# The Hooded Claw meets the Penguin (Antarctica trip log, New whale pic 2-5-17)



## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Actually I should meet several penguins. I'm on a cruise ship headed to Antarctica! We've puttered around the Strait of Magellan for a few days after boarding in Punta Aerenas, Chile. This morning we landed at Cape Horn. This is mainly a bragging rights destination there is a little too see there. Just the world's southernmost lighthouse, a crude chapel, and some grassy cliffs. Because of the high winds and cold temperatures, only short plants such as grass will grow. I'm going to try to post a pic or two on this slow cruise ship wifi, here goes!




























Looks like that worked, you see me standing next to the marker for the Cape (the cutout is an albatross, supposedly life size), the chapel interior, and a shot of our Zodiac pulling away from the ship. I'll try posting more later if this works out!

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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Temperatures have been in the upper 30s and lower 40s.. I'm told in Antarctica it will be around freezing. We will spend two days landing in the south Shetland Islands off the Antarctic coast, and four days on the Antarctic peninsula. Getting from Cape Horn to the south Shetland Islands will take about 36 hours.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Here are a couple of shots from Garibaldi Glacier in Southern Chile. We were there two days ago.




























It was raining a bit, but not badly. The experience reminded me of being in Alaska.

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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

Very cool!
DH & I would love to do a trip at the other end of the world to see polar bears.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Oh, and here is the world's most southern lighthouse , at Cape Horn. A Chilean Navy officer and his wife are stationed here for a year at a time....










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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

We are at sea now, I'm told about halfway between Cape Horn and Antarctica. We have a gale force winds, and the ship is rocking a bit. The crew claims this is a better than average passage. For yesterday we were in a small place called Puerto Williams. One Thing I have learned on this trip is that Cape Horn is not where I thought it was. It is not the tip of the island of Tierra del Fuego, but actually on some islands off the coast there.

I'm going to post a couple of photos from Puerto Williams. Note the Christmas tree! PW is not a major cruise destination however. Speaking of which, we've only seen one other cruise ship in several days down here. Very different from the Mediterranean.



















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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

Oh Claw !!

You are taking my dream trip......Have fun and enjoy it enough for both of us !!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Yay, Claw!!!!

We have friends who took that trip and they had a very rocky passage--and were told that it was about normal.  Glad you're having a better one!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Your post made me look up Cape Horn. Read this on Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Horn:

"Cape Horn (Dutch: About this sound Kaap Hoorn , Spanish: Cabo de Hornos), named after the city of Hoorn in the Netherlands, is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which are the Diego Ramirez Islands), Cape Horn marks the northern boundary of the Drake Passage and marks where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans collide"

And this map:









Very interesting, I also thought it was the most southerly bit.

Betsy


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Your post made me look up Cape Horn. Read this on Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Horn:
> 
> "Cape Horn (Dutch: About this sound Kaap Hoorn , Spanish: Cabo de Hornos), named after the city of Hoorn in the Netherlands, is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which are the Diego Ramirez Islands), Cape Horn marks the northern boundary of the Drake Passage and marks where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans collide"
> 
> ...


As did I and I'll bet the majority of people, too.

What a great trip. Love the photos.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Oh, I bought another Internet pass tonight. I'm having a great trip, we have now made three landings, two on islands off the coast of the continent and one on the actual main continent. One of the island landings was inside the caldera of a volcano that Errupted as recently as 1970! This evening after dinner, I went out and watched and saw a beautiful blue icebergs, and seals and penguins diving as if if they were in a circus.

Temperatures have not been bad. As forecast, they are usually around freezing.  Usually over dressed and come back soaked in sweat. I'm sure it helped that two of the landings involved a great deal of climbing. Today we went cruising around in the zodiacs after landing, and that is actually the coldest I've got. Going to try and post some pictures.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Got a lot of photographs of this guy who would dive off the berg, and moments later pop back up! Despite his name, they feed mostly on krill not crabs. The wildlife on the trip has been great, we seen most everything we wanted or expected to see except whales. Last night we did have three humpback whale put on a pretty good show. But no other whales. We had hopes of seeing orcas, or a blue whale if we were very lucky. Course the trip is not over yet. Also I have not seen an albatross yet, which I suppose is good luck.

This is a crabeater seal diving. Penguins coming up in another Post!

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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Above are penguins. These are chinstrap penguins. They are one of the smallest varieties. You have to follow a path sent out by the Guides, you cannot wander at will. But they set up a path right through the penguin colony. And this seems to be standard. We saw evidence that other people have been there. But we have only seen one other cruise ship (actually it was the only ship) in Antarctica. It's not a heavily-traveled destination! They do tell us that about 40,000 people a year travel here. And yes, that is an egg you see under the penguin. Then penguins only play one egg per season, a few lay two eggs, but usually deliberately push one out of the nest when the other is about to hatch. pictures were taken at a place called half Moon Island

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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

So awesome!  Thanks for sharing!

Betsy


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

In the picture of people on a rocky outcrop, the small black and white things are chinstrap penguins. To the far right, you can see a skua (hawklike bird) perched on a boulder waiting for a chance to steal an egg.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Birder checking in...

Skuas are probably more like gulls than hawks--they're seabirds and look like large gulls; but apparently *are* known as "raptors of the south" because they go after the eggs of the penguins.

https://identify.whatbird.com/obj/509/overview/South_Polar_Skua.aspx

Cool. I so envy you!


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

The "chinstrap" makes the beak look like a nose and the strap is a smile - adorable.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

crebel said:


> The "chinstrap" makes the beak look like a nose and the strap is a smile - adorable.


I love the picture of the chinstrap penguin. So cool!

Betsy


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

There are several optional activities. One of them is kayaking. They will even teach you kayaking if you haven't done it before. I did not sign up. But one penguin seemed to want to try.

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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> There are several optional activities. One of them is kayaking. They will even teach you kayaking if you haven't done it before. I did not sign up. But one penguin seemed to want to try.


Love it!

Betsy


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

The Hooded Claw said:


> ... But one penguin seemed to want to try.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Love penguins!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

The forecast for Cuverville Island today is light snow and moderate to heavy Gentoo Penguins....



















With occasional skuas in the afternoon:










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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> With occasional skuas in the afternoon:


Love these, particularly this one!

Betsy


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Fantastic photos!!!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

What's the temperature, Claw?

Betsy


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Love the pictures Claw. 

That seal that was just laying there lounging on his perch, so cute. 

That pic with the bunch of penguins is like one of those hidden object games I like playing. Find the penguins  

It looks coldish, but it also looks like the air one breathes there is so very fresh and clean. 

Frisky penguins.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> What's the temperature, Claw?
> 
> Betsy


Been very moderate, it's summer here. Temps ranged from 28 to 38, usually right around freezing. But some days we've had howling winds that made it feel worse. We had light rain one day, and snow one day (obviously). When away from the ship, I usually have more problem being hot than cold, I'm so bundled up. Wind and precipitation make unlayering risky sometimes!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Incidentally, Puerto Williams in Chile claims to have the purest water and air of anyplace.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

My wifi pass expires soon, but here's one more pic....









Just a brief salute to Norway, whose flag flies proudly from our ship. I took this as we left the narrow channel into the volcanic crater that is Deception Island.

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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

NapCat said:


> Oh Claw !!
> 
> You are taking my dream trip......Have fun and enjoy it enough for both of us !!


Napcat, get your employer to send you there!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

We took our last Antarctica excursion this morning,and are preparing to sail for South America. But we did one last tender cruise, and actually were able to land and stand on pack ice ("walk on the ocean" as the staff called it!). We also saw this Crabeater Seal who had a sort of bulldog cuteness/toughness).




























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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Love it!

Betsy


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Here are a few random penguin shots. One with a Skua on aerial patrol for what he can get.










The penguins have well-worn paths from their rookeries to the sea where the food is.



















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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

Definitely warmer there than it is in the US Midwest!  Our actual temperature is -10 this morning with wind chill factors down to -45.  You've practically been in the tropics!

Safe travels on the return journey, Claw.


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

crebel said:


> Definitely warmer there than it is in the US Midwest! Our actual temperature is -10 this morning with wind chill factors down to -45. You've practically been in the tropics!
> 
> Safe travels on the return journey, Claw.


Well, it is summertime down there at the moment!


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## Tripp (May 28, 2009)

I just read this...Oh my this is one of my dream trips.  I love penguins and would love to go to Antarctica.  I am enjoying this thread so much.


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## anguabell (Jan 9, 2011)

I love those seals  ! What an awesome trip, thank you for sharing.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I'm now in the airport at Punta Arenas, Chile starting th long trip home. Back in Oklahoma Thursday morning. Calm passage back through the Drake Passage, so no big storms or seasickness.


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

Safe travels!


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## loonlover (Jul 4, 2009)

Safe travels with minimum hassles. I have really enjoyed this thread. Not nearly adventuresome enough to take a trip like this.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

After a surprisingly good six hour layover, I am now through Chilean immigration and at my gate at the Santiago Chile airport waiting for my flight. Still two hours to take off, though.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

What an adventure you've had, Claw!

So envious.

Betsy


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I want a pet crabeater seal now. Or not, as he looks pretty comfy where he is. I hope they always have their habitat there. Like they suppose to.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Thanks so much for sharing your adventure. Loved all the photos.


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## kdiem (Feb 29, 2016)

Thanks for sharing! And yes, may you have safe, hassle-free travels back home! The chinstrap pengins, the would-be kayaker penguin, and the seals were my favorite shots. I really wanted to pet the seals (though I totally know better and would not actually do so).


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

There are going to be lots more pictures coming, and even a video or two. Stay tuned.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

yay!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

In Punta Arenas, the Southern Chile gateway to Antarctica, we saw this plane painted as a penguin! I guess they really can fly after all!

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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

^^ Clever, but not as cute as the real thing!  Looking forward to more pictures.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I didn't explicitly say, but I'm back at home now. Barely made the connection in DFW, and my luggage did not make it! But American Airlines has it and promises I'll have my luggage this afternoon.


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

Welcome home!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Welcome back, Claw!!!!


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Welcome home.


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## loonlover (Jul 4, 2009)

Welcome home! Looking forward to additional photos.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

"Dance band on the Titanic,
Sing 'Nearer My God to Thee,'
The iceberg's in the starboard bow,
Won't you dance with me?"



















These were taken about 10:30 PM. The Sun was still above the horizon, but quite dim as you can see.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

They have an official set of iceberg classifications by size. Small icebergs, about the size of a car, are called Growlers. Bergs the size of a small house are called Bergy Bits. It was a Bergy Bit that got the Titanic. After this promising beginning, the names get boring. We then go to small, medium, large, and very large iceberg. The iceberg in the photo above is a medium one.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

OK, that iceberg is kind of ominous!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Ever see a humpback whale eat? They eat krill, a sort of small shrimp. They gather up a big mouthful of water that has a lot of krill in it, and close their mouth to force the water and krill through a filter called baleen (think of forcing it through the teeth of a comb). The water flows on out, but the krill are filtered out to become lunch. In the first photo you see a whale with his lower jaw swollen with water and krill, and in the second shot you see a different whale forcing the filtered krill-free water out of both sides of his mouth.



















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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

Welcome Home, Claw !

....and Thanks for letting me share the adventure....


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Okay, let's admit it. Despite all the whales and landscapes, what people really want to see from Antarctica is penguin pics! So here are a few to satisfy the urge....










"I don't have to do anything, I can just get by on my good looks, right?"










"Forget the movie, we are the real March of the Penguins!"










There aren't a lot of good nesting materials in Antarctic, so the most popular for penguins is....rocks. Even rocks of the right size are in short supply, so penguins are energetic in finding them, and stealing them from the nests of their neighbors. This chinstrap penguin isn't robbing the neighbors, and has found the perfect rock fair and square. Unfortunately, odds are good that it will be stolen soon after it gets put on the nest. But he will just steal it back!

Unlike the other photos I'm posting today, this is a Chinstrap Penguin. The other photos show Gentoo Penguins. Key differences are beak and eye color, and of course the chinstrap that makes it look like these guys have helmets on!










Penguins are in great danger from seals and Orcas while in the water, but adult penguins have little to fear on land. So if threatened in the water, their instinct is to head for shore. This group was feeding in the water, when our ship got close enough to be scary, and in ones and twos, they quickly fled to this handy iceberg. They look jet propelled as they zip out of the water to safety. This was just a temporary refuge, and they no doubt got back in the a]water and to the serious business of fishing soon after we passed.

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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I love the whales and the landscapes. And don't forget the seals. But the penguins are awfully cute.


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

.....and in keeping with the theme, here is my cat named_ "PENGUIN"_










...the original NapCAT and my mentor ! GIGGLE


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

NapCat said:


> .....and in keeping with the theme, here is my cat named_ "PENGUIN"_
> 
> 
> 
> ...


She is truly truly gorgeous!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

NapCat said:


> .....and in keeping with the theme, here is my cat named_ "PENGUIN"_
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Awww.....


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## kdiem (Feb 29, 2016)

Welcome back!   Thanks for all the great pics. And the cute animal pics always get my vote, kitten-penguin, penguin, or seal.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

We were in Antarctic waters for about a week, and saw two other ships during that time. This is a good-sized ship, but still seems small compared to a whole continent!










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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

All I can say is WOW!!!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Penguin nest sites are all about location, location, location. A good location means a Snow-free rocky outcrop. Even though this may mean a long commute to the penguin supermarket (that's the sea to us mammals). Penguins wear trails in the snow on the most efficient routes to the supermarket. You can see trails from this housing development radiating out at nine o'clock and ten-thirty. If the commute is a long one, penguins will stop and rest as you see here....



















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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Our ship had various equipment to be used in case of emergency. I'm glad I never tried out the Viking Evacuation Chute. It would've been so embarrassing if I had forgotten to take off my spike heels! 

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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

On December 12th, we Did our first Antarctica landing on Half Moon Island in the South Shetlands. It is 9:12 AM, and I'm on the ship waiting for my group to be called. After breakfast I went on deck to take this shot. Directly below you see a kayak being loaded on a tender, and the wake of a tender headed to shore draws your eyes towards the tilted beach where I'll soon be walking...










About twenty minutes later, in on my tender, eagerly looking ahead to the shore. You can see a tender unloading on shore just above dead center, and off to the left the tender in front of us waits to land. Just to the left of that tender, on shore you can see the ruined wreck of a whaling boat that is over 100 years old! More About it later.










Getting closer, you can see the tender ahead of us is filled with kayakers. The blue dry suits and unusual life preservers make them stand out. You see a bunch of colorful bags and cans on the beach. These are the first thing that is landed. They contain shelters and "iron rations" for the landing party in case bad weather or rapidly arriving drift ice causes the landing party to be stuck on shore for awhile! One of our guides even admitted this had happened to him once!










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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Did you get any photos of the whaling boat?


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Did you get any photos of the whaling boat?


Yep, they will come later!


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Yep, they will come later!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

After landing in Antarctica for the first time, I looked back at the ship and marveled that I was actually here!

(And don't worry, the whaleboat is coming!)










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## kdiem (Feb 29, 2016)

I'm cold just looking at the people standing in the water. 

Fun thread, thanks for posting! Will keep reading.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

We saw Humpback Whales several times, but only saw Orcas once. And Orcas aren't as cooperative--Humpbacks will linger on the surface and almost seem to be curious about humans in ships, while Orcas just go about their business and don't linger. Anyway, this is my best Orca shot, presumably a mother and calf!










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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Must have been breathtaking in person.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Must have been breathtaking in person.


Just about anytime seeing whales is breathtaking for me, I am fascinated by them. This was only my second Orca sighting, so was still special even for a whale sighting!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Snowshoers. Look carefully at lower right....










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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

It is well-known that penguins often travel long distances riding on icebergs. In the first photo, you see an economy-class iceberg, with several penguins forced to wait in a long line. If you look closely, you'll see that both Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguins are mixed in here. In the second photo, you see how this ends in a case of "iceberg rage" where exhausted and angry penguins get tired of the long waits and cramped quarters, and one-by-one they leap from the iceberg to whatever fate awaits below. Avoiding this fate by paying astronomical First Class fares, the Penguin One Percent ride in luxury on chartered private icebergs.




























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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Washinguin in the bow of the boat, looking sternly across the Delaware river toward Trenton.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

The patterns of the trails that let penguins get from their rocky nest sites to the water can get very elaborate! But it is all just so the birds can get to the beach and into the water where food is. As a bonus, you see an automated weather station in one of these shots, all from a place called Neko Harbor.




























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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Several people have asked me about getting on and off the ship, and if they really took steps to avoid introducing invasive species into Antarctica that aren't supposed to be there. These photos show our tender approaching the ship, and what we did first thing when returning to make sure we didn't spread bad things. Detailed explanation on each photo!

Our tender is approaching the ship. They had two big hatches at water level that formed a deck to step on and off of. Note how thick the deck (and the hull) is! Two big husky guys, each with a safety tether tying to the ship, waited to help us on board. One would grab each of your hands as you stepped in. They position the ship between you and any waves, but it could still be bouncy. On the blue jackets the ship provided for each passenger, you'll see a window in the left sleeve. This was designed to hold your ship ID card, and they will scan you on and off the ship.










After being scanned on board, you would step onto this boot washer that works sort of like an automatic carwash for your boots! There were also rotating brushes covering the bottom of your boots. You push the button in the handle to make it work, and it just takes a few seconds to do a good job of cleaning your boots. We did this after each landing, this helps prevent carrying a disease from one colony of penguins to another. It also got rid of all the penguin poop that you had been walking through!










After stepping off of the boot wash, you stepped into a tray of sticky stuff soaked in biocide. Apparently the stuff kills on contact! This was kind of slippery, and I actually found it scarier than stepping off of the tender to the ship!










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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

How science fictiony. Necessary, I know, but still weird.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I went to Antarctica to enjoy and experience the place. But obviously, recording it by photography was important to me. One member of our group chose a different artistic medium to record his vision.



















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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Cool!

No place to set up my sewing machine....


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Cool!
> 
> No place to set up my sewing machine....


But a great place to use quilts!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

While I was in Antarctica I mostly sought to focus (literally) on penguins and whales and perhaps seals. If none of those were available, and another subject presented itself I would shoot, but really would've preferred one of the glamorous subjects.

Now that I'm home and reviewing my pictures, I find I have a number of shots of these Blue-Eyed Cormorants that I am very pleased with. Do check out the eyes on the fellow with his head upside down!





































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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Granny, the world's oldest Orca is missing, presumed dead. She was approximately 105 years old.

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/puget-sound/oldest-puget-sound-orca-granny-missing-considered-dead/


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

If 105, she was born the year before my younger set of grandparents. Not surprising at that age, but sad.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Both parent penguins are very attentive in caring for the eggs.










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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Ask any penguin! Life in Antarctica can be hard...










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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Love, love, love your photos, Claw!

Betsy


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

In 1911, B. W. Larvik carved his initials on this rock. Our guide estimated that this took 90 to 120 minutes. One hundred and five years later, our group saw his work. It is believed Larvik was a Norwegian Whaler, but nothing really is known about him. They're hard to see because of size, but his carving is almost dead-center of the first picture.



















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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Love, love, love your photos, Claw!


Thanks Betsy!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Endlessly fascinating.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Endlessly fascinating.


 This guy probably experienced World War I, and quite possibly the German occupation of Norway during World War II. We don't know what happened to him. In his old age, I wonder if he even remembered carving this. I'm sure if he did that he'd be astonished that tourists would be looking at it a century later.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

In the "more than you wanted to know department"

This map shows the General plan of our trip. It was prepared before the Voyage, but tracks pretty closely with what we did:










And this is a graphic I made after the Voyage, showing how much of Antarctica we explored versus the size of the whole continent:










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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Great stuff, Claw!

Betsy


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

As usual, my friend.......wow.


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## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

I really enjoy following your journeys through your photographs and stories.  Thanks for sharing.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Did I miss the photos of the 100 year old whaler wreckage?


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I have other photos, but the real world is taking precedence right now. I'll be back soon with the whaleboat and others!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Darned reality!


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## WDR (Jan 8, 2014)

Loved the pictures, THC! Nicely done!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

And here is the fabled whaleboat, I hope it lives up to the buildup! 

It is reportedly over 100 years old, and just sits quietly on the rocky beach. They put up markers to keep us from getting very close, as this is a protected historical artifact under the Antarctic Treaty. More to follow!










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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> And here is the fabled whaleboat, I hope it lives up to the buildup!
> 
> It is reportedly over 100 years old, and just sits quietly on the rocky beach. They put up markers to keep us from getting very close, as this is a protected historical artifact under the Antarctic Treaty. More to follow!
> 
> ...


I can't tell how long the boat is. Can you give us some perspective? I sort of expected to see it smashed up against some rocks. This is much better.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

From memory, I believe it was about 24 feet long. Unfortunately I can't get a shot with a human next to it for scale because they had up markers to keep us from getting too close. I'm going to put up a few other shots and they might help.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> From memory, I believe it was about 24 feet long. Unfortunately I can't get a shot with a human next to it for scale because they had up markers to keep us from getting too close. I'm going to put up a few other shots and they might help.


What I was thinking is that boat is awfully small to go against a whale probably twice it's size. Very, very brave men. Then there were the natives that hunted whales in kayaks. Unbelievable.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

http://www.whalingcityrowing.org/about-whaleboats/

This is pretty specific that whaleboats were 27 to 31 feet.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> http://www.whalingcityrowing.org/about-whaleboats/
> 
> This is pretty specific that whaleboats were 27 to 31 feet.


Okay, thanks. I've got it now.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> What I was thinking is that boat is awfully small to go against a whale probably twice it's size. Very, very brave men. Then there were the natives that hunted whales in kayaks. Unbelievable.


Time to read _Moby Dick_.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

NogDog said:


> Time to read _Moby Dick_.


Love that book. It's one of the few that really pull me in.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Here are some more whaleboat photos! This is basically everything I've got on this boat. I have some other photos but they are pretty much in-camera duplicates that show the same thing. One of the photos has a human in it for scale, but the person is hunched over and the boat is almost end on so it's tough to determine size.




























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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

It also amazes me how much of that boat is still there after 100 years and so much weather.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> It also amazes me how much of that boat is still there after 100 years and so much weather.


 That's the figure I was told by the guides. I believe it, for soon after World War I whalers no longer needed to land in Antarctica. They discovered ways to process the whale on their mothership. They only came ashore to process the whale from about 1905 to 1925, so the 100 year figure is reasonable, and may actually understate the age a bit!

Normally, there is nothing that is made of wood in Antarctica, so nothing there evolved the ability to eat it! Between that and the low temperatures, the boat does pretty well.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

https://mikedashhistory.com/2011/02/13/an-abandoned-lifeboat-at-worlds-end/

Another person on the trip did some googling and found this article about a mystery involving a much newer abandoned vessel (A long distance from ours, but still way, way, South!). Note in the picture that the design of this boat is very different from the other vessel.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> https://mikedashhistory.com/2011/02/13/an-abandoned-lifeboat-at-worlds-end/
> 
> Another person on the trip did some googling and found this article about a mystery involving a much newer abandoned vessel (A long distance from ours, but still way, way, South!). Note in the picture that the design of this boat is very different from the other vessel.


Fascinating!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Five penguin tough guys! I could visualize these penguins shaking me down! "Nice camera you got there. Be a shame if anything happened to it."

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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I'm thinking Happy Feet.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Five penguin tough guys! I could visualize these penguins shaking me down! "Nice camera you got there. Be a shame if anything happened to it."
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


This would make a great quilt!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> This would make a great quilt!


Go for it! You have my blessing!

GErtie, I think the expressions are too serious for "Happy Feet"!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Go for it! You have my blessing!
> 
> GErtie, I think the expressions are too serious for "Happy Feet"!


 Don't you see their feet tapping and their flippers flapping? Those expressions are just deep concentration on the dance.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Go for it! You have my blessing!


Thanks! I'm teaching a class in 2018 on Designing with Photographs and I need some pieces. This may be one of them!

Betsy


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Don't you see their feet tapping and their flippers flapping? Those expressions are just deep concentration on the dance.


They do kind of look like the "Gang of Five" plus one groupie to me, LOL!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> They do kind of look like the "Gang of Five" plus one groupie to me, LOL!


 I had never actually seen the movie, but based on the mentions here I viewed through Amazon prime today. And I agree they look like the little penguin gang. Too bad Robin Williams is no longer around so I could invite him over to do voiceovers.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Our adventure wouldn't have been possible without the work of a lot of crew and staff. Here we see Tudor, the Expedition Leader, giving the briefing required before each landing. Tudor was the ringmaster of getting hundreds of tourists ashore safely, keeping them happy with what they saw and did there, and getting them safely back to the ship each day. Then doing it again the next day! All while complying with regulations to protect the wildlife.










Next we see a tender driver whose name I never did learn.










Finally, we see two serious-looking guys who helped us on and off of the tenders. This could be bouncy, so one would grab each of your arms. They have on dry suits, and are tethered to the ship. This is to help them if they have to go into the water after a clumsy tourist! We were told that the seawater was at 30 degrees Fahrenheit, and if we went in without a dry suit, we'd be paralyzed after about two minutes, and dead after five to ten minutes. So the suits and tethers are not a joke or formality!










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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I'm going to be very sad when you run out of pictures. I'll have to go back to the beginning and look at them all again.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I have posted the most spectacular Antarctica pictures unless I find a gem that I missed. But I have more interesting Antarctic photos to post, and I haven't even looked at my photos from the Straits of Magellan and southern South America.  So we have a ways to go!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Oh, good. I look forward to the pictures.


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Oh, good. I look forward to the pictures.


ME TOOOOOOOO !!!!!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

The temperature was always around freezing when we were ashore, so We had to bundle up. But it wasn't horribly cold, on at least one day the people at home in Oklahoma were colder than I was in Antarctica! In addition to protection from the cold, the ultraviolet light is pretty strong, so we needed to protect our skin and eyes with clothing, sunblock, or sunglasses. The sunglasses also helped my eyes with the dazzling snow! And yes, this is me, grabbed from a video by a friend. In the video, I talk, and you can't even tell my mouth is moving!

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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I would recognize you anywhere . 😀

Very cool picture.


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> I would recognize you anywhere . ðŸ˜€
> 
> Very cool picture.


Especially by that "I talk, and you can't even tell my mouth is moving!"


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Penguins insist on having a rocky outcrop for nesting. And from what I saw, Antarctic penguins always nest in groups. These lucky birds have a nice rocky place that is close to the sea (and food) and has a great view as well! I'm not a geologist, but I'm guessing that the spectacular mountains that we saw were because water is usually frozen and not in liquid form that would erode away the sharp edges.

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## PaintedHarborPress (Dec 6, 2016)

Beautiful picture. Thanks for sharing!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Chinstrap Penguin caught napping!



















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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

The chinstraps are so cute. They always look like they're smiling.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I'd have loved to see a Rockhopper Penguin. We had a chance they would be at our first landing site, but no luck, darn it!

(Not my photo, from Samuel Blanc via Wikipedia)










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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

That looks like a bad dude.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Punk penguins! I wish we'd seen them!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Sometimes after, and once instead of landing, we would get in the tenders and cruise around looking for scenery and wildlife. We usually went in groups for this, though sometimes scattered out more. Here are some shots...




























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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Punk penguins! I wish we'd seen them!


Yeah!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Seal being adorable...










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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Seal being adorable...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Definitely adorable


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Just like my doggie.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

Absolutely AMAZING!!!, THC


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Seal being adorable...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Don't you just want to scratch his belly? Of course, you might lose a hand!!!


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

The Hooded Claw said:


>


I like the various contrasts of colors and textures in this one.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Wow!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Wow!


Tell Marko he can't go play with them. In Antarctica, bears are an invasive species.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Tell Marko he can't go play with them. In Antarctica, bears are an invasive species.


How about Marko's buddy Pengie:


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> How about Marko's buddy Pengie:


How cute! I hope Marko and Pengie are besties.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Dang, I never saw that species while I was there!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Dang, I never saw that species while I was there!


You have to lay out a very special home-made quilt in order to attract that species.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Icebergs were always popular. And I wasn't the only one taking pictures!










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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I keep hoping that Hurtigruten Lines will offer me big bucks for the right to use this on their brochures, but no luck so far!










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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

The Hooded Claw said:


> I keep hoping that Hurtigruten Lines will offer me big bucks for the right to use this on their brochures, but no luck so far!


Just needs a bit of PhotoShopping (or GIMPing in my thrifty case). 


__
https://flic.kr/p/RzQfKR


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

NogDog said:


> Just needs a bit of PhotoShopping (or GIMPing in my thrifty case).
> 
> 
> __
> https://flic.kr/p/RzQfKR


Nice!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I don't choose to edit to like that, but it does look pretty cool! Most of our days in Antarctica were overcast.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

If you're a seal, often there's not much to do except lay around!

I'm tempted to caption this: "Bring me a bon bon!"


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2017/02/02/antarctica-larsen-c-ice-shelf-crack/97402418/

I'm just as happy we didn't see this!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2017/02/02/antarctica-larsen-c-ice-shelf-crack/97402418/
> 
> I'm just as happy we didn't see this!


Yeah, I wouldn't want to be around when an iceberg the size of Rhode Island cracks off and bullsdozes its way out to sea.

And of course, there's always someone looking to profit.

"Irish bookmakers, ever in search of something to bet on, offered odds last month on when the iceberg will finally break off. PaddyPower offered 7-to-2 odds it will break free in February or March, which is summer in Antarctica. By October, the odds slide to 25-1."


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Of course, some seals use their spare time to practice their yoga...

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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Humpback Whale on the surface. The bumpy area to the right is the upper jaw, then you see a sort of V-shaped area that contains the two blowholes.

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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Since I hate being cold, I'm so glad I can see these wonderful photos in the warmth of my snuggie.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Since I hate being cold, I'm so glad I can see these wonderful photos in the warmth of my snuggie.


Really wasn't that cold...Several of the days we were there, it was colder in Oklahoma than in Antarctica! Coldest was 25 degrees, usually right around freezing.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Really wasn't that cold...Several of the days we were there, it was colder in Oklahoma than in Antarctica! Coldest was 25 degrees, usually right around freezing.


See, it's that word. Freezing.


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