In the early morning we picked up our group of campers from Neko Harbour, who dared to spend the night outside in the cold and brave the Antarctic elements. The view from the camp site could not have been more dramatic: glaciers in all directions crashing into the sea.
Shotly after we began with our normal landing so that all our guests could visit this spectacular site. Lots of ice from calving glaciers had drifted along the shore line, making the tender process more challenging, but this was no problem for our skilled drivers.
Along the slopes of the site we had a chance to slide down and have some fun.
Sliding guests
Sliding gentoo penguins
Breathtaking sights
Later in the afternoon we headed towards Port Lockroy, recently popularised as the Penguin Post Office ! Unfortunately upon arrival the wind picked up very quickly, developing to gale force, making the transfer to shore (boat tender operation) impossible. We decided however to wait it out, and our luck eventually paid off, with winds settling down.
Finally arriving at Port Lockroy
MV Fram is a regular visitor to Port Lockroy, and it has been remarkable to see the development of the gentoo penguin colony over the past few weeks.The chicks are now very well developed. Since the penguins have chosen to nest very nearby to the base, it was possible for our guests to get a closer than usual insight into the penguins' busy lives. At the base, it was possible for our guests to visit a small museum, buy some souvenirs, and above all: send postcards from the Antarctic !
Penguin Post office
Gentoo and its chick
