Today was an exciting day indeed. We have been in cold and rough seas, with wind and snow since early this morning, preventing us from making a landing at the British research station on Signy Island in the South Orkneys. However, Herr Kapitan was able to find a holding anchorage off Monroe Island to allow us to make a Zodiac tour near the islands in Sandefjord Bay, where there are rookeries for hundreds of thousands of chinstrap penguins.
After bundling ourselves well in our three layers (as a reminder, kiddies, that means: light first layer close to skin; mid layer for warmth; and outer waterproof and extra-warm layer), we hardy POOPsters climbed into the Zodiacs in the driving sleet and tossing seas. (Sad to say, dear readers, a number of POOPsters proved to be less than hardy and chose to stay within the warm confines of the Observation Lounge playing some peculiar but apparently addictive card game called "Pooch" - aahh, such a disgrace that was to the reputation of LCTers in general and POOPsters in particular...)
The Zodiac outing (about an hour and a half) was fabulous. Because of the wind and sleet, we got drenched going towards the islands. (Fortunately, our three layers actually did the job; and we all stayed warm and dry under our outer layer - a testimony to the wisdom of that three-layer system.) It was enormous fun bouncing along the waves, like being on a white-water rafting trip. The thousands of chinstraps in the water, porpoising along beside the Zodiacs, were an absolute delight.
The Eau de Penguin No. 5 (the new fragrance to be offered this spring by Chanel, with Benny Hill as advertising icon - Catherine Deneuve rather rudely declined the gig, even though she did great with Chanel No. 5 for so many years) was remarkably evident, even from the ship a mile from shore.
The highlights of the Zodiac trips were several sightings of the predatory leopard seals. These enormous (10-12 feet long) seals with a very serpentine aspect are both entrancing and a bit frightening. One followed our Zodiac very closely for more than five minutes, raising its lovely but decidedly disturbing head from the water every few seconds to stare at us with those large, cold eyes. Then, we had the rare experience of seeing a leopard seal catch a penguin and surface with the poor little chinstrap in its mouth, within ten feet of the Zodiac.
Even more exciting, the Zodiac in which Bob & Eva were touring was attacked by a leopard seal, which managed to pierce one of the air chambers with its sharp teeth, causing the chamber to partially deflate. Cool, no??!! We had hoped that the leopard seal which had dogged us for a while would have had the decency to attack our boat, but no such luck. (Okay, okay, don't get hysterical, anyone - there was no danger, since the Zodiacs have multiple, independently sealed air chambers; and the attacked boat was able to make it back to the ship with no problem other than a rearrangement of the passenger weight.) But now Eva & Bob have a great story to tell of the Attack of the Leopard Seal, while we must make do with our memories of the little chinstrap who got gobbled up (may he RIP).
The seas remain rough; but the snow has diminished as we cruise on towards Elephant Island, where most of Shackleton's crew awaited while he and five brave souls made the astonishing crossing of the Southern Sea to South Georgia Island in their 22 foot open boat.
Tonight is the Shackleton Dinner. I've not yet summoned up the courage to look at the menu, remaining hopeful that it does not have any penguin, seal, or cormorant items among the offerings. That may have worked for Shackleton and his starving crew; but we POOPsters are used to more refined fare...
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