Age of Discovery

Today, we made official landfall on the continent of Antarctica at Brown's
Bluff.  The beach, as is with so many, is comprised of small stones and
covered with penguin colonies.  There were Adelies, Gentus, and Chin Straps,
plus a young Weddell seal.  Getting to the beach was tricky due to the large
number of icebergs and drifting pack ice.  It was touch and go for awhile as
to whether we'd be able to make landfall.  Yesterday, we were in Paulet
Island which is a breeding colony for Adelie penguins.  There were over
500,000 penguins running around.  Talk about noise and smell.  The island is
stained red from the krill they excrete.  There is a Shag rookerie in
amongst the penguins as well.  The location is noted for the remains of a
hut that one of the early explores erected when stranded on the island.  His
name was Larsen and he survived with his men for 12 months eating nothing
but penguins.  The early explorers during the Age of Discovery (1800s) were
certainly a hardy bunch.  After Paulet Island we sailed down Iceberg Alley.
The captain deftly manuvered among the big bergs and pack ice to an
anchorage where we could cruise among the ice in the Zodiacs.  We saw a
Leopard Seal, a Crab Eater Seal and a Weddell seal on different ice floes.
Many other floes had penguins riding them.  The ice got so heavy that we had
to anchor during the night.  This gave many a chance to see several Humpback
whales feeding around the ship.  We are currently anchored as groups cruise
the bay in the Zodiacs.  Tena just got back, having seen more seals,
penguins and big ice.  We move on this evening to the South Shetland Islands
and then head back across the Drake Passage (Cape Horn) for our debarkation
in Ushuaia.  Our land fall on Antarctica makes our 4th continent.  During
lunch, the guide had those who had visited all 7 continents hold up their
hands, and nearly 3/4s of the group did so.  The Aussies on this trip are
certainly a well traveled bunch.  We are looking forward to future travels
to our 3 remaining continents.  More later!