Zodiac tour at Spert Island
Day 6 : Dec 15, 2019
A 90 minute exhilarating Zodiac tour exploring the icy waters around Spert Island is the highlight of the 6th day of the voyage.
It was another day in paradise with beautiful scenery outside flooding our senses. The ship was approaching Spert island. After enjoying the morning tea delivered to the suite, we freshened up and headed towards La Terrazza on Deck 7 for breakfast. We had an interesting banter with Phillippe, our server. Phillippe, as usual, in his joyous mood claimed that he was in-charge of the weather and was ensuring that all his guests get the best of it!
Back to our suite, we geared up quickly. The itinerary for today was different from other landing days and a 90-minute zodiac tour was planned. We were scheduled in the 9:30 am slot. We made our way to Deck 3, 15 minutes earlier and put on our boots in the mudroom. Each zodiac today had 8 explorers only and the zodiac was piloted by an experienced Expedition Team member. We had Ms. Kristy Venter, an experienced marine biologist as our zodiac pilot. Kristy started off by explaining the working of the zodiac, how to start and stop the zodiac engine, and the rescue procedures to be followed in case of any emergency.
Spert Island
Spert Island (63°51′00´´S, 60°57′00´´W) in Palmer Archipelago, is named after Thomas Spert, who during the reign of Henry VIII, had founded Mariners of England which later became the Corporation of Trinity House. The island was charted by Swedish Antarctic Expedition in 1901-1904.
The zodiac tour around Spert Island for 90 minutes was mix of pure adrenalin rush and fun. Kristy navigated the zodiac around the island, going through small channels, cruising past icebergs and sailing under some rock formations. At various points, she brought the zodiac to a stop and allowed us to stand up in the zodiac and click some great phots of the stunning scenery. We had our fill of photographs and video recordings, bringing back beautiful memories against giant icebergs, brash ice, rock formations, penguins, seagulls, skua etc. We were super lucky to spot an Emperor Penguin – a rare sighting in these parts. The 90 minutes passed by in a jiffy, our excitement getting interrupted only twice when the camera batteries got exhausted and had to be replaced.
We had our quick lunch at La Terrazza on Deck 7 followed by the briefing for the next day, by the Expedition Team in the Explorer Lounge. Thereafter we rested in our suite and waited for our landing slot at Mikkelsen Harbour at 3:30 pm.
Mikkelsen Harbour
Mikkelsen Harbour (63°54′00´´S, 60°47′00´´W) is a 3 km long bay on the south side of Trinity Island in Palmer Archipelago. The island is generally covered with snow and the waters surrounding the bay have plenty of shallow reefs. Discovered & charted by the Swedish Antarctic Expedition of 1901-1904, it provides excellent anchorage for ships and was a popular destination of sealing and whaling vessels in early 1900s. The harbour was named after Peder Michelsen, a whaling manager who was lost in the whaling grounds in December 1910. While the island boasts of colonies of Adelie Penguins and Gentoo Penguins, Leopard Seals and Weddell Seals are also frequently sighted on the beach, enjoying the sun.
It was a short but very careful zodiac ride from the ship to the landing site at Mikkelsen Harbour. Our zodiac pilot enlisted the support of all the explorers to lookout for the underwater rocks and help her steer the zodiac safely through not-so-deep waters. There were plenty of rocks in shallow waters and our zodiac pilot displayed her mastery as she deftly zig-zagged through the waters and deposited us safely at the landing site.
After alighting from the zodiac into the waters, we walked up to the shore where we were greeted by the sight of remains of some old whaling boats and some whale skeleton parts. This place apparently served as a whaling station in early 1900. We trekked up through the snow and found few Weddell Seals lay on the snow, snoring peacefully enjoying the sunshine. The trek route was full of penguin guano and the snow had got coloured Pink due to it. We had to tread very carefully to ensure that our boots stayed clean. Here, at this site, we saw Adelie Penguins for the first time. They were peacefully co-habiting the island along with the Gentoo Penguins. The Penguin Highway intersected our trek route and we had to wait for a while as a bunch of Penguins crossed our path, the Penguins having the right of way! Crossing the Penguin Highway, we trekked up till the other side of the island where stood an emergency hut maintained by Argentine military. After soaking-in the beautiful views and clicking some photos, we trekked back to board the zodiac and return to the ship. The whole area was reeking with the stench of penguin guano, so we had to strike a balance between enjoying the beautiful views and managing our breath!
Back on the ship, we settled down in the Panorama Lounge on Deck 8. Sipping excellently mixed Pina Colada over some light snacks, we continued to soak-in the beautiful views around. At 8:00 pm, we had a leisurely 3-course dinner at The Restaurant on Deck 4, and then headed back to our suite.
Sunset in Antarctica
It was 9:30 pm when were back at the suite. Before retiring for the day, we stepped outside into the balcony to have a view and catch some fresh air. As the ship sailed on, the western horizon became visible and we were gifted with a wonderful scenery of sunset in the waters around Antarctica. It manifested as a bright orb in the water on the horizon. The floating icebergs in the water, the clouds in the sky and bright glow in the water, all combined to create a magical effect. We relished the sight and took some photographs.
At 10:00 pm, we decided to call it a day and hit the bed. A great day with stunning visual pleasures, and loads of fun & adventure had drawn to a close.