Log/Pic 42 Antarctic Birds

So this is where it all starts. I was a couple weeks late to be able to see the chicks being born, but I sure did see a lot of regurgitation!
Below are cormorants nesting and plummaging

A graceful albatros. Many followed our boat throughout the Drake Passage. We also saw petrels, gulls, terns and shags.

This skua mistakened my head as a nest. Understandable. Note the penguins squaking at it. The skuas steal and eat the young penguins...we witnessed it!

Here, an adelae penguin freaks me out with its crazy stare

This macaroni penguin is the only one we saw. It was amongst a huge colony of chinstraps.

(sorry-this photo is on my website only)

One of two huge whale skeletons that had washed up on this beach.

Majestic mountains

Where the HELL are all the penguins?

Log/Pic 41 Antarctic Glaciers

So this photo was taken from my zodiac as we were exploring glaciers and icebergs. It was around 9:30 pm, but sunset wasn't until midnight. This is my ship, The Antarctic Dream.
Great reflections

Awesome colors

Cool sounds as we motored through the broken ice

The sky was watching us

So was Santa Claus from the other pole

Spectacular sunset on the glaciers

Totally tranquil

Wrestling with an Aussie in the Antarctic Ocean. I ended up taking the plunge five times.

33 degree water made me cry!

Log/Pic 40 Antarctic Whales/Seals

So this is from aboard my boat, the Antarctic Dream. We saw dolphins and several sightings of humpback whales. This display, which lasted about 30 minutes, included breaching, waving and tail displays. These photos were taken by the crew. I watched, camera-less.

We saw several types of seals from the shore and from the boat including Crabeaters, Southern Elephant, Leopard, Weddell and Fur.

Log/Pic 39 Antarctic Penguins

Antarctica! The 7th continent. And MY 7th continent as well. As some may know I was planning a trip to the windiest, coldest, highest and driest continent, on February 5th. Well that didn't quite work for me,I couldn't wait!

So I searched out a "last minute" deal and found one. The trip was incredible. We had a smooth cruise through the Beagle Channel followed by two days of hell through the Drake Passage after rounding Cape horn. We spent a day at the Shetland Islands before making our way to the continent. These penguins were the main attraction.

Chinstrap

Gentoo

Jumping penguins

Diving penguins

Macho penguins

Bigmouth penguins

Shy penguins

(please see website for the following pics)

Kissing penguins

Growing penguins

Proud penguins