Hannah Point

The next morning we went to Hannah Point. It sure was windy outside. Still haven't seen the sun and the waves look formidable for a Zodiac. At least the fog has lifted and we can see the island from the ship.

I dressed in extra layers because I knew this Zodiac ride was gonna be a doosy. I watched the first one go out -- it must have taken 20 minutes for the boat to battle its way through the sea to the shore against the wind. With some reservation, I boarded the Zodiac and we headed for shore. The 33 degree water incessantly leapt over the sides of the boat as I clutched the safety ropes for dear life. The water splashed all over me, but thanks to all the Goretex only my gloves got soaking wet. I was surprised that I was the only one on the trip who brought ski goggles, and I was glad I did on that ride! I was also glad that I brought an extra pair of gloves, which later got soaked on the way back.

The Zodiac carefully navigated around the small ice chunks blocking a clear path to the shore. Man it was windy. On land it seemed even windier than on the boat; I felt that it could almost blow me over. The penguins didn't seem to care. They all went about their penguin business -- gentoos and chinstraps again. A lot of people got a glimpse of the 2 macaroni penguin pairs, but I missed them. There were a lot of juvenile chinstraps just finising their molt. I found a tall rock that provided shelter from the wind and stayed there most of the time. A scavenger bird pecked at my monopod.

The Zodiac shuttles were temporarily halted because the wind picked up beyond 30 knots. I'm glad they resumed shortly thereafter.