Grand South America & Antarctica Voyage, Antarctica Day 4...

Elephant Island, Antarctica, is named after the elephant seals that make their home there. The island is located 150 miles off the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, in the outer reaches of the South Shetland Islands. Today, we had adverse weather conditions for most of the day, resulting is poor visibility.  As we circled the island, the conditions worsened until we hit the northern side where conditions improved a bit.  We passed the Endurance and the Shackleton glaciers named after the explorer Shackleton and his ship. Elephant Island, Antarctica, is a very rugged and inhospitable island that became a refuge for Sir Ernest Shackleton’s crew in 1916 after the destruction of their ship, the HMS Endurance, in the ice-covered Weddell Sea. The loss of that ship and the ultimate rescue of Shackleton and his men are among the reasons Shackleton’s Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914–1917 occupies its special place in polar history. This island is nothing but a challenge.  Exposed to the Scotia Sea and currents from the Drake Passage, the waters surrounding Elephant are always rough, and it is often not possible to safely navigate boats close to the island.  Circling the island, we did get close enough to see Cornwallis Island on our starboard side. Fortunately, the weather did recover enough for us to see Wild Point and the memorial commemorating Shackleton’s ordeals on Elephant Island. Bidding farewell to Elephant Island and Antarctica we headed north across the Drake Passage towards the Falkland Islands. We are praying for good weather for the Falkland Islands but the forecast is not favorable…forecasts can always change! We had 5 great days experiencing the untouched wilds of the Antarctica and its awe-inspiring scenery.