It is still high summer here in Antarctica and as National Geographic Orion sailed south in the Gerlache Strait the bridge kept sharp eyes out looking for whales. Before breakfast the call came that several blows had been sighted and soon several humpback whales surrounded the ship and all aboard her. Whales were busy obtaining an early breakfast of krill, which were in such dense concentrations that we could actually pick them up on our depth sounder! What started as just a few humpback whales turned into “whale soup” as more and more humpbacks decided to join in the bounty of the waters around us. Several times the mighty whoosh of a blow would be seen and heard right off our bow. What a delight to start our day watching humpbacks feed.
Cuverville Island was our after breakfast landing choice. Gentoo penguins outnumbered us considerably as we strolled the lower cobble beach taking in the antics of this flightless bird. At this time of the year most gentoo chicks are so large that it takes both parents going to sea to provide enough food for hungry chicks. With their parents away, the youngsters’ crèche together, forming large groups of downy chicks running amok along the shoreline. What is a gentoo parent to do when it returns from feeding and realizes that its chicks are nowhere to be found? Call out loudly of course, but that brings many hungry chicks to the scene, some of which might not be your own. Time to put the chicks to the test by making them chase you at full speed over the rocky beach until you sort out just which chick is going to be the lucky recipient of a meal.
Neko Harbor was our afternoon destination. While some chose to climb the steep snowy slopes for a perfect overlook of this spectacular bay, others chose to paddle kayaks in and around the growlers, bergy bits, and true icebergs that filled it. Intrepid travelers did both! Crabeater seals and gentoo penguins were hauled out on the ice floes, but perhaps the highlight of the day came as a hungry leopard seal caught and ate swimming penguins’ right in front of several kayakers! The afternoon slid by as flat calm water and blazing sunshine made this the best weather day so far on this expedition.
After a scrumptious Chinese dinner served to honor the start of the Chinese New Year, humpback whales were once again sighted off the bow of the ship and we stayed with them well into the twilight hours of late evening. Our day ended just as it had begun; in the company of humpback whales!
