Spert Island and Cierva Cove

On Saturday, January 25th, we continued our excursions in the Weddell Sea. We had near-perfect conditions to explore the tremendous glacial ice and rock formations of Spert Island. During this excursion our expedition leader was the zodiac pilot, in 20+ years of leading expeditions in Antarctica - this was the first time conditions favored a visit to Spert Island. So, on this Saturday morning, we were treated to a very spirited Zodiac ride!

Good morning Spert Island!

In addition to the stunning scenery, Spert Island is where we made our first contact with a chinstrap penguin colony.

Chinstrap penguins all dressed up in their tuxes and ready to greet us.

Even a chinstrap penguin and cormorant are choosing to coexist! How civilized!

After observing the wildlife, we explored the rest of the inlet, home to incredible blue ice formations. Nice little slideshow of those below:

Dan, our expedition leader, happened to be our Zodiac pilot this morning, so we covered a tremendous amount of water - catching not only the incredible color of the sea ice but also the rock formations in the area. We were treated to both ice and rock arch formations.

It was quite a ride so far - in the excitement our Zodiac pilot showed his enthusiasm by miming the cavern. Yes, this is our expedition leader that led us through the Drake Passage. Twice.

Dan "the man" - he can lead an expedition, drive a mean zodiac tour and imitate an Antarctic cave! For real though, he's the best.

Oh, wait there's more! On our way back to the ship we did one more pass through of a rock formation. On the back side of the passage, we encountered this guy - an Antarctic fur seal!

Zoomed in view - the seal was having a nice, cozy Saturday morning!

Spert Island was a great start to an awesome Saturday in Antarctica. That evening we navigated into a sound that the crew had never explored before. The cove was so quiet and calm - the views were indescribable. Here are some shots:

Bonus picture of a glacier covered mountain along the ship's wake.

A very quiet scene.

Many aboard the resolution (inclusive of the captain) enjoying the scene from outside of the bridge.

Someone had the right idea to watch from the warmth of the bridge! Also, the drinks did need to be guarded as well.

Hope you all enjoyed this post - the blog lags a little behind some of the other social media posts. Still some catchup for us to do on Antarctica, let alone Patagonia!