We wake up early to get ready for our 7:00am zodiac cruise. As a special treat, we are able to disembark on an ice floe. In our prior ''Ice is Nice'' lecture, we learned that ice floes are formed from the saltwater of the ocean. At subzero temperatures, the ocean water freezes; the salt settles out eventually creating sea ice. This means that the ice floes are sturdy, especially compared to icebergs, which are compacted snow. While we remember the lecture and see our smiling expedition leader, we are still a little nervous to step aboard, and yet we do.
Happily, there are nine adelie penguins ready to greet us on the ice floe. They have an amazing amount of energy. They walk around the ice, but when they want to move really fast, they lie on their bellies and toboggan with their flippers. The nine adelies seem to be connected. All will stop moving, and then all of a sudden they all move at the same time. Their sudden, comical, and directionless movements make them look like slapstick comedians. Each person is only permitted about ten minutes on the ice floe, but we take some great pictures and have happy memories. Later, we find out that L'Austral is the only ship that allows landing on ice floes as many consider it too risky.
We return to the zodiac to continue the cruise. We see tabular icebergs in the Weddell Sea and what looks like pancake ice (newly formed sea ice). However, I found out later it is actually just fragments of the icebergs. Many of the icebergs are blue as pure ice is blue in color because it absorbs red light most efficiently. Glacial ice range in color from white to milky blue because air bubbles trapped in the ice scatter the white light.
Unfortunately, our afternoon disembarkation is cancelled as the weather conditions are not safe for our first landing on the Antarctic continent. We are not surprised as the wind has picked up and we can see whitecaps. Despite our landing cancellation, we have a bit of luck seeing a mother humpback whale and her calf. The ship stops so we can watch the whales while they feed. We are able to see the tail. But, it's almost impossible to time the pictures perfectly. We continue to try, but are ultimately very happy that we happened to see a whale. It's a large ocean, and you can't exactly schedule their visits.
For New Year's, the pianist and vocalist put on a special Jazz Show. After the show, the kitchen treats us to a special five course New Year's Eve dinner, including scallops, a limoncello palate cleanser, and dessert. We eat with friends as well as the staff captain. He tells us about the ship and the upcoming Drake Passage. The three hour meal goes by quickly.
After dinner there is a show with a modern-style dance and then a New Year's party with champagne, balloons, and noise makers. We stay up late and enjoy the party.
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.