Another smooth Drake was the perfect tonic for winding down after an exciting five days of landings and cruises in and around the Antarctic Peninsula. We were accompanied by different species of seabirds, and for the better part of the day, a solitary snow petrel flew with our ship. Perhaps this pure white iconic bird of the Deep South was reminding us that our journey was not yet over. The calm waters allowed for a full programme of bridge tours and lectures, covering a broad spectrum of Antarctic topics in various languages. For those of us who remained awake, these talks buoyed our chances in the ever competitive MV Fram Antarctic Quiz this evening.
Although we had sun for much of the afternoon, dark foreboding skies enveloped our ship as twilight turned to night. For many, this underscored our great fortune with the weather during our voyage. Even when raging winds had threatened our very first landing in the South Shetlands, we had been able to go ashore to wonder and explore. Our bearer of weather news, Anja, informed us that tomorrow’s weather will resemble today’s, and with that comforting news we settled in for another relaxing evening.
