Wednesday, 12 January 2011 – At sea

DRAKE’S LAKE

Today’s been a bit dreary weather-wise as we cross Drake’s Passage for the first time. It has been overcast all day with rain this afternoon and there is the possibility of snow this evening. Drake’s Passage can vary from very calm (hence Drake’s Lake) to extremely rough (Drake’s Shakes) but we have been fortunate and on the crossing down to the Antarctic Peninsula the seas have been surprisingly calm with minimal swells and no white caps. I consider myself a very good sailor so someone else might dispute this!

This morning I attended a lecture by Bob Hofman on Antarctic Birds and Penguins. This was interesting as it identified some of the birds we will be seeing on this cruise. I was then able to put it into practice when I was watching the seas from one of my favourite positions – a leather armchair with footstool in front of the large windows in the Explorations Café. Instead of looking out and seeing a bird, another bird, a slighter smaller bird, a black and white bird, etc, I saw a wandering albatross, another wandering albatross, another species of albatross and a storm petrel. I’m going to invest in a book on Antarctic and sub-Antarctic bird and sea life once we get to Ushuaia. Each day there is a Bird Watchers Gathering so I might have to go along to one of the meetings in the hope that I’ll learn to identify more birds.

I aleady feel that I am an expert on penguins – King penguins photographic, Gentoo penguins black and white with orange beaks and Magellan penguins have fleas! I wish I’d had this knowledge before booking an excursion in Punta Arenas to visit a very large Magellan penguin colony with thousands of penguins – shore excursion information gives information on how far you have to walk etc. but nowhere is any mention made of fleas. It was my driver in the Falklands yesterday who imparted this interesting titbit. Her brother and his wife had lived at Volunteer Point as wardens for a period of time and found that the Magellan penguins had fleas. As a joke, Toni had presented her brother and sister-in-law with cat flea collars to wear around each ankle. Hopefully Chilean Magellan penguins will have a higher standard of housekeeping and pest control in their burrows! To play it safe though I’ll use a long lens.

On a cruise such as this one with extreme differences in weather, from hot and humid in BA to cold and snow in Antarctica it’s hard to know what to pack. Today I saw clothing for the whole weather range. The ships officers are in their dark, heavier uniforms, the stewards are still wearing short sleeves and the staff at the Bar at the Retreat on the back deck are in fleece jackets. Passengers’ attire today has also varied from one person in tank top and shorts, quite a few in t-shirts and capris, to the rest in long pants or jeans and sweaters. I hate the cold but I was comfortable in jeans, a t-shirt and a lightweight sweater – even when I went out on the outside deck.

This evening I noticed sick bags placed near the elevators on the Lido Deck and as I haven’t found anything wrong with the food served there, I presume they must be expecting rougher weather soon.

Tomorrow should be a big day, especially as we should sight our first icebergs. We will cruise around Elephant Island tomorrow from 5 am and should enter the Antarctic Sound around 1.30 pm.