twangster Posted December 25, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 25, 2023 This has been our day cruising up the coast of South Georgia Island. Destination unknown. Bertrab Glacier maybe? Some of the more interesting icebergs. Northern part of the Ross Glacier I think. This went zooming past pretty close. Our friend the Albatross bringing us good weather. Antarctic Prion. Weather has been variable. It's sunny then it's not. Clear then misty. Where did that Albatross go? SpeedNoodles, She Sails Away, WAAAYTOOO and 8 others 3 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 25, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 25, 2023 Daily briefing for tomorrow. Destination Fortuna Bay. Wet landing ashore! In the afternoon we sail down the coast to Grytviken. This will also be a wet landing but there are areas such as the whalers museum that is closed due to the Avian Flu. However the cemetery and some of the museum buildings beyond the whaler's area are open. Biosecurity inspection by the local authorities first.. Red area closed. Blue area open. After that... PPPJJ-GCVAB, SpeedNoodles, Ampurp85 and 2 others 2 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 25, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 25, 2023 We just arrived in Fortuna Bay where we will anchor for the night in the shelter of the bay. WAAAYTOOO, Ampurp85, SpeedNoodles and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2023 Christmas dinner in The Restaurant included a special turkey dish as one of the mains. I was invited to join two other guests to dine with the assistant excursion team leader. Wonderful dinner experience with great conservation. SpeedNoodles, MaryS, Lovetocruise2002 and 4 others 5 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2023 Day 8 - Fortuna Bay and Grytviken, South Georgia Islands Our position has not changed from last night as we have been anchored in the bay as previously noted. The mist has lifted yielding some glaciers that were previously obscured. I have found reference to the Konig and Fortuna Glaciers. I'm not sure which it is. Lovetocruise2002, Big Tule, WAAAYTOOO and 4 others 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2023 Day 8 Chronicle: 26 DEC - Fortuna and Grytviken South Georgia.pdf SpeedNoodles 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2023 The order of the groups has me last today resulting in a more leisurely morning. Yesterday in the first grouping made for a rushed breakfast. Apparently there was some drama recovering the zodiac tours when that snow arrived yesterday. That storm also brought 40 knot winds and it was difficult to move guests from the zodiacs to the ship. The ship had to reposition and another attempt was made. Guests were stuck on the zodiacs briefly where they broke out the cold weather emergency kit and passed out hand warmers. They also have a routine which includes exercise to keep the blood moving. Eventually everyone was brought back on board safely. I missed all this drama being in the first grouping yesterday. It goes to show you should always prepare for the worst and fully dress out despite what the weather looks like outside the window. Time for some breakfast. WAAAYTOOO, Ampurp85, MaryS and 5 others 3 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted December 26, 2023 Report Share Posted December 26, 2023 I am obsessed with those pups, they are too cute . I like birds, but the glaciers did outdo them. All the photos are breathtaking as usual. Though the weather fluctuations are a little bit much, it is good to be prepared. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2023 My departure was at 9:30am so I had some time to wander the ship and get ready. I could see a penguin highway starting to get busy in the distance. Looks like kayaking is a go. The first group was called and off they went. Weather was starting to move in. Kayakers doing kayaky things. Ampurp85, Lovetocruise2002, DDaley and 4 others 5 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2023 Hours later the weather had changed and it was snowing pretty good. Finally our group number was called. We leave our life jackets with the excursion team and head up the path to meet a guide who will escort us to the penguin colony. These little guys were watching us from a few feet away. Like the penguins we join the Silversea highway and make off across the tundra. Everywhere around us are penguins and fur seals. Shari, Lovetocruise2002, DDaley and 7 others 5 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2023 A short time later we come to the King penguin colony. Various stages of molting. Penguins as far as you can see. Lovetocruise2002, Cactus527, DDaley and 8 others 5 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2023 Big Tule, Ampurp85, WAAAYTOOO and 6 others 5 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2023 It was time to walk back to the landing site but a few more photos along the way. Pups everywhere. Cactus527, Ampurp85, SpeedNoodles and 5 others 4 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2023 Back to the beach. These guys can sometimes show some aggression but our guides deal with them. Ready for some more cute pup pics? There is our smiling assistant excursion team leader to help us back on the zodiacs. Despite the snow it was very beautiful. SpeedNoodles, WAAAYTOOO, Big Tule and 5 others 1 5 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2023 Our zodiac ride from the ship at anchor and the walk to the colony. PPPJJ-GCVAB, SpeedNoodles and Lovetocruise2002 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJL Posted December 26, 2023 Report Share Posted December 26, 2023 We're going to be on the Silver Wind's next departure, Jan. 6. We specifically chose this itinerary so we could see South Georgia, after a disastrous trip with Ponant in 2021 (to see a solar eclipse that got clouded out, and that also only got one landing in Antarctica due to weather). The avian flu situation is extremely disappointing. Has South Georgia still been worth seeing even without the landings? Fingers crossed things don't deteriorate further over there (for the sake of both the animals and the tourists). Please do keep us posted and let us know your thoughts on Silversea and the Silver Wind in general. Thanks for the great blog! CJ WAAAYTOOO and PPPJJ-GCVAB 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted December 26, 2023 Report Share Posted December 26, 2023 Those pups WAAAYTOOO, Cactus527 and Shari 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2023 3 hours ago, CJL said: We're going to be on the Silver Wind's next departure, Jan. 6. We specifically chose this itinerary so we could see South Georgia, after a disastrous trip with Ponant in 2021 (to see a solar eclipse that got clouded out, and that also only got one landing in Antarctica due to weather). The avian flu situation is extremely disappointing. Has South Georgia still been worth seeing even without the landings? Fingers crossed things don't deteriorate further over there (for the sake of both the animals and the tourists). Please do keep us posted and let us know your thoughts on Silversea and the Silver Wind in general. Thanks for the great blog! CJ There are three landing sites open in South Georgia. We are making two of them. We also had or will have zodiac tours of other South Georgia areas (more to come). I don't mind the zodiac tours. In the Galapagos we had incredible zodiac tours. Would I prefer landing? Of course. But the Avian flu has been devastating to wildlife so it is understandable why we are doing zodiac tours. One of the South Georgia sites was removed from our itinerary due to weather. That would have occurred flu or no flu. Such is expedition cruising. Stick around until I complete our South Georgia visit. SpeedNoodles, WAAAYTOOO, Ampurp85 and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2023 During lunch the ship moved down the coast to Grytviken. Shackleton's 1916 route across South Georgia. He too visited Fortuna Bay and Grytviken. Folks from Grytviken came onboard upon our arrival and gave a short talk. Lovetocruise2002, Ampurp85, SpeedNoodles and 1 other 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 Leaving Fortuna Bay was also a treat. The scenery looked much better in person, these photos don't do it justice. On a beach I spotted a large number of King penguins. All around us seals and penguins were jumping in the water. Many birds were flying around as well like this Imperial Cormorant. Just as I was ready to come in off the balcony a massive tidewater glacier appeared. Then in the snow it began to fade. Cactus527, Lovetocruise2002, Big Tule and 8 others 4 5 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 We arrived at Grytviken in a snow storm. Soon the first group was called. I could make out structures in the distance. The Silversea highway of humans visiting Shackleton's grave. Then it started to clear a bit more. WAAAYTOOO, PPPJJ-GCVAB, DDaley and 5 others 6 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 Soon enough it was my group's time. The weather was looking much better. Wait... a crew member handing out whiskey? The tradition is to share a toast over Shackleton's grave. Crew members were available to stand in if you were alone. They enjoyed their job today. SpeedNoodles, Cactus527, DDaley and 6 others 8 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 Next stop the museum. The old whaling station was very clear now. Maybe being in the last group was a good thing today. Since the whaling station is closed we had a short zodiac ride over to the museum. While we waited... Looks like it's hungry. Christmas tree or snowman on the bow of the zodiac? Lovetocruise2002, DDaley, WAAAYTOOO and 6 others 7 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 What a glorious day. It's amazing how quickly the weather can change. We start with a 15 minute guided walk with lots of historical information about the whaling station. This elephant seal wanted to play. PPPJJ-GCVAB, SpeedNoodles, Skigoofy and 3 others 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 The Whaler's church: You are allowed to ring the bells. A restored residence hall for the workers: Skigoofy, PPPJJ-GCVAB, DDaley and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 Gallery: The museum: SpeedNoodles, MaryS and Lovetocruise2002 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 The post office also has a store where you can buy postcards and mail them. This was immensely popular and crowded. Time to head back to the ship. What a beautiful day! Looks like we did get some snow. Not a bad view as I sit here working on this post. Cactus527, Ampurp85, Lovetocruise2002 and 4 others 4 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 Short briefing just as we got back on the ship. Two stops tomorrow, both zodiac tours only, no landings. St Andrews Bay in the morning. Gold Harbor in the afternoon. Ampurp85, ScottishRobbie, Lovetocruise2002 and 3 others 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 We are spending the night at anchor at Grytviken. There no sense having the bridge team work all night dodging icebergs at slow speed. Later in the evening I went topside. I spotted several icebergs and... a cruise ship. Silver Cloud I presume. Only had my phone with me. MaryS, WAAAYTOOO, PPPJJ-GCVAB and 3 others 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJL Posted December 27, 2023 Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 Just amazing! Cannot wait for my turn! Thank you for this amazing blog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 We had a beautiful clear evening so I popped outside occasionally to capture some photos after sunset. How often will you get a chance to see Grytviken at night? As much of a sunset as we'll get today: Lovetocruise2002, PPPJJ-GCVAB, Skigoofy and 5 others 5 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 Day Nine - St Andrews Bay and Gold Harbor, South Georgia Island Position report: From the bridge cam channel: SpeedNoodles and Lovetocruise2002 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 Day 9 Chronicle: 27 DEC - St Andrews and Gold Harbour South Georgia.pdf SpeedNoodles 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 Pretty much live as we sail into St Andrews Bay. SpeedNoodles, Lovetocruise2002, MaryS and 2 others 2 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 Great weather here in St Andrews Bay. From my cabin as I wait for my group to be called. You could see massive numbers of King penguins on the beach. Weather improving. It's turning into a beautiful day. MaryS, Lovetocruise2002, Ampurp85 and 4 others 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomBryant Posted December 27, 2023 Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 This is really amazing! Thank you for taking us along with you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 My number was up so off I went to the mud room to put on my boots then in line to board a zodiac. Another glacier revealed itself from behind the corner. Then our zodiac driver Andrew spotted something. Lovetocruise2002, Ampurp85, SpeedNoodles and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted December 27, 2023 Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 MAGNIFICENT ! Those peaks at Grytviken are very Alp-ish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted December 27, 2023 Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 Are King penguins and Emperor penguins the same thing or a different variety ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted December 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 It's a Leopard seal and it's hunting. Leopard seals eat King penguins and this seal is not going away hungry today. It's got one. Andrew tells us this is pretty rare here. Something he might see twice a season. They grow up to 3m long. While a King penguin didn't survive the day, this is nature and it's all part of the food chain. Wow. Pretty cool. SpeedNoodles, WAAAYTOOO, Shari and 4 others 1 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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