25th December - Half Moon Island and Drake Passage. 20:46(pm) 60 degrees 18.81' South, 61 degrees 59.09' West, overcast and snowing at Half Moon, clearer later with showers on the Drake Passage, wind South West force 3 increasing to force 8 later, Air Temperature 5oc, Water Temperature 1.30c.


Weddell Seal at Jougla Point, Port Lockroy



Brown Skua trying to steal our perimeter line.




ChinStrap Penguin at Half Moon Island

Chinstrap Penguins at Half Moon Island

The Expedition Team

Kenny, given to me by St. Mary's National School Cobh, with a Snow Penguin

Large iceberg on the Drake Passage

Large skull shaped iceberg with a hole through it in the Drake Passage

Kenny after a snow shower

Drake Passage (actual sea colour)

A very early start this morning, landing on Half Moon Island at about 6.15am in heavy snow showers - a white Christmas! As with the other Islands the team thought there was more snow on the island than ever seen by them before. It was also noted that the Chinstrap rookery continues to decline in size. Half Moon was used by sealers in the 19th century when almost all the seals in the area were eventually killed. The wind picked up and the landing had to be aborted with 170 passengers getting ashore before we had to return to the ship. We then headed for Drake Passage. A squadron of 27 Cape Petrels escorted us out between the islands into the Drake, flying in circuits around the ship. Within sight of land we crossed a line of icebergs stretching out in both directions. Some the size of a small Island - immense. While sea conditions continued to deteriorate we were treated to a spectacular show of seabirds over rough seas with up to 1,000 Cape Petrels spread out in all directions and a supporting cast of Southern Fulmars, Giant Petrels, including one white morph, and other species.

Cruise Species List Sunday 25th December 2007

Mammals
Humpback Whale 3
Antarctic Fur Seal 1

Birds
Giant Petrel 50+ (including one almost white individual)
Black-browed Albatross 10+
Grey-headed Albatross 1
Southern Fulmar 200+
Cape Petrel 1,000 + (on entering Drake Passage)
Antarctic Petrel 6
Antarctic Prion 2
White-chinned Petrel 6+
Wilson’s Storm Petrel 50+
Gentoo Penguin 10+
Adelie Penguin 3
Chinstrap Penguin 400+
Snowy Sheathbill 5+
Antarctic Shag 10+
Brown “Sub Antarctic” Skua 8
South Polar Skua 2
Kelp Gull 10+
Antarctic Tern 20+

Note: A + sign after the counts indicates that we saw at least that number but more may have been present.