2025_26 Oosterdam, Antarctica Day 1

I was out about 6 am to set up for our first day of the 5-day Antarctic Adventure and the weather was great. A few Antarctic facts… 1. Antarctica is the coldest, windiest and most remote continent on Earth. The Antarctic Treaty designates the continent as a natural reserve, devoted to peace and science. 2. There are no native peoples or polar bears in Antarctica. 3. There are about 5 million penguins in Antarctica. 4. Eighteen countries operate year-round scientific research stations. 5. Captain Cook was the first person to circumnavigate the continent in the 1770s and Captain’s Scott and Shackleton undertook purely scientific expeditions…a tradition which continues today. The weather held and we made it to Elephant Island…Elephant Island is located in the Southern Ocean, part of the South Shetland Islands, famous for its role in Ernest Shackleton's 1914-1917 Antarctic expedition, where his crew survived for months after their ship sank. It’s a rugged, mountainous island with cliffs and glaciers…home to penguins and elephant seals and is a site of historical significance with a memorial to Shackleton, his crew and the Chilean Captain Parfo who rescued them. The odd iceberg started bobbing by the ship as we headed for our first Antarctic destination. The captain maneuvered the ship into Point Wild. While approaching Furness Glacier, hundreds of penguins were everywhere. We spent time motoring around the end of the island and saw a number of whales in the water along with penguins. Leaving the point the weather started to deteriorate with snow flurries and fog coming in…we were very fortunate to have a clear view this morning and happy to get so close to the island…the bridge crew did a great job. The weather this afternoon was not good but it is predicted to much better for tomorrow. Loved our first day in Antarctica…