Yes, it is true: there were so many penguins on Paulet Island that we were unable to land there this morning! Around 100,000 Adelie pairs normally nest here. If we count on two chicks per pair, there were close to half a million penguins here. (And yes, we could smell them.)
Instead of landing, the captain wowed us by positioning National Geographic Explorer’s bow nearly on the beach, affording us great views of the colony and into the water, with penguins swirling and gliding below. We took to the Zodiacs for a cruise, viewing the Adelie penguins up close. The penguins flirted dangerously close to the predatory leopard seals on the bergs.
As we finished lunch, we were interrupted by a call from the bridge: orcas approaching!
This encounter left guests and guides alike in tears. In the windless, glassy conditions, we could view this pod of sixteen orcas under the water as they made close passes to National Geographic Explorer’s starboard side, not once but twice! (This was nice of them, just in case we missed getting the photo the first time).
Our day was crowned off with an afternoon hike to a peak on Devil Island with 360° views of the Weddell Sea and of our beautiful ship below. A most memorable start to the New Year.
