(Today’s Chronicle can be found here.)
Another sleep-in morning for us, the last for a while. Zodiac group 1 is the first of the second cohort, which means that next time we’ll be the last called for the first group. That sounds complicated, but it means that we will get earlier access to the landing zones at the price of less sleep.
Today’s landing is at Fortuna Bay:
And it lets us get even closer to the king penguins and their chicks and eggs.
And another chance to observe those adorable fur seals:
The scenery is equally stunning:
It’s a kilometer or so to reach the colony over soft, uneven terrain – and it’s well worth the journey.
Especially when we get to observe scenes like these:
The colony is so entrancing, but it’s worth taking in the rest of our surroudings:
And noticing the little details. One of the penguins has a pigmentation issue that results in these unique feet:
Soon it’s time to make the return trip, and to catch a few more sights along the way:
But eventually it’s our turn to head back to the Wind.
Soon after, the skies lift for one last glorious look at Fortuna Bay:
Back in time for trivia, where we tie for third. My son knew that a paleontologist studies fossils and that the flower most associated with the Netherlands is the tulip, but we all struggled to name the settlement on Tristan da Cunha, considered the world’s most remote – it’s Edinburgh of the Seven Seas.
Off for lunch at the Restaurant. Both my wife and I had the dynamite shrimp as our starters:
And then the pan-fried squid for our mains:
Very tasty, though the dynamite shrimp stole the show – particularly the spicy dipping sauce.
We soon anchored at Stromness, the former whaling station where Sir Ernest Shackleton sought aid after making the perilous trip from Elephant Island and across the mountains of South Georgia. There are three expedition activities on offer here – a zodiac tour, a landing at the outskirts of Stromness, and a hike to Shackleton’s waterfall.
There was never any question that we would hike to Shackleton’s waterfall. We considered ourselves exceptionally lucky to have seen Stromness on our previous leg – we never imagined that we might actually get the chance to retrace the final steps of Shackleton’s epic journey.
We were on the first zodiac out, and up near the front the entire time. The trip was roughly 4.5 kilometers in total, accounting for the irregular terrain. There were a few river crossings but the expedition guides walked us through the process for how to cross deeper river safely, and were available to provide assistance as needed. That said, it’s recommended only for capable hikers.
Our zodiac group set off as soon as we had disembarked. No need to wait for other groups. The walk was pleasant and scenic – all of which was heightened by the sense of exploration.
Our end destination is the waterfall on the left side of the mountain. Shackleton reached this spot after hiking for more than 30 hours. They chose to rappell down the waterfall rather than descend carefully, likely due to their level of exhaustion.
But we’re not in any rush – the scenery continues to impress, and it’s warm enough that we start stripping off coats.
And – we make it! There were quite a few river crossings involved, but it only added to the experience.
Some choose to drink from the waterfall. I content myself with dipping my hands in it.
Then we head back the way we came, again lingering to enjoy the beautiful views.
And it’s not long before Stromness once more comes into view:
Along with her protectors:
There is some matter of disagreement as to the best method to intimidate charging fur seals. My wife tends to prefer a strong psst noise, which I find works reasonably well – though I’m not above barking at them – like, well, a seal – if necessary. She also finds that it helps to remove her sunglasses and stare them dead in the eye.
Back to the Wind, where we linger on our verandah for the first time in a long while – sipping champagne, and chatting about our day. We haven’t been able to use our verandah in the evening as part of the light restrictions that prevent birds from piling down atop the Wind – and due to the chilly temperatures – so this is a welcome change of pace.
We even order some canapes:
But soon it’s time to gather up the children and head to the briefing and recaps:
Tomorrow’s plan is to once more attempt Saint Andrew’s Bay in the morning. We are hoping to then visit the former whaling station of Godthul if time allows, though that will depend on whether we are able to carry on with Plan A. This would make for 8 landings in 4 days – 11 landings in 7 days if you include our initial run – which seems impossibly greedy for a single voyage.
Malcolm then delivers a recap on the snowy sheathbill, the famed ‘poop chicken’ of Antarctica and South Georgia:
Jonathan does his recap on Frank Worsley, captain of the Endurance:
And Jess announces tomorrow’s charity auction for the South Georgia Heritage Trust.
A bottle of Shackleton whiskey (recently blended based on the original recipe) is on offer, as well as a pewter flask and other odds and sundry.
We are then off for dinner at La Terrazza with entertainment hostess Chloë and guitarist-on-holiday Igor. No food photos, though the restaurant staff presents my daughter with some sort of tiara-encrusted seahorse balloon sculpture for reasons that may forever remain unknown.
Imagine this but covered with chocolates and toffees!
Seriously, though, the staff has been absolutely incredible with us this entire voyage. They are a huge part of why we keep coming back to Silversea. (We are planning to try Ponant in the summer of 2026, but they will have big waterproof boots to fill.)
Back to dinner, where the topic of boardgames came up. Chloë said her favourite is a word game called Articulate – which sounds similar to the game Taboo – as well as some sort of pie game that’s essentially Russion roulette but with pies in the face. We also discovered that La Terrazza will serve you ice cream and some sort of liquer (Kahlua?) in a martini glass upon request.
With that, it was time for bed!