Later in the morning we attended our mandatory briefing for conduct while ashore in Antarctica. The essential aims of this talk were to ensure that our visits there are conducted safely and that the environment is not disturbed nor do we impact any wildlife. We also heard about our exciting plans for our first landings in Antarctica from our Expedition Leader, Ignacio Rojas.

After lunch we dropped anchor in the northern part of English Strait and enjoyed excellent conditions for our first landing at Aitcho Island. The most obvious feature that stood out through the mist as the Zodiacs approached the shore was how green it was. Moss and algae seemed to be covering nearly everything. We came to find out that Aitcho Island has the distinction of possessing the greatest plant abundance of any location in Antarctica!

As the Zodiacs progressed closer to the landing beach, our attentions transitioned to the Animal Kingdom -- more specifically, to the birds. Gentoo and chinstrap penguins were everywhere, each clustered on their own respective high points, with krill-colored guano distinctly marking the nesting area. The downy chicks seemed to possess two distinctly different personalities. At one moment, they were peacefully nestled together resting, and the next, they were in an all out sprint after their parents, vocalizing and demanding something to eat. The parallels to human family behavior were a little too striking!

After getting over the initial shock of seeing some 14,000 pairs of penguins all in one place, our observation skills began to broaden, and we gradually became aware of some other onlookers to life in the penguin colony: the wily cast of characters who could be best described as “The Patrollers”. This secret society (made up of southern giant petrels, skuas, kelp gulls, and snowy sheathbills) were all present at the penguin colony because to them, penguins mean food. Whether it’s the eggs, the chicks, the adults, the guano, or the dead and dying, these other bird species all take advantage of the penguin colonies to varying degrees for their own survival. And judging by the sprinkling of remains of penguin carcasses around the island, their success rate isn’t that bad.

Following the exploration of the island, we were introduced to what may very well have been the most “memorable” part of our landing: the “guanomatics”. We had been reminded to take only memories and photographs, and the Expedition Staff made sure of that. It was almost a flashback to kindergarten, as we held on to someone else for balance while they helped us clean the guano/mud/algae sludge from the treads of our boots before we boarded the Zodiacs. The staff was extremely patient with the whole process, which clearly is not the main factor that drew them to this profession! All and all it was a wonderful first day for our Antarctic expedition.

Our first landing was at Paulet Island, which was named for a member of James Clark Ross’s expedition in mid-1800. It was a little bit breezy as we went ashore in the Zodiacs. We passed many small bergs and bergy bits that had eroded into fantastic shapes and the shores was so littered with smaller lumps that we had to weave a way through. We made our way up to the historic hut built by members of Otto Nordenskjöld’s 1901-1904 Swedish Antarctic Expedition. These men over-wintered in this tiny hut after their ship sunk and it was difficult to imagine how they survived.

We also had the chance to wander around and observe the Adélie penguins. They were in discrete groups which gave us good opportunities for watching the ‘food-chase’. Hungry chicks solicit food from almost any adult that passes but the adults feed only their own offspring. Strangers are pecked and chased away but the adult sometimes runs from its own chicks, which have to follow. The result is a hilarious helter-skelter chase around the rookery, until the adult eventually relents and allows the chick to feed. It was an amazing experience to in the middle of all this activity.

After lunch we anchored at Brown Bluff, a scenic spot that lies on the eastern side of Tabarin Peninsula. It was named by the Falkland Islands Dependency Survey in 1946 for the prominent cliff of reddish-brown volcanic rock, which dominates the landscape.

There were a couple Weddell seals hauled out on the beach and along with small groupings of fur seals. Weddell seals have a cat-like face and mottled gray and brown coats. These are true ice seals that spend their whole lives in the Antarctic. During winter, they keep breathing holes open in the pack ice by wearing down the ice with their sharp teeth. Weddell seals are solitary animals and are usually found where there is pack ice but they sometimes come ashore on beaches.

In the evening we had a lively recap where some of the expedition staff told us a bit more about some of the things we saw throughout the day. Expedition Leader Ignacio Rojas gave a briefing about our plans for tomorrow. It was a fantastic day in this very special part of the world.

At the landing site we separated into small groups and were treated to a short tour of the station with some of the “locals”. There are about 80 people who live at Frei Station during the summer, with a mix of scientists, navy and army personnel who provide logistical support to the other Chilean bases throughout Antarctica, as well as their families. There is a very small, active airport and runway maintained by this station which also aids in any medical emergencies.

We wandered around the buildings and up to the tiny, quaint church at the top of the hill. Our guides told us all about the history of the station and a little bit about what daily life is like. Then there was the chance to visit the post office and many people took advantage of this opportunity to send postcards. Right next to the post office was a small gift shop which was packed with eager shoppers!

After exploring the Chilean station, we walked back down the beach and up a hill to visit the Russian orthodox church which is part of the Russian station of Bellingshausen. This beautiful church was built two years ago when they brought down native wood from Russia and we had the opportunity to go inside to see the striking icons.

One of the main articles of the Antarctic Treaty sets aside this continent as a place for “peace and science.” It was a unique opportunity to visit a part of it that has two research stations side-by-side and see for ourselves what it is like to live and work in such a remote location.

After lunch, ‘Explorer II’ hoisted her anchor and we were off again. The remainder of the afternoon was spent sailing as we continued to make our way further south. It was an excellent chance for a restful nap or to catch up on our journals. Our historian David Wilson presented an interesting lecture Sir Ernest Shackleton, one of the famous early Antarctic explorers.

Following another entertaining recap and briefing, dinner was a lively time as folks traded stories about who saw what during the day’s activities.

Petermann Island was first charted by Dallmann 1873-74 naming it for A.H. Petermann, a prominent German geographer. The main landing is in Port Circumcision (discovered on 1st January, the Feast of the Circumcision in the Christian calendar) where Dr Jean-Baptiste Charcot wintered his ship ‘Pourquoi-Pas’? in February 1909. The expedition’s stone cairn appears prominently on the skyline of Megalestris Hill (the old Latin name for skuas) behind the harbor.

The landing on Petermann Island was onto some smooth rounded rocks where our expedition staff members were on hand to help us up onto the flagged route to the blue eye shag colony and Adélie penguins. We were able to see the cormorants and their young. They lay their eggs in late October or early November and differ from most other Antarctic birds in that their young are naked and incapable of temperature regulation when they hatch. They are very dependent on the parents for early care and are kept in constant attendance at the nest after hatching. The Adélie penguins delighted us with their different method of traveling, which is to flop down on their bellies and toboggan along. It all seemed very normal to the penguins. Some of us were happy to stay along the shore and watch the antics of the gentoo youngsters. Young gentoos can come up with some very humorous antics, from just flapping their wings, to having mock fights or chasing each other. It all looks like such fun. Once more it was time to return to ‘Explorer II’. We had reached our furthest south position, which was 65 degrees 10 minutes south latitude.

Over lunch we moved a very short distance to the north and positioned just off Pleneau Island in preparation for our afternoon Zodiac cruise. Once we were in the Zodiacs we headed off towards some wonderfully sculpted icebergs in the distance. What a magical place, with ice of all shapes, textures, and shades of blue. Around each corner were new and exciting forms; the ice is ever changing and always beautiful. We had a number of big flows with six and seven crabeater seals laying out very peacefully on them, little concerned with the red jackets that came floating by. As we continued on our way north in the Gerlache Strait the scenery outside turned mellow blue-gray and rose.

Truly an expedition day to remember.

Once inside Port Foster, we made a sharp right turn into Whaler’s Bay, our first of two stops this morning. We went ashore to explore the partially buried remains of the Hektor Whaling Station, and the remnants of the British base, complete with an airplane hangar. In addition to exploring the ruins, many of us enjoyed a hike up to a small opening in the wall of the caldera called Neptune’s Window, before coming back aboard ‘Explorer II’ for the short trip to Pendulum Cove.

Pendulum Cove is widely regarded as the best swimming hole in the Antarctic; the geothermal heated waters at Pendulum Cove make it possible to bathe at the water’s edge. Large clouds of steam were rising from the gravel shoreline, which seemed like a good sign for the bravely foolish (or foolishly brave!) attempting the “swim” today. It was impressive that so many people went for a splash in the blowing snow and howling wind. After the swim, ‘Explorer II’ retraced her steps through Neptune’s Bellows, and took to the sea.

In the afternoon we made our way to Half Moon Island. At the landing site there was the remains of an old ship's lifeboat. We made our way uphill to see colonies of chinstrap penguins, the main interest of this landing place. These penguins were all around us, including some on steep and exposed hillocks and others on seemingly sheer cliff edges. Upon the ground was the occasional bright greenish yellow sack, the shed stomach lining of these birds, perhaps a physiological response to the flourine in their krill prey. Their chicks were nearly full grown and most of them had almost completed the molt from down to the adult feathers.

It was hard to leave the island as this was our last landing in Antarctica. Back on the ship we were treated to a fantastic Valentine’s Day feast. Every menu item had a special name and there were heart shaped cookies to end the meal. After dinner we gathered in the lounge for some evening entertainment as many of the ‘Explorer II‘s’ crew sang and performed some traditional dances during their crew show. It was a wonderful way to end this adventure filled day!

In the mid-morning David Wilson presented ‘Edward Wilson of the Antarctic: a hero in the family’. David is a great nephew of Edward Wilson, gave us a flavour of his extraordinary life, from a uniquely personal perspective. Illustrated with many of “Uncle Ted’s” paintings and drawings, the lecture covered his prodigious output of artistic and scientific work, as well as his contributions to both of Captain Scott’s Antarctic expeditions, aboard ‘Discovery’ and ‘Terra Nova’.

After a tasty lunch, many of us worked on journals or just had a restful nap. In the mid-afternoon Stephanie Martin presented her lecture ‘Whales and other Tales’. She gave us a brief history of whale research from the time when zoologists could do little more than dissect whales brought in by whalers to present-day techniques of attaching radio tags and other devices so that the movements of diving habits of whales can be tracked from orbiting satellites.

Later in the afternoon, ornithologist Rich Pagen presented a talk entitled “Albatross – we have a problem!” He explained how thousands of these magnificent birds (as well as many petrel species as well) are being inadvertently caught and drowned in long-line fisheries worldwide. The presentation was sobering but at the same time hopeful, as we were personally reminded of our ability to make a difference for albatross through our simultaneous roles as consumers, voters, financial supporters and educators of others. With some determination, we can solve this problem. At the same time Michael Schmid also gave a lecture for our German speaking guests.

Then there was just enough time to change for Captain Oliver Kruess’s Farewell Cocktail Party. We were entertained by the Captain’s several amusing antidotes and we all shared in a toast before going into dinner. We had a very pleasant evening during the wonderful gala dinner and many people lingered over cocktails in the bars.