So cute!! How I would love to go again. Thanks for taking the time to share.
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Helen

You all are so gracious to stay up and post wonderful pix and commentary, know you are exhausted, but I am loving it!

I've never figured out what is the difference between a sea lion and a seal. Andi, I'm glad you found them to be so sweet! Will never forget on ICE some poor woman was wandering off the path we'd been warned against (at Shackleton's gravesite), and one of those young males (I'd call him a cocky teenager) started chasing up behind her back, unbeknownst to her. Of course, one of the naturalists intervened. I watched it in disbelief.

Those little ones Andrea photographed are like puppies!

Andi, were the little penquins with the fur still taking food from their mothers? I saw so many in Andreas picture. That was fascinating to me watching what moms have to do for them.

Yesterday was one my best days on this Earth. Amazing animals..... gorgeous weather...... and fabulous people to share it with. I have dubbed this cruise, "Water Park Safari."

Yes, Olivia, I have pictures of them nursing. We have loads of photos of people animal playtime.it is hard to believe thart these are wild animals. They are so comfortable around us. What is truly amazing is the vast quantity here of each species. It is mind blowing. It all goes back to the krill story and the cold and ice. Something I never understood. The whole balance is so tenuous.

What has been terrific too is the wonder expedition team and this ship. It is superb. We are sighing up for the Arctic trip. We left glasses out and the butler left a microfibre eyeglass cleaning cloth for them for us. There are touches like
that. For those who know me, they found out I like ginger. Ginger is waiting in my cabin.the dining room staff is great. Food is great. The weather is great. Ok, Siilverseas didn't do that!

Ken and I were lazy today and did not do the long walk that Ken has done before or the short walk that I have done before. It was nice to sleep in, do a little laundry and catch up on a little work.

Yesterday at Salisbury Plains was spectacular the best weather possible it was sunny, not a cloud in the clear blue sky and the water was SO calm. Even on my fourth visit to this amazing spot it is still an awe inspiring experience.

The next two stops were places I had not been before and seeing the huge wandering albatross was fantastic. These birds have up to a 12ft wingspan and flew right over our heads at a low altitude. One nest was only about 10 feet away from us. There was a nice walkway built to take you to the top of the small hill where the birds were nesting. It made it a very easy walk up and the seals were adorable as they also think the pathway is a good way to get around. Just like the lions use the roadways in Africa. They normally just kept walking ahead of us but sometimes they would do their charging and barking to defend their pathway and of course even a tiny reaction from us and they back off.

The final stop Fortuna s a new stop for us too. It was a lovely scene with the ship in the background, a pool where the young seals are learning to swim and king penguins all round. One lone gentoo penguin came out of the water wandered around and looked a little confused. He finally went back into the water I guess to “find his own kind”. Often kings and gentoos share the same area but in this case I did not see any other gentoo penguins. At the end of the day the wind suddenly picked up and it was a rough wet ride back the ship.

This morning we have another wonderful day. Calm seas, blue sky and light winds. We have been SO blessed with this trip unbelievable weather. Later today we go to Shackelton’s grave and the old whaling station at Grytviken.

Tomorrow Gold Harbor is bound to be on the schedule I just pray for one more day like this as I really feel that is a fantastically beautiful landing site.

I do love this little ship. To me it has the same ambiance that the Song of Flower achieved. When you have less that 200 people the staff are able to develop a different level of personal service that pleases both the guests and the staff at a level just not possible on a larger ship. Plus these cabins although not big they are well designed, lots of storage space and are cozy. The expedition team are so superior to other teams we have experienced with the only exception being David Fletcher who was on the Hanseatic that and he is a totally unique individual. However the rest of the Hanseatic team did not compare to the team on the Silver Explorer. The team is pretty consistent from all three of my voyages with just a few changes for vacation and each and every one of them is great. The reception team of Tina and Nina are exceptionally nice and I wish I could clone them for every ship I travel on plus they are very efficient as well. Life is good on the Silver Explorer

Having so much fun with everyone, what a great group. Spirits are high with all and the smiles are bountiful. Pooch and heart games are taking place and the competition if fierce. Of course Marc is the top dog in hearts and Pam is the leading contender in pooch but feel twice yesterday, once to Beth and once to Andi.

Okay time to eat again, Ken is going to send a few photos to Karen to post it is so hard to do it from here.

Oooh - Gold Harbor! Hope all goes well with the weather. That was the landing when all hell broke loose in the boot room with the Germans on the Hanseatic who were afraid the wind was going to be too strong for the second group to land. They all suddenly jammed the boot room and pretended that they were in our group that was scheduled first off. It all worked out in the end, but whew, what a day.

Today the historian in me takes over as we honor Shackleton with a champagne toast at his grave. Hope I don't cry. I think I have either read or seen everything there is about him.
If I do cry, a tiny amount of retail therapy at the museum gift shop should bring everything back in perspective.
Nothing to add to the news of others from yesterday. Everyone should see this island at least once.

What beautiful pics of the penguins and seals! I am glad you are having such wonderful weather and the trip of a lifetime!

Andrea - pictures - 10!!!!

Love them.

Glad everyone is having such a great time and the weather has been so good to you. Thanks for all the updates.

A FEW PHOTOS FROM ZODIAC:


Brown Brow Albatross with Chick.


Gentoo Penguin.


Fur Seals.


Lauri and Friends.


King Penguins doing what they do best, swimming.


Ngaire with Friends.


Have you seen any Reindeer.


Some of our group going back to the Silver Explorer.

Andi and Doug, Andrea, and everyone else posting. You have just increased my interest in this trip. Between the commentaries and the fabulous pictures, it is definitely at the top of my bucket list now. Thanks for all the fascinating insight.
Lynn

Andi, Are you "sighing" up for the one that starts in Churchill in Aug 2013? RachelG and I are onboard. Looks like an amazing trip.

Ken and Andrea: Pictures are fantastic, so many babies!
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Helen

Here are some photos from our morning landing in Stromness, our FOURTH landing on South Georgia. The weather continues to be simply fantastic!

Seals Galore





So curious



Hey George. Check it out – more humans



Glorious Day



Sun Worshiper



Svelte King Penguin



Mighty Fine Whiskers

Great pictures! I loved seeing everyone smiling in the zodiac!

Unbelievable pictures, Ken and Andrea! I love reading the reports from this trip. What an experience, on shore and onboard.

All of these photos and reports are absolutely awesome. Thanks you guys for taking us along!

Your reports and photos make me long to return. Thanks for the memories.

Posting for Andi:

Andi:

Ok, what's the story with the backpack? Did you really get snuck up on or is that some kind of add on you got from the ship?

Cheers! Ray
;)

Andi:

Ok, what's the story with the backpack? Did you really get snuck up on or is that some kind of add on you got from the ship?

Cheers! Ray
;)

excellent. just excellent

Love all of the photos.

Looks like the penguin is walking by Andi - she's got the Silverseas backpack on.

Another from Andi:

Oh, these pictures are amazing! Thanks for sharing.

Very funny, Ray... I wonder how the dogs would feel if I brought a seal or a penguin home? The seals are really like dogs ...so much fun. I could and did watch them for hours. You just want to pet them. I had no idea they were so tame.

More from Andi:

The top pic is Ken applauding the seal for a good trick. The second is Beth starting to take on the habits of the lovable penguins, And in the third pic we have found the long lost Ichabod Penguin.

More from Andi:

the pup--beautiful.

great pics of Beth

those penguins. ah.

I don't know how the baby penguins ever find their mothers in that crowd if they get separated, even if they do have special calls to each other!

HaHa, love Ichabod penguin! You are so funny, Andi.
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Helen

Great reports Andi! Fantastic pictures everyone.
Thanks for taking us along.

Susan

PERFECT morning. Sea was calm, no wind, the beach was packed with kings, gentoos, seals, elephant seals, and birds. Just wonderful. The elephant seals gave us a show as they rose up and fought smacking and biting each other. I have never seen that behavior before. Pictures will explain far better than I can. It was colder than our other landings but still no wind. Just to top it all off we heard the loud cracking and thunder of a glacier calving and a hanging glacier dropped a massive amount of snow and ice down the rock face. Spectacular.

I am sure more detailed reports and pictures will be following.

This has been the most fantastic South Georgia experience. We have made six landings and expect a zodiac ride to see the macaroni and chinstrap penguins this afternoon. Not only have we been able to land at every stop but the conditions have been excellent. Could not have been better.

I heard we will have some rough water now for the next two days on our way to Antarctica but that is okay, it cant be perfect and prefer that to not making the landings. Hopefully all that weather will pass and then when we reach Antarctica we will have some more sunshine and great landings.

to calm seas.

what a wonderful, wonderful trip

Posting for Andi:

love, love that baby seal with adults pic.
great perspective on how small is small.

A little explanation on the photos...

The large seals which seem to be fighting are young male elephant seals playing who were born in November. The little one is an adult fur seal. Now, that should give you perspective!

The last photo is a mother king penguin feeding her chick regurgitated food.

The group pic was from our zodiac ride today. Ngaire, Ken, Andrea, Pam, Jim, Beth, Crystal, Doug, me on Cooper Bay.

The zodiac picture on the beach was Gold Harbor littered with so many seals.

The blondie and and dark seal are fur seals on Cooper Harbor.

The brown penguins are baby king penguins. Some are being pushed along by their mothers and some even talk back. The one who appears to be wearing pony fur is not a designer penguin but pre pubescent.

Notice the face off between the gentoo and king penguin.

Thanks for posting, Karen!

Wow! It just gets better and better!