TRAVELS & ADVENTURES
Having rested up for a little while, it is now time to hit Danco Island in the southern end of the Ererra Channel. As with every landing we've been able to make, I'm astounded by the physical beauty of this passage within the Antarctic Peninsula. There is a reason for this area's popularity as a landing site—penguins, scenery and whales—all ready to be swallowed up by the photographers aboard the Sea Explorer.
Several times on our trip down the eastern side of South Georgia Island, the weather has become an issue. Today we were supposed to make landfall on Cooper Bay. With the wind kicking up and large waves rocking the Sea Explorer, this destination is cancelled for now. I guess I will get further along in my novel, waiting for an improvement in the ambient conditions.
This afternoon we are fortunate enough to visit Grytviken on a sunny day. Under blue skies with relatively warm temperatures, landfall is made. This allows us to pay a call to the cemetery where Sir Ernest Shackleton is buried, hike up a mountain trail with vistas of the bay, and tour the remnants of this whaling town.
Overnight, the Sea Explorer has made its way to the north coast of South Georgia, just south of Mount Skittle, where St. Andrew's Bay becomes visible. The ship anchors at a comfortable distance from shore, and I can see hordes of king penguins interspersed with elephant seals. What a scene—I'm excited!
I'm back on the Sea Explorer after having toured Prion Islet. My normal modus operandi has been to download my photos from a shoot, start editing them and then lie down for a while before dinner. On this day, however, the normal schedule is not going to happen. The weather has improved, and now a landing on Salisbury Plain appears feasible. I'm told that we will be having an early dinner, hopping on our zodiacs and motoring to this site, one of the highlights of our trip thus far.
