WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9 - Deception Island and Paradise Bay

At 6AM, the fog horn is sounding and we are ghosting along in a pea soup fog. By 6:30AM Dick is in the observation lounge and the fog is so thick that the bow of the ship is not clearly visible.

We go to breakfast at 8AM and eat lightly. Through our window we can see that the fog is beginning to thin and there is a hint of sunlight. About 8:30AM we can see Deception Island off the port side

and the fog has lifted so we can see Neptune’s Bellows, the entry into the caldera that makes up the center of the island. We can see an Argentine suppy ship inside and some people hiking on the ridge near the entrance.

The flooded center of the island is named Port Foster and we were told when we were here in 2008 that it is the largest natural harbor in the world.

We are approaching Neptune’s Bellows shortly after 9AM and it soon becomes clear that, despite perfect sea and visibility conditions, the Captain has no intention of entering into Port Foster. There is lots of grumbling on deck as this realization dawns on people as we have been led to believe we would enter the harbor. In the lecture yesterday, Terry talked about the things we would see inside the caldera; the old whaling station and the steaming sands along the shore and she talked about the wide opening. Today the Captain, in his briefing, mentions they are making a new navigational chart of the entrance and it is not out yet, but we are not sure if it is a valid reason for not entering now but clearly it is a change of plans from what we have been led to expect. Neither of us can remember what was said about the entrance when we were on the Polar Star, though we remember there was a cruise ship in there at that time.

After about an hour of spinning in place in front of the entrance we are told we are going to make a run further south to Paradise Bay, a bay on the mainland, and hope to be there in time to enjoy a sunset, see the wildlife, etc. If the clear, calm conditions hold we should be there by 5PM. The plan is to spend the night there and then part of tomorrow morning before heading back north toward our third stop. There is a hint in the announcement that this plan may allow for an additional stop or even two. We will see how that works out.

For several hours we sail along with clear skies and calm seas.

Around 1PM the fog descends again and the ship slows noticeably. We take a lunch break and go to the cabin for awhile. Dick checks email and Carolyn naps. Around 4:15PM Dick goes to Trivia and Carolyn heads to the Observation Lounge with Dick’s camera. The fog has lifted some and we are passing some big growlers. 

The lounge is packed, but she finds two chairs to claim. There are three or four whale sightings and a big iceberg with an Antarctic Fur Seal, three Gentoo penguins and four Magellic penguins hitching a ride. There isn’t time to go get the long lens, but the ship does slow and circle around the berg so just maybe the pictures will show the group.

It appears that the weather is lifting a little and there is hope for good viewing at the bay. The fog and presence of the bergs slows us down some, but we finally arrive in the strait that leads into Paradise Bay around 6:30PM.

 The fog and low clouds lift almost by magic and we have a really nice view of the Antarctic Continent on the port side

and the Palmer Islands on the starboard side.

The sun is weak, peaking every now and then though a heavy layer of cloud so the landscape is a study in shades of white to black, but still outstanding.

We see more seals on floating ice and two expedition ships. We enter the bay proper

and work our way toward the back. The captain is thinking if the conditions are good we will anchor off the Chilean Research Station.

It takes an hour for the ship to crawl back to the station through the ice and we see more seals and penguins. Apparently the captain doesn’t like what he sees in the bay as far as a place to spend the night so he turns around and begins working back out of the bay and is planning to stop at the entrance.

It is now 8:30PM and the clouds are really lifting, it may be one of those beautiful sunsets we experienced before. It is still an hour until sunset and there will be another hour at least of twilight so we head to the Compass Rose for a fast dinner.

As we are eating we watch a heavy bank of dark clouds roll in and the wind really picks up. So much for the sunset! By the time we finish dinner, about 9:20PM, it has gotten very stormy. The captain seems to have found a place he likes as the ship seems to be holding station, but we are way back out in the main strait. Dick goes to bed, but Carolyn decides to go to the Broadway Dance Show. It is good with the whole group preforming, but by the time it is over it raining; not a good sign. Welcome to Antarctica!