Antarctica, Day 11

A big day cruising through Nelson Strait between Robert and Nelson Islands, visiting Admiralty Bay of King George Island, and then cruising in Bransfield Strait to Deception Island. 

Above, somewhere in Nelson or Bransfield Strait, photo taken from our cabin's balcony at 3:20 a.m. 

Top Tip: You'll notice a couple photos taken from above the bow of our ship. Sometimes you can get a better view and more space if you seek out the smaller and lesser used decks. Explore the ship beforehand to learn how to access these decks when you want to view the fabulous scenery.

Cruising near King George Island in Bransfield Strait (above and below).

Approaching Admiralty Bay below. If you expand the photo, you can see the buildings of the Arctowski Research Station along the beach, shared by Poland and Argentina. We saw people out for a walk on this beautiful day as well as two getting in a kayak for a paddle across the bay.

Entering Admiralty Bay of King George Island.

The long view of the island that the Captain announced he would try to cruise around. We saw several humpback whales in this bay.

The ice at the back of the bay was no problem.

The rear view of the island.

Heading back out of Admiralty Bay.

Another view of Arctowski Research Station. Goodbye Admiralty Bay.

On our way to Deception Island, which is southwest of King George Island.

Below, an iceberg with penguin passengers. Also, because the water is so clear and it's a sunny day, this is a good example of how much an an iceberg lies under the surface. 

Lots of penguins here at Deception Island.

As we got closer, we could see penguins swimming in small groups, on the beach, and high up on the hills and ridges.

In the photo below, look for little black and white dots along the cliff edges. Those are penguins! They climb all the way up there to get out of reach of seals. We were so glad we brought our binoculars; we used them just about every day.

Time to make our way further west.

Saying goodbye to this end of Deception Island.

Deception Island was once a volcano. It collapsed and formed a caldera. It's shaped like a horseshoe now with a lagoon in the center.

The opening to the lagoon is called Neptune's Bellows because of the treacherous winds that blow there. That, and dangerous rocks, make it impassable for cruise ships, even for the Oosterdam, which is on the smaller side.

Goodbye Deception Island. Several days later the captain said that of the seven cruises he'd done down to Antarctica, this was the best day of them all. The weather could have been cloudy, foggy, raining, or snowing. Instead God blessed us with glorious weather.

Bonus Tip: As you have already seen, Brian and I were bundled up. The temps were cold, especially for us desert rats, but when wind is a factor, then it could be really cold. We packed lots of warm layers including long underwear and our insulated ski pants. Also, sunglasses are a must. We wanted to be able to spend as much time outside as possible. The nice thing about a cruise is that you can come inside anytime to warm up.