Brown Bluff (-63.5333330, -56.9000000) Our final day in Antarctica was to involve a landing in Brown Bluff. This area is known for a couple of things, firstly Penguins by the truckload and secondly it's close to the year-round Argentinian base, Esperanza. This base's claim to fame is having had the first human birth in Antarctica - on purpose in January 1978. The theory of this planned birth was that if territorial claims ever came to a head, having an 'Antarc...

Swift Bay, James Ross Island, East of the Peninsula in the Weddell Sea (-64.3964570, -57.8132400) Oh What a Day! Last night we came through the Antarctic Sound at 63 degrees 20 minutes south and 56 degrees, 45 minutes west. In the usual course of affairs all the expedition ships stay on the western side of the peninsula and no one gets throught this channel due to doo much sea ice. This trip to the eastern side of the peninsula is a first for the Hurtigruten co...

Today was officially RAG. Rough as Guts. It was a rocky morning, we were running 'late' due to weather and did not make it to Astrolabe Island which was our target for today. It eventually became an officially gazetted Relax Day. Too windy, too swelly and too little chance of a successful landing as the swell was 2-4 metres and heading straight up and over the proposed landing sites - they decided it was not worth continuing on and trying, just to fail and have...

Damoy Point (-64.8183022, -63.4969230) Today's morning land was over the Gerlache Channel in Dorian Bay on Damoy point. This is a sheltered bay just west of Wienke Island -64 degrees 49 minutes south and 63 degrees 32 minutes. We saw two huts at Damoy but didn't manage to visit either. The Argentinian hut was a depot hut and stored provisions and the British 'Damoy Hut' was on the schedule - but taken of it when we found the Brits were in the process of painti...

Rongé Island (-64.7166670, -62.6833329) / Orne Islands (-64.6017467, -62.5149160) We feel we are well into the swing and living the dream on this magical cruise to Antarctica. Very few places have attained 'magical' status for us. Hot air ballooning in Cappadocia, Aguas Calientes in Peru (at the base of Machu Picchu) and just a few others. Antarctica is just a standout in all respects. Today we made our morning landing at Rongé Island at George ...