highplanesdrifters

I'm way behind on posting. Days are crazy busy. So much so we can barely get showers in before the evening briefing. We had a special treat at the end of our mini hike which I'm excited to share. Whom amongst us has had a trail blocked by a Weddell Seal? Here he comes. Guests had to scatter with the help of staff. 20240226_163316.mp4 Penguin food coma kicking in. Just let me sleep! 20240226_163416.mp4

I would suggest starting a new thread with specific photo questions.

I'll see what I can find out for you. Fyi, even crappy equipment and a crappy photographer will excell in the great white. There will be plenty of staff happy and willing to take photographs of you. Even other guests will take pics of you and send them. It's one be euphoric family. 😄

If you can, post the screenshot and I'll ask about it. Or try and ask about it.😉

I haven't been able to talk to the photo guy, but he did send this information. Busy man. Looks like only iPhone photo class. I would bring your own equipment for sure. If he surfaces I'll see what I can find out.

FEED ME!!! 20240225_155913.mp4

Anchored off Brown Bluff with Iceberg Eye Candy. 20240225_125814.mp4

Brown Bluff A great landing. Unfortunately it was preceded by a very uncomfortable 45 minute zodiac cruise in an overcrowded boat. No room to move or turn. The boat was too heavy to plane. More about the reasons later. The person in the back is smashed under the driver getting constantly bumped. This was not the first time with these conditions for our group and others. A quiet word was had, but I'm not sure it was heard. One is starting to feel like Sheeple. South Georgia is around the corner. Due to bird flu, long Zodiac cruises will be the order of the day. Revolt is coming! On to happier things. Mother Nature continues to provide us with calm seas and no wind. A very fun and entertaining landing. I'm really enjoying this late season cruise with the chick's so active. We were surrounded by what is left of the colony, which us plenty. Full grown chick's not quite fully molted constantly chasing mom and dad while squawking for food was the order of the day. Big fun. Position. Our first landing on the continent. Approach, just WOW. I need some new superlatives. Unbeknownst to us Canada had claimed the island and installed their Maple Leaf. Oh Canada. 🇨🇦 Chow time. Much of Star Trek was filmed here. I think the rock on the right will work best. Sleepy Wooly Expedition gave us an extremely large area for a free roam. Hey Mister can you put down the camera and spare some regurgitated fish?

I love that moniker. It's hard to wrap your brain around the shift from Giant blob on the ice to Smilin Swifty McMurderer. Does he wake up and think....hmmm I'd like a little penguin liver snack? It's easy pickings at this point in the season. Lots of inexperienced well fed chick's trying their luck at their first swim.

Warning, graphic content. Our Atlanta friend was kind enough to share these amazing photos of a Leopard Seal in action. The seal took one bite and left the rest of the penguin. The Petrals and Skuas will enjoy the leftovers.

Oh JP that is amazing. Thank you for sharing. You are always welcome here. Same for others who have something interesting to share.😁 of course JPs story will be hard to beat.

The chick's are still harassing mom for food. This little guy bugged her from the top of the hill down till she finally chose the leopard seal infested waters over him. 🤣 20240224_171526.mp4 20240224_171601.mp4

20240224_170944.mp4 20240224_171048.mp4

We had a 90 minute zodiac cruise. Sounds long? Time flew by. It did afford us enought time to float and watch the hilarious activity of these little creatures. 20240224_173540.mp4

Heroína Island in the Danger Island group. Again Lady luck is serving up Antarctica on a silver platter. The Danger Islands are home to one of the most significant penguin colonies, 1.5 to 2.5 million. Yep that's right MILLION! Out of the entire expedition team only our fearless leader Michael has been here. Imagine how we feel as mere plebians to have this rare experience. Why so rare? It is often clogged with ice, takes a lot of fuel, and mother nature rarely opens the window. On to the eye candy. Whilst many of the Adelie Penguins have already left for the season the landscape was still covered with them. Every nook and crannie was occupied. Those are not pink rocks. This colony was re discovered because the satellite photos showed islands of pink, and its not granite! A few more victims of Silversea desserts. Penguin ala mode. These leopard seals had Penguins flitting about this berg auditioning for the Darwin awards. Friends saw a kill, eeek.

Thanks PP. Glad you had a great trip. Amazing how things can change so quickly. You are missed, quite a reunion of the Kimberly/PNG trip with staff, expedition team, and Captian. @FauxNom joins the next leg.

YES, give it another go. Our first trip to the Great White was also on Quest. It was so perfect I feared a return couldn't compare. Well....apparently.... I was wrong.

Yes it is Victoria Salem. And double yes, she is amazing. Our third sail with her. I can't imagine anyone being able to tie her to anything though. 😃 I will certainly send your regards! PP at Deception....sounds as good as it gets! How about some pics for this thread? Pretty please.

Antarctic Fur Seals having a bit of fun surfing around a rock , while ignoring the parade of zodiacs that came by to watch. If fur seals could talk - "Do those look like Orcas to you? Nope. Cool, let's keep going." 20240224_084521.mp4

Paulette Island did not disappoint. Home to the abandoned hut from the Nodrenskjold Expedition, aka Swedish Antarctic Expedition. We heard an excellent lecture from Jonathan French about the mishaps and miracles associated with the journey. Worth a Google. On to the eye candy. Paulette had some geology treats, very volcanic. Basalt columns with anticline and syncline. No Patsy Cline. This berg was from Mother Nature's cubism phase. The Swedish Expedition Hut. No caviar and Champagne there. Nonethless, a cozy fixer upper with nice views. Yours for $5.2M. Cash bids only. Yes, that's Victoria in the blue smiling. Great historian. On the hill is a colony of thousands of cormorants. Not great historians. Close up. A special treat here, of dozens of Ginormous Weddell seals bulked up from their last Silversea cruise. This guy is working off last nights Tres Leche cake. Antarctic Fur seal Kayakers. We understand the double kayaks lived up to the name 'divorce boats'. A domestic dispute had to be interrupted as the were upsetting the wildlife.🤣 Perhaps that's what spooked the cormorants. Lucky me, hundreds flew in front of this berg just on time. Caught a few. A nice long break for us. We were first ones out this a.m. And will be last ones out this afternoon. We are currently having a peaceful afternoon whilst Captain picks his way through the iceberg strewn Weddell Sea to the Danger Islands for our afternoon zodiac cruise.

Good to hear from you @FauxNom. Look forward to having you onboard. We are ready for you and will keep the good karma intact. The party has started. Some delightful folks on board. Especially the ones from Atlanta....you know who you are. 😎 Yes, Michael is the EL. He leads an amazing crack team. We also have Captain Pavlin Koev from PNG/Kimberly's. What an adventurous combo. Two landings and a Zodiac ride yesterday. Lucky stars, pinching myself, you name it. Will write more about ship, staff, when time allows. Suffice to say all is excellent. Hold on to your hats.....they have taken us to the Weddell Sea today. Uheard of. Up early, adventure awaits. MTC.

Join the Gentoos in the surf? I tried. Turns out they frown on that sort of thing. Cloud - The old girl is still showing the youngsters how its done. There's a few nicks and she does groan a bit in the swells, but hey I resemble that remark. 😁 Will keep her ready for your next adventure.

Gentoos in the surf. 20240223_140609.mp4

Chinstraps....sound on. 20240223_142108.mp4

Barrientos Island, South Shetlands The hits just keep on coming. As good as it gets. Sunny, high 30's, no wind. Thousands of Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguins. Chick's almost fully fledged. Ninety minute landing and then a Zodiac tour. Expedition team and Captain really delivered!