First sights of land at Half Moon Island

Spectacular scenery at Half Moon Island

Half Moon Island

Elephant seal and gentoo penguins at Hannah Point

Whaler's Bay

As written our crossing was surprisingly smooth, and we were actually the fist ship who were able to cross the Drake quickly enough to do a landing already on day 2, and what a landing it was.
Half Moon Island being part of the Southern Shetlands was spectacular. The view was great, there were (of course) penguins waiting for us on the beach and more (and more and more...) all over the island.
On this island there were chinstrap penguins who has already had their chicks a few weeks ago.
They were mostly uninterested in us, which is a great sign as they've not been exposed enough to humans to understand that they are dangerous.
About 5 degrees, mostly sun and some skies which really just made the pictures more interesting.
All landings were done by zodiac, as they will be for the entire journey. Quick and efficient way of getting to shore where there are no harbour, which there are none of down here.
In addition to the penguins there were also an elephantseal and a leopardseal having a relaxing day on the beach.

For the morninglanding of day two we got to Hannah Point as this seasons first travelers who were allowed to go on shore.

Action Penguin at Hannah Point

What a wildlife that met us, as always there were some rouge penguins on the beach, but just a few meters up there were thousands who had had their chicks some weeks ago. The chicks were now close to being selfsustained, and they more or less just walking around thinking they were probably supposed to do something, but still really without a clue what they should do or how to do it.
A pack of younger elephantseals were also moulting on the beach, they saw us but as we were not allowed to go to close they really didn't seem to bother much.
The area was also mostly free of snow and there were quite a bit of grass around, so to be Antarctia this must be what they would refer to as lush and fruitfull although all the fruit was still onboard the ship.
The surrounding landscape wasn't as impressive, but the wildlife was spectacular.

Second stop of the day was Whaler's bay on Deception Island, an old whaling station where Norwegians had had their base in the beginning of the century untill it was abandoned and later fought about between the Argentins and British.
A massive beach where there were still remnants of the golden olden whaling days, which in short means some bones of some whales, some rusten parts of some barrels and a few buildings that could fall over if you farted high enough.
We held our flatulence for the visit and left the place as we found it.
The island itself is an active vulkano that had it's last eruption in 1971

Elephantseals moulting at Hannah Point

Chinstrap penguins with chicks at Hannah Point