24th January 2008 - Le Maire Channel and Jougla Point, Port Lockroy.

Time 06:51, 64 degrees 58.04' South, 63 degrees 43.39' West, Air Temperature 6.0 oC, Water Temperature 1.1 oC, overcast clearing to long sunny spells and then snow and rain showers later, Wind South Force 4 decreasing in the afternoon and increasing again in the evening.

The Antarctic peninsula through a letterbox gap in the fog this morning.

It was only fitting that on our last attempt of the season at going down the Le Maire Channel was successful! The morning started foggy but as we approached the channel it lifted and the sun came out. The channel was unreal.

The Marco Polo entering the Le Maire Channel for the first and only time this season.

It is formed by Booth Island lying close to the Antarctic peninsula. It is just 1,600 metres/5,000 feet wide at its narrowest point and the cliffs rise at either side to over 1,000 meters/3000 feet in parts, leaning over the ship and glaciers flow down the the channel like runny icing on a Christmas cake.

Passengers enjoying the spectacular views of the Le Maire Channel.

One of the many glaciers on the Le Maire Channel.

We saw Humpback Whales and also Leopard Seals. At one point we were watching two Leopard Seals lying on an ice flow very close to the ship when a flock of about 15 Gentoo Penguins suddenly popped out of the water and landed within a meter/three feet of one of the seals. It was so funny, as soon as they realised they had landed so close to their most feared predator they all shuffled to the other end of the ice flow and jumped back into the water. The Leopard Seals just raised their heads, they must have already had breakfast!

The Yalour Islands at the southern end of the Le Maire Channel with its large Adelie Penguin Colony.

Following that amazing morning we had a successful landing at Jougla Point, Port Lockroy. The weather started good but deteriorated as the afternoon worn on and we were wet and cold by the the time the last passengers headed back to the ship. I met some more passengers who had been following the blog before they joined the ship and Sandra Coman, a primary school teacher from Brisbane, Australian who had been following the blog before joining brought a scarf she knitted specially for Kenny the bear!

Sandra Coman, from Brisbane Australia at Jougla Point, Port Lockroy with Kenny and the scarf she made for him.

Another passenger at Jougla Point who visited my blog before joining the ship (granny says a big hello!)

It was great to meet Sandra who said she wanted to use St. Mary's colours in the scarf but could not find them on the Internet. Kenny was hugely impressed with the new scarf. Unfortunately there was no sign of the Emperor Penguin today.

Getting late (again!), bye for now. PS Hi Birgit and thanks for the support and comments on the blog!

Gentoo Penguin "Guano Art" - naturally.

Sarah and the rest of the Expedition Team leaving Jougla Point, Port Lockroy for the last time.

Wildlife seen on the Le Maire Channel and at Jougla Point, Port Lockroy

Mammals
Humpback Whale 6+
Minke Whale 1
Leopard Seal 7

Birds
Giant Petrel 2
Southern Fulmar 3
Wilson’s Storm Petrel 8
Gentoo Penguin 1,000 + (with large chicks)
Adelie Penguin 1,500 + (At Yalour Islands)
Snowy Sheathbill 10+
Antarctic Shag 25+ (with large chicks)
Brown Skua 12+
South Polar Skua 4
Kelp Gull 60+ (with large chicks)
Antarctic Tern 50+

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