Antarctica to Zimbabwe – Day 30 – Silver Wind, Elephant Island can be found here.
Up quiet and early this morning – my alarm goes at 6:30 am so that I can potentially go kayaking. I slip out and head up to La Terrazza for breakfast, my head still vaguely spinning from our overnight cannonball run through the Antarctic Sound.
Bing-bing-bong. Marieke informs us that the zodiac tour of Intercurrence Island is going forward, but that kayaking has been cancelled. That makes us 0 for 4. I head back to bed and doze for a while, then join my wife and kids for second breakfast and a few extra cups of sorely-needed coffee.
We were first onshore at Saint Andrew’s Bay so we’ll be last out the door this time around – but we watch as the sea state builds, wondering if we’ll get the chance.
Bing-bing-bong. Marieke has reached the same conclusion – it just isn’t any fun out there. Second wave of zodiacs will not launch in favour of an early departure for Harry Island. At least we get to enjoy the scenery along the way:
So instead we head to Panorama to play Dungeons & Dragons. Thanks to the random encounter table, the kids are ambushed by 18 wolves on their way from Barovia to Tser Pool – but manage to defeat them. My daughter’s character, Zoe, is knocked unconscious but quickly revived with an aptly-timed healing potion.
We stick around Panorama long enough that trivia comes to us. We have Future Cruise Manager Joshua on our team again, who is able to tell us how a pollywog becomes a shellback (crossing the equator), while my son is able to answer the literal meaning of Antarctic (no bears). We once more tie for first.
Off for lunch, where I have the chicken Marsala:
And my wife has the pasta in a rosemary butter sauce:
It’s our turn to launch soon, but first I dash to the decks to get some truly spectacular photos:
There’s a light snow falling, and the skyline is ever-changing. I feel remote, insignificant, and somehow connected to everything around me. It’s a profound experience, and I’m not doing it justice.
Time to head to the mudroom to get ready to board our zodiac.
We’re entranced by the surroundings.
Soon we encounter humpback whales:
Unfortunately, we run into some zodiac trouble soon thereafter. It turns out that our kill cord somehow got pulled out. But I am able to get this photo of another zodiac up-close-and-personal with a humpback whale:
While it’s disappointing to miss being that close ourselves, the expedition team has a process in place to resolve mechanical problems quickly. And we’re soon underway.
Next – a brief stop at the refreshment zodiac for champagne, hot chocolate, and adult hot chocolate!
Then deeper inland, where we spot an iceberg graveyard – a bay where icebergs accumulate with no way of escaping:
The colours here are absolutely spectacular:
Then we encounter a Weddell seal:
Plus some imperial shags:
Then back to the Wind, where we’re given a spectacular show as whales circle the vessel:
Off to the briefing – we’re going to land and zodiac cruise at Mikkelsen Harbour tomorrow, hopefully followed by a subsequent zodiac cruise at Cierva Cove. There’s also a polar plunge planned for the evening, which will make for a very full day.
Before we leave for dinner, Marieke lets us know that they will be offering a kids ‘penguin plunge’ in which they dump a bucket of water on each of the kids’ heads. This seems like a very reasonable compromise to us, and we’re grateful they’ve included our children in what promises to be a memorable event.
Off to the Grill, where we spot yet another round of humpback whales circling the ship. We’ve been so tremendously spoiled by everything that’s happened today.
Dinner was the usual baked potato / steak / shrimp but I did try the apple cinnamon rose:
It was good, but I think it would’ve been better with red apple instead of green. The pastry and the cinnamon ice cream were fabulous, however.
And then a surprise – we spot the Silver Endeavour on her way to the South Shetland islands:
We could end here, but there’s another sunset photo that much better encapsulates everything that happened today:
Continue reading Antarctica to Zimbabwe – Day 32 – Silver Wind, Antarctic Peninsula.