CIRCLE WITH A DOT

Day 8 of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa (continued): a few photos of Adelie penguins on the Yalour Islands.
#BusmansHoliday

@andre123 For the most part it's just like climbing a ladder. Harnesses are worn though and for the trickier bits (getting onto the platforms and going out on the yards) we were instructed to clip a lanyard onto safety lines.

Day 8 of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa: instruction on climbing on the higher sections of the masts and the yards, then passage through Lemaire Channel (commonly referred to as Kodak Crack back in the day when all photographers used film), followed by a landing on the Yalour Islands, which host a large Adelie peguin rookery.
#BusmansHoliday

@MaksiSanctum
Hope you can realise that dream one day.

The stand-out sights of this small boat excursion were a number of Weddell seals resting on some of the bergy bits.

Day 7 of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa: an exploration of a narrow channel between Spert and Trinity Islands in small boats, weaving between numerous icebergs and growlers.
#BusmansHoliday

@jwcph Columnar jointing formed in cooling magma often produces spectacular features. Other examples are the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland and on the island of Staffa in the Inner Hebrides, west of Scotland. It seems almost too perfect and regular to be natural.

@jwcph The other-worldly appearance is probably a little exaggerated because I'd accidentally messed up the white balance on my camera. It took me a while to work out what was wrong. I've tried adjusting the colours to appear more realistic but with only partial success.

Day 6 of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa: a close approach to Half Moon Island in McFarlane Strait, South Shetland Islands, but strong winds precluded a landing. Subsequently we approached close to Edinburgh Hill on Livingston Island, a volcanic plug exhibiting spectacular columnar jointing.
#BusmansHoliday

@Raphi Operating a ship of this kind has high costs. The voyage crew fees pay most of the bills.

@Raphi
Unless you're an experienced tall ship sailor and in a position to apply to become one of the permanent crew, you need to sign up as "voyage crew" and pay the substantial fee. It was the most I've ever paid for a trip lasting a few weeks, but so worth it.
Here is the sailing schedule
https://www.barkeuropa.com/en/our-voyages/sailing-schedule

@croyle Have you been in contact with my former colleague Mike Gloistein who is a ham radio enthusiast (gm0hcq) and often used to interact with other hams in his spare time while down South?

Wildlife encountered during our landing at Whalers' Bay, Deception Island.

Decaying remains of the old whaling station at Whalers' Bay, Deception Island, including a derelict whalers' hut that was used as the main accommodation building by British researchers stationed here between 1944 and 1969. Under an international agreement Deception Island is designated as an Antarctic Specially Managed Area, but there is little evidence of any management. The decaying remains of the station here are neither being conserved nor removed.

Day 5 (continued) of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa: second landing, at Whalers' Bay, Deception Island, South Shetland Islands. From the landing site we walked up a valley to a depression in the caldera rim from which Nathaniel B Palmer first sighted the mainland of the Antarctic Peninsula in 1820.
#BusmansHoliday

@stevewfolds She's the only tall ship visiting Antarctica regularly. These voyages are probably the closest you can get today to experiencing what it was like to travel to Antarctica during the heroic age of exploration.

@NotDennisBonvie There's still more of day 5 to post about yet.

@AndrewDonkin Thanks.

Day 5 (continued) of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa: first close encounters with some of the local inhabitants at Telefon Bay, Deception Island, South Shetland Islands.
#BusmansHoliday

Day 5 (continued) of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa: first landing, at Telefon Bay, Deception Island, South Shetland Islands. From the landing site we walked to the summit of Cross Hill and around the phreatic eruption crater it stands on one side of.
#BusmansHoliday