18/02/2020 – Tuesday
Today was a rather long journey from Pleneau Island to the US base, Palmer Station, on Anvers Island. In the afternoon, we landed on Amsler island for a walk and to primarily experience Southern Elephant Seals firsthand. Though incredibly smelly (worse than the penguin colonies) they were impressive animals to behold. We watched a small group of sub-adult males, which were several times larger than the smaller females, bask in the sun, steam coming off them. They made loud snorting and guttural sounds as they inched about vying for a more comfortable
position.
The rest of the day was for winding down and packing up – kayaks were stowed on deck and tightly lashed; the zodiac deflated and stowed; several meals were cooked and refrigerated; all loose items stowed away; fruit basket filled; and we were given a refresher of safety duties ahead of the impending Drake Passage crossing. Tonight, we had a type of beef bourguignon and roast potatoes for dinner prepared by Dave, and for dessert, banana cake with whipped cream prepared by Calypso – the meal was delicious!! A fitting final meal accompanied by wine in Antarctica before embarking on the Drake tomorrow….
Post from Denise
February Trip 2020
