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| Little chinstrap guy politely poses for the camera. |
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| Mammoth penguins. |
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| These penguins had clearly received the memo about staying more than five metres away. |
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| The light here is extraordinary. |
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| It almost looks like they're in a long queue. |
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| The pieces of film in a View-Master reel are tiny, measuring just 12 x 10 mm. As such even the smallest pieces of fluff loom large in scans. I cleaned each reel with an air blower before scanning but the process wasn't perfect. |
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| Another angle on the penguin rock. |
Palaver Point is on the west coast of Two Hummock Island. If you're wondering who Palaver was, think again. This time the name is literal and refers to the ceaseless racket of the squawking penguins that inhabit it. These are chinstrap penguins, which have a more bird-like tone to their calls, making for a calamitously shrill environment. The place is well-named.
You may recall an earlier post which showed tables gathered by the railings on the aft deck of the ship. Who on earth would need a table outdoors in the chilly Antarctic climate? Well, we would. In the evening, instead of our usual dinner in the Polaris Restaurant we wrapped up warm and gathered on deck for what was modestly described as a barbecue. It was quite the feast. I had wondered whether eating outside would attract Skuas like seagulls at Brighton Beach, but I guess they were too busy doing unpleasant things to penguin chicks.
Eating outside wasn't that much of a freezing experience, the temperature not being far off what I've endured in the UK. I once spent an evening outside a hotel at a Doctor Who convention in Newcastle in November with a pint glass practically frozen in my grip. It turned out to be adequate preparation for Antarctica. That said, once we'd had our fill we didn't waste any time in retreating to the bar.
It was around this time that we were told that the person with the medical condition had recovered, and we could resume travelling further south. The Antarctic Circle was still an achievable goal if we pressed on. However there was a catch. The weather further south was worsening, while the forecast for our current locale was still looking good. It was decided that we would wait out the weather. There was still time to make the Circle even with a little more delay. At this point I suspected we wouldn't cross the Circle, but I also didn't care. I was having the time of my life and would much rather enjoy more excursions than risk being stuck on the ship by bad weather for the sake of crossing an arbitrary line.
I should mention that there were other activities on offer in addition to the Zodiac excursions. Some fit in around them and were free, such as the citizen science programmes, where you could help by recording the types of clouds and birds visible that day. I tried the cloud one but I was pretty rubbish at identifying clouds. Sorry clouds, try being more distinct in future you fluffy fools.
The other main activities weren't cheap but I imagine they were quite an experience. They were kayaking and day paddle. Day paddle was much like kayaking, except you're in an inflatable boat that can't tip over. I was almost tempted by the day paddle, but the money only goes so far. I didn't even consider Kayaking, having never been in one and finding the idea of being trapped in confined space which might plunge me into the sea upside-down at the drop of a hat something that filled me with dread.
There was a photography workshop too. This was also quite pricey but I suppose it might have helped solve my exposure problems. In other parts of the season there was also the possibility to camp overnight on the ice. This late in the season it was too risky, and while this was also a lot of money, it was something I would have liked to have done had it been an option. In retrospect I'm glad it wasn't on offer because I've heard since that it's not that great. After the first hour or so you're just cold, bored, and too uncomfortable to sleep. And then you have a whole day of activities ahead of you while absolutely knackered. Bullet dodged.
Bonus selection of digital 3D and 2D shots on Flickr
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