After leaving Elephant Island yesterday, we traveled all afternoon and through the night to arrive at our next destination, the remote archipelago of South Orkney Islands. Mist and low fog shrouded the western part of the largest island, Coronation. The stiff wind that blew throughout the night remained a factor as the ship approached the spot we wanted to visit. Fortunately, Monroe Island provided enough protection to allow a Zodiac cruise along its shores. The area is home to a large chinstrap penguin colony. At this time of the season, birds still occupy parts of the island's rocky landscape. The population has started leaving the area since the birds have finished nesting for the year.
After everyone returned, we continued around the western end of the island. Then the bridge team set us on course for South Georgia Island. As we headed across the Scotia Sea, we encountered a large commercial fishing ship that harvests krill. An abundance of birds indicated an abundance of krill. We observed a number of fin whales and possibly a few humpback whales feeding. After slowing to observe the birds and whales, our course pointed toward the next highly anticipated phase of the voyage: South Georgia Island.
