Cierva Cove and Enterprise Island
What a way to start the day. Lisa our expedition leader casually announced two humpback whales feeding off our starboard bow in her wake-up call this morning. For some time these two whales, a mother and a large calf, were heading in the same direction as us, feeding as they went. It appeared they had just arrived in the krill-rich Antarctic waters, as they both looked rather thin, the humpy ridge of their backbone being clearly visible.
Our morning’s plan was to Zodiac cruise in the stunning location of Cierva Cove, which is found just south of the Chavdar Peninsula on the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. We entered the cove as we finished breakfast. The weather was again calm and the thin cloud cover appeared to be breaking up, allowing glimpses of the coastline to the south. Cierva Cove was full of heavy brash ice and large icebergs but fortunately not tightly packed into the bay. The cruise amongst the ice both in our ship and in the Zodiacs proved to be most successful. Wonderful morning sunlight breaking through the thin clouds brightened the shades of silver blues and greys. Skuas, kelp gulls and Antarctic terns periodically flew across the bay, while small groups of Gentoo and Adelie penguins bobbed around in the gaps of water between the ice. Occasionally amongst the ice we came across crabeater and leopard seals resting on small flows of ice, basking in the warmth of the mid-summer sunshine. On the south of Cierva Cove, on an enchanting rocky peninsula, is the Argentinian scientific station of Primavera. The bright orange buildings of the station stood defiantly proud in an otherwise predominantly black and white landscape. Three personnel from the station watched us from in front of the buildings as we cruised by.
The pair of humpback whales that we had seen earlier in the morning showed up beside our ship, to check us out, just as the two groups of guests were climbing in and out of the Zodiacs at the gangway. For some time the whales just lay on the surface watching us watching them before they went on their way feeding amongst the ice. What a thrill this was for those of us in the Zodiacs right beside these magnificent creatures.
For our afternoon activities our ship had repositioned south along the Antarctic Peninsula to a place called Enterprise Island. In the shelter of this historic harbour we were able to kayak in what can only be described as a sensational setting. Those who chose not to kayak were off in the Zodiacs again, exploring the nooks and crannies of this fascinating area. Tucked in the corner of the bay, grounded on the rocks, is the rusted hulk of the factory whaling ship Governoren. The captain of this ship was forced to put her ashore here when she caught fire in the bay on the 27th January 1915. She now provides a secure nesting platform for numerous pairs of Antarctic turns and a reminder of the grim whaling heritage of the past.
During our evening meal our ship National Geographic Explorer proceeded on south through the Gerlache Straight and then southeast into the Errera Channel to Danco Island. It was around 10pm when we reached Danco in broad daylight. In fact the low angle of the sun was bathing the surrounding glaciers and mountain scenery in warm, orange light. We made an after dinner landing onto the island and climbed a steep snow slope to visit a Gentoo penguin rookery and then most of us chose to take the quick way home by sliding on our backs down the hill. I think almost all of us were astonished how stunningly beautiful Antarctica is at this time of year, at this time of night when the sun never really sets. What an amazing day we have had.
