to stretch our legs as the trail took us to a 360° view of the surrounding glaciers and icebergs. Weddell and leopard seals hauled out on the floes below.
Perhaps the spectacular weather helped set the stage for what came next: the Polar Plunge and a new record for the season. We had 75 souls hurl themselves into the sea; I’m sure the penguins could hear us gasping our way back to the surface.
It has been a memorable voyage, and it isn’t over yet. Tonight we leave Antarctica behind and see what awaits us to the north.
