The Incredible Changing Weather: Saturday 12/22

Windy! 

The winds came up suddenly and cancelled kayaking. We were allowed only a zodiac tour of Gordin Island in the AM, no landing. I opted out but Scott went. It was too windy and dicey for photos with my camera. I preferred to stay in and pout about kayaking.

Gordin Island - not a calm day

 In the afternoon, kayaking was cancelled again. More pouting. 

We moved to Hope Bay, and took a Zodiac to Argentina's Esperanza Station where a group of 30+ meteorologists live during the summer months, some with their families. The Argentines gave us a overview of the area, offered us coffee and teacakes, stamped passports & allowed us to obsess over their seemingly "pet" penguins. 

I was waiting for him to jump on the snowmobile

 There are some 250k pairs there; some were walking among the buildings and seemed unconcerned with us. 

Penguins doing Penguin Stuff

Bonus: cell phone coverage! I updated Latitude and tried unsuccessfully to send an instagram while Scott made a couple of "guess where I am??" calls.
 
We took the zodiac around the back of the station where we saw more penguin antics, a leopard seal and a good variety of birds. It was bitter cold and windy.

When we returned, we warmed up in the bar, had dinner and learned that tomorrow will be more of the same. 25-35 knot winds. We’re spending the night very near where we’ll land tomorrow, via zodiac.