Our first day in Antarctica. We are in Group 8 to go ashore and were told our debarkation time was 11:15 am. We were asked to arrive about 10 minutes early. The zodiac ride to the shore was to last 10 minutes and we would have one hour on shore, but could come back at anytime as there are no facilities on shore, only the Gentoo penguin colony.
From the ship, we could see the barren beach on Danco Island. The mainland of the Antarctic continent is all the mountains behind the island.
Each of the zodiacs can carry up to sixteen guests plus the driver.
We arrived at the disembarkation point on Deck 3 at 11:00 am, as instructed, in our antarctic gear. We then stood around for the next 45 minutes before we finally were loaded upon our zodiac. The weather was almost perfect and the expedition members noted they had never seen it so nice. The temperature was around 40F, with essentially no wind and smooth seas.
Most of the penguin colony resides up on the high ground of the island. The penguin chicks had bee hatched earlier in the year and were now being tended to by the adults who took turns walking down to the ocean to go fishing, bringing food back for the chicks.
I walked up to the high ground to get a view of the ship and the rookery.
In the middle of the picture below, a nest of pebbles with a parent and chick can be seen,
Maria decided not to climb up to the high ground.
Due to the late start in getting us ashore, we were not given the full hour on the beach, but it was enough.
A expedition ship passed us.
Back on board and leaving the site as another ship is coming in.
Goodbye to Danco Island.
