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64 Degrees and Counting

DAY 5/6/7 Over the past few days we have motored steadily South through the 500 km long archipelago that is the South Shetland islands.

DAY 5/6/7 Over the past few days we have motored steadily South through the 500 km long archipelago that is the South Shetland islands. Tomorrow we will reach the Antarctic Peninsula and our highest latitude of 65 Degrees. Did I mention it is cold? Every day the crew round us up for on board or on shore activities. Exploring the Caldera of Deception Island a still active volcano or going for a swim in the "thermal" waters of the beach where steam rises from the sand.

The crew are fantastic and work so hard to make our trip special. Annukka the Marine Biologist, a marine mammal tragic, tells us what we have seen and what we might see. Antarctic fur seals, Crab Eater seals, Weddell seals, Fin Whales, Humpback Whales all spotted in the distance. No close encounters yet. Yesterday afternoon a rubber ducky jaunt through a labyrinth of icebergs and rocky outcrops allowed us to get up close and personal with a beautiful pair of Crab Eater seals "sunning" themselves on an ice flow. A visit to an abandoned whaling station was a window back into a time of extreme hardship and spartan conditions in the name of exploiting the riches of the southern oceans. Seals, whales hunted almost to extinction, the evidence bleached and weathered lying on the beach. Jaw bones 3m long, vertebrae the size of a tree stump witness to a time fortunately almost past. Celebrated last night with Pisco Sour cocktails made with 10000 year old ice.

Written by:
Bruce | Trainee

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Comments

Please Forward to Karl Seipel: Lieber Sepp, wir gratulieren dir aus dem fernen Europa herzlichst zu deinem heutigen Geburtstag, den du ja an einem ganz besonderen Ort und außergewöhnlichen Bord verbringst. Du hast dir selbst damit ja schon das allerschönste Geburtstagsgeschenk gewährt. Bleibt uns nur noch, dir beste Gesundheit und weiterhin schöne Erlebnisse auf der Reise zu wünschen. Komm heil zurück! Herzliche Grüße, Hans und Heidrun


hans Rösch  |  01-02-2016 14:30 uur

Hi Karl! Einen schönen antarktischen Geburtstag mit Allem, was der südlichste Kontinent und das südpolare Meer Dir und Deinen Mitseglern an Angenehmem bieten kann - aus dem langsam frühlingshaften Good Old Germany. Werner Kohtz


Werner Kohtz  |  31-01-2016 19:24 uur

To Passenger Carl Seipel: feliz cumpleaños mi amigo


Alfons Schrage  |  31-01-2016 16:10 uur

Das Praxisteam wünscht Herrn Karl H. Seipel alles Gute zum Geburtstag und weiterhin für alle Teilnehmer schöne Erlebnisse. Wir freuen uns schon auf die Fotos.


Jutta Schulz  |  31-01-2016 10:11 uur

loving the blogs ..keep them coming ...I believe the Australia Day celebrations onboard were celebrated with more than a few Pisco Sours


Jackie Taylor   |  29-01-2016 11:02 uur

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