|
|
|
Thursday,
2/19/24:
Punta Arenas Arrival Day
We
took the overnight flight on Delta flight from Atlanta to Santiago, Chile. We
packed everything for carry-on so there was no worry about lost luggage. The
last flight on LATAM took us to Punta Arenas (left photo). Fortunately, all of
our flights were on-time and we allowed for plenty of layover tme. We had
planned to arrive a day early in case there were flight delays. We found the Restaurant La Marmita (right photo)
for dinner. They served Highland Calapurca, which they described as a "mystical
soup from Chile's North Altiplanic Tribe. A hot stone was used to keep the soup
warm. We decided to collect some Punta Arenas stones so we could recreate this
soup
|
|
|
|
|
Friday 12/20/24:
Quark Expeditions
After staying the night at the Hotel Jose Nogueria (row 1, center), we walked to the Dreams Hotel (row
1, right). This was the
first day for our expedition and so we first checked in with Quark Expeditions
(row 2,right). The staff inspected our luggage, sized our parkas and mud boots,
and weighed and tagged our luggage. We then checked into our hotel room. Before
dinner, we walked on the beach looking for stones for soup and found some
displays (row 2, center). We had dinner with some fellow travelers. We were given
a briefing about times for the flight over the Drake Passage and safety on the
boat and Zodiacs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Saturday 12/21/24:
Flying the Drake
We woke up early for
breakfast and and the bus ride to the airport. There, we checked in with
Antarctica Airways for our chartered flight, then went thought passport
control as we were leaving Chile. We boarded the airplane (row 1, left &
center) and made the two hour flight to March Martin airport (row 1,
right) on King Georges Island. This is on the South Shetland Islands,
not far from the Antarctic Peninsula. We were lucky that it was a
beautiful sunny day at Saint Georges Island. The usual weather was
foggy with clouds too low for the 800 feet ceilings that the airplanes
required for landing. We left the airplane dressed in parka, waterproof
pants, and mud boots. We were taken on a short ride in an electric
mini-bus, then given our first Zodiac ride to the World Explorer cruise
ship. After lunch on the boat, we checked into our cabin #524, a
veranda suite. After a mandatory muster and briefing about life boats,
we were underway (row 2, left & center). Before dinner, we were
given a briefing about what to expect for the next day (row 2, right).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sunday 12/22/24 AM: Palavar Point
Our first landing
was to be Palavar Point (row 1, left) on the west side of Two Hamock
Island. It was named for the Chinstrap penguin rookery, with its
attendant ceaseless noise resembling the profuse and idle discussion
denoted by the word "palaver." We were excited to see penguins on
our first day! After breakfast, our group was given an hour Zodiac
ride, then onto a landing (row 1, center & right). The penguin rookery
was high in the rocks (row 2, left). We were told to remain 5 meters
from the penguins, but the penguins didn't always follow that rule (row
2, center). They would walk up to us, look around, and walk off
(row 2, right).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sunday 12/22/24
PM:
Portal Point
During lunch,
we cruised to Portal Point. Portal Point is on the
Reclus Peninsula on continental Antarctica. It was named by British explorers as
it formed part of the “gateway” for the route to the Antarctic Plateau. We
had a Zodiac ride during which we saw a Waddell seal (row 1, right) and a
humpback wale (row 2). We then made a landing and walked up a hill in the snow
where we could see our cruise ship (row 1, left). Liz had brought a small
Antarctica flag and we had ourselves photographed with it. It was a great
day, for we got to photograph penguins and stood on the Antarctica continent!
|
|
|
|
Monday 12/23/24 AM: Foyn Harbour
During the night, we
cruised to the vicinity of Enterprise Island. After breakfast, we were
given a 90 minute Zodiac Cruise around Foyn Harbour to take us to the
Governoren ship wreck (center). A fire took this waling ship in 1915,
after a lamp was knocked over while dancing, setting thousands of wale
oil ablaze. The entire crew escaped and was rescued. The wreck of a
smaller boat used for whaling was nearby (right). We also saw some
pretty glaciers. (left).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Monday 12/22/23 PM:
Graham Pass
The Graham Passage separates
Bluff Island from the Danco Coast, We were given a 90 minute
Zodaic ride to look for sea animals. We saw some pretty glaciers and
iceburgs (row 1). We came across some seals laying in the snow (row 2,
left). A humpback whale surfaced about 3 feet from our Zodiac and
started us so no one got a photo. We were pleasantly surprised by a
Zodiac with hot chocolate (row 2, center). Back on the boat, we
watched those brave, crazy passengers who took the polar plunge (row 2,
right).
|
|
|
|
Tuesday 12/24/24 AM: Danko Island
In the morning, we
made a landing on Danko Island. It is a small island holding a large
number of gentoo penguins (left) who breed higher up a hill. I only made
it half way up the hill (center), but there were many penguins on the
beach (right).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tuesday 12/24/24 PM:
Melchior Island
The weather became snowy and windy so the itenerary
changed. During the afternoon, we did a Zodiac cruise in the harbour
around the Melchior Islands. We saw dramatic rock and snow formations
(row 1 & 2, left & center) and some penguins swimming (row 1, right).
Back on the ship, there was a Christmas Eve visit by Santa riding in a
Zodiac. As the weather worsened, the decision was made to sail back to
the Shetland Islands. The seas were rough over the open water, and many,
including myself, missed Christmas Eve dinner due to feeling seasick.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wednesday, 12/25/24 AM:
Half Moon Island
On Christmas
morning, we were given a landing at Half Mood Island (row 1, left) to
see the chin strap penguins (row 1, center & right). This was
followed by a Zodiac cruise during which we found a leapord seal (row 2
left) who raised her head and smiled for a photo (row 2 center).
Vladamier (row 2, right) was our favorite Zodiac driver.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wednesday 12/25/24 PM:
Yankee Harbour
On Christmas afternoon, we made
our last landing on Yankee Harbour (row 1, left). It indents
Greenwich Island which holds a very large gentoo dauphin colony (row 1,
center & right, row 2, center). Many penguins were nesting (row 2, left)
and there was one chick seen by other travelers. After Christmas
dinner, there was a goodbye ceremony (row 2, right) with the Quark
staff.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thursday 12/26/24:
Fly the Drake
We woke early
for breakfast and prepared to disembark. A map (row 1, left) showed us where we
had been. We saw our carry-on bags with the blue straps (row 1, center) being
loaded on the Zodiac. We road the Zodiac one last time (row 2, left) for the flight
over the Drake back to Puntas Arians.
We had dinner on Thursday evening (row 2, center) at Restaurant Damina
Elena.
|
|
|
Friday 12/27/24:
Departing Punta Arenas
We stayed overnight
in the Dreams hotel. On Friday, we walked around Punta Arenas (left) and had hot chocolate at La Chocolatta (center). We had dinner at Restaurant La Luna before we headed to the
airport. We took a 11:59 PM LATAM flight to Santiago. After a 7 hour layover, we
flew Delta back to Atlanta and then to Pensacola. This had been an amazing
adventure!.
|