We were side-tracked as we sailed from Paulet Island to Brown Bluff, by a very welcome pod of Type B (Small) Orcas as detailed in the previous Blog Post. Eventually, by mid-afternoon, we were approaching Brown Bluff.
There was a group of Giant Petrels near the shore.
Southern Giant Petrel: The all-white Giant Petrel is easy to identify, as only Southern Giant Petrels have this colour morph
Northern Giant Petrel: Zooming in on the top right Giant Petrels confirms they are Northern Giant Petrels. The dark pastel red bill tips confirm their identification
Southern Giant Petrel: This is a different all-white Southern Giant Petrel as it doesn't have the black spot in the wings. The pastel green bill tip confirms the identification of these individuals
There were a good number of Gentoo Penguins nesting on the beach, as well as, some Adelie Penguins.
Clearly, it wasn't just the passengers who were finding the long days a challenge to keep going.
Gentoo Penguin: As I was photographing these Gentoo Penguins, a Snowy Sheathbill dropped in before diving into the overhanging cave. It had a youngster in there, but the youngster quickly disappeared when it saw me
I wasn't expecting to see some Lichens on these rocks or signs of other vegetation.
When I was in the UK, I had missed that one of the activities that were scheduled for this afternoon was a dip in the sea in Antarctica. Had I realised that, I might well have pack some swimming shorts for an Antarctica dip. I've been in the sea in all the Continents, except South America and Antarctica. Due to the sea temperatures, passengers were restricted to a quick run down the beach, an immersion in the water & to come straight out again. But given the sea and land temperatures that was probably enough. But being unprepared, I kept all my warm clothing on. If I get back to Antarctica, I will have to pack the swimming shorts.
This poor Penguin spent longer in the water than all the passengers and didn't get any congratulations
Fairly late on in our visit, a Weddell Seal was found sleeping on the beach. A number of us popped along for photos, but clearly it was deep in sleep and we didn't disturb it.
Weddell Seal: It is probably safer to sleep on the beach, as the Type B (Large) Orca that occur around the Antarctic Peninsula are predominately Seal hunters and Weddell Seals are their preferred meal. They work together if they find a Seal on an ice floe to wash the Seal into the water, where it will be quickly caught
Finally, we were back on the Plancius & heading to dinner. After a quick meal, I was back on deck for the rest of the evening.
After a final hot drink and the chance to warm up whilst socialising with some of the passengers, it was time to head to bed. I was only going to get a few hours' sleep, before another 04:30 start in the morning. But at that time, I would already have missed sunrise.