Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Orne and Paradise Harbors

Morning: couldn’t do the landing we’d planned – another ship’s there (?). Kayaking in a big harbor filled with ice floes. See chinstrap penguins on shore for the first time – a leopard seal and humpbacks seem like more of same old, same old by now.
Afternoon: kayaking in Paradise Harbor, didn’t see that much – a couple leopard seals, a Minke whale that didn’t want to hang around and an ice cave that kept sending chunks of ice down, so we couldn’t approach (Safety Third?). The water was the calmest I’d seen yet though, absolutely still. Starting to learn how to appreciate the silence – out there on a kayak, it’s amazingly still and beautiful. The zodiacs really do distract a bit from all the serenity. Bright and sunny day too – warm enough that Jane and Kieran went for a dip at the end. Not by accident.
Third day in a row of spectacular sunsets in the evening. We’ve done well the with weather… my contacts with the Russian crew say this is certainly the time to come here – weather’s best and the whales are here en force. Heading due North now, leaving the peninsula and aiming for South Shetland islands tomorrow.

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