Two days at sea after our amazing five days in Antarctica. Travelling across the Scotia Sea, with conditions due to change, for this time of year, still relatively easy. I did wear my sea sickness bands though.
The crew are adept at providing activities and lectures which helps pass the time.
With specialists on board we have had the opportunity to learn so much about the history of polar expeditions, photography, geology, wildlife watching, penguin poop, baleen whales, climate change and how it affects Antarctica, and how we can make small changes in how we live. There were opportunities to become more involved with various agencies e.g NASA and be a Hurtigruten ambassador to name a few. We also went along to watercolour painting, and we made clay penguins to paint at a later date.
We used the hot tub facilities which was quite a challenge to get in and out of with the extreme cold.🥶
There’s also a ‘running’ track on the top deck, and weather permitting we would walk 11 circuits which equated to a mile. On occasion it was very bracing, difficult to walk into the wind, but it blew the cobwebs away and it was a chance to spend a little time together in very, fresh air.
The women from the University of Santa Cruz, California did a wonderful presentation on whales, drones and tags. They travel with the company to do research into whales and impacts on behaviours. They explained about how they photograph the whales, how they have to be licensed to use the drones, and how they tag whales to provide more information over a period of time. The video presentation that was shown at the end, was so beautiful with mother and calf playfully swimming around the zodiac. They have the physical strength to overturn the zodiac but they gently circumnavigate, sometimes pop their heads above water that they can see their eyes. I must admit that I cried as I watched it, once again so happy to have visited this wondrous place on earth.
My little life 