Today we were awake on and off through the night as I currently have a cough - but my frequent peering a through the blackout curtains suggested it never really went dark albeit I did miss the 0330 sunrise which must have been one of my sleeping moments.
Although we were awake the rest of the ship must have been awake from 6.00am onwards as the ship was making its way through an ice filled channel and regularly crashing through large chunks of ice. The jolts disrupted John's shaving; he emerged from the bathroom, razor in hand and with foam around his ears to see what was causing his difficulties!
The day dawned sunny with a moderate wind - we were the second group to disembark so we're able to have a more leisurely breakfast.
Today was Adelie penguin day - once ashore, snowy petrels flew overhead as we walked past a small gentoo colony and arrived at the large adelie colony where thousands of pairs were sitting on eggs, tending young, or leaving their furry grey youngsters in crèches and heading out to sea. A few were trying to mate but if they do lay eggs its unlikely the chicks will make it as there is not enough time left to get them to the size to survive the winter. Each nest had 2 chicks but normally, unless there is an abundance of food only one survives. Comically some parents were attempting to lie on their chicks to protect them but they were so fat that it didn't look a comfortable experience for either. These are the penguins who make their nests out of stones and are often seen nicking other pairs stones!
As we returned up the beach, I sat and watched the adeiles coming and going from the sea and deciding whether to take the plunge or not! Finally I called in to the gentoo colony - one chick had recently hatched as the mum was clearing out the egg shell, a few had chicks who stood out with their bright red bills but most were laying on eggs.
The wind had now stopped and the sun was hot - I felt positively overdressed. The temperature was 7 degrees C not the predicted just above freezing.
Back on board the ship relocated to Hope Bay close to an Argentinean Research station and home to thousands more adelie penguins - you could see them stretched along the hillside for seemingly miles.
This afternoon was a zodiac cruise along the shore line, weaving in and out of the ice, watching the penguins come and go. The water was so clear you could even see them swimming below the zodiac. ( today's photo is adelies floating on ice in Hope Bay.)
It was magical as they came down the snowy slopes tobogganing style as well as running, in their tight A line skirts, from high up on the hill tops. Once at the edge they were a bit like wildebeest - dithering about 'go' or 'no go'