Normally the seas and wind in the area make it impossible to make a landing on Elephant Island and so it was arranged that we would have a tour around the bay in the zodiacs looking at the Chinstrap Penguins and seals.
Endurance crew Camp site to right of caves
In zodiac
Sea cave Elephant Island
Chinstrap Penguins on iceberg
First we went further out in the bay to look at a Chinstrap colony perched up high on rocks and then some on an iceberg before turning back towards land for more penguins on rocks, this time leaping in and out of the water – the getting in seemed more successful than the getting out!
Zodiac by Penguin Colony
Weddell Seal
On the same rock was a Weddell Seal, though as a big rounded shape it could have been mistaken of a light coloured bolder.
We were in the second group for the tour; when the first group had returned they told us that they had been able to land on Elephant Island and so we were hoping that the good weather was going to hold a little longer. Finally we approached a precarious landing point where the ships company of Endurance had spent over 4 months in 1916.
Landing from zodiac Elephant Island
The weather was kind to us and we made it ashore. In 20 years of taking visitors to the Antarctic this was only the third time that Dennis, our leader, had managed to put people ashore. Between 1989 and 1999 only 9 landings in all were recorded, so we were very privileged. With only room for one zodiac at a time we were only able to spend about 10 minutes on land, amongst the fur seals and chinstrap penguins.
Link to the rescue of the Crew of the Endurance by Luis Pardo
Memorial to Luis Pardo
Chinstrap Penguin Chicks in a huddle
Penguin with chick
Fur seal
Chinstrap Penguin carrying stone
Penguins diving
Jellyfish
On the way back we passed by a pink jelly fish, made a change from penguins and fur seals.
