Paradise Bay and kayaking at Cuverville Island

Sunrise 02:20, sunset 23:56

We spent the morning at Paradise Bay. There were a Chilean and an Argentine base here. The Argentine one called Almirante Brown was closed due to financial problems. The bay had a lot of wild life, we saw nests for blue eyed shags on the cliff, arctic terns, and painted petrels (pintado petrels) also. On the cliffs were also lichens, the most we have seen so far anywhere. We took a zodiac tour around the bay, close to a glacier enough to see it but very far away in practice because it was calfing! We circled around the Almirante Brown base and saw a mother and baby seal on the shore. We landed at Almirante Brown base to see more gentoo penguin colonies.

In the afternoon, the ship arrived at Cuverville Island, a small, rocky island in the middle of Errera Channel between Ronge Island and the Arctowski Peninsula on the continent. There were more gentoo penguin colonies, and were home to many other birds such as giant petrels, pintado petrels, snow petrels, Wilson's storm-petrels, blue-eyed shags, terns and skuas. On the way here we also saw a couple of Minke whales in the channel.

The water around here were clear and calm as a mirror, and the ship lowered its kayaks for those who wanted to kayak in Antarctica! I had never kayaked before, and these kayaks were specially made for artic waters (taller and supposedly less likely to tip over). We were given instructions and away we went. Have you ever kayaked among icebergs in mirror like water with penguins porpoising around you? It was really peaceful and the scenary was unique to say the least. Afterwards we went on Cuverville Island and watched more amazing penguins. They had made several trails in the snow up and down the hill, the nesting grounds can not be in the snow, so were further up in the island. They had a long way to go to the water and back to the nests.