20 February 2023, Antarctic Cruise Day 7, Marguerite Bay, Stonington Island –

We continued our southerly progress during the night, into Marguerite Bay.  We anchored off Stonington Island in the morning, for our first landing today.  Stonington Island is a former British research station, established in 1946 and closed in 1975. It is also the site of the US East base, which was occupied between 1939 and 1948.  The two bases cooperated with each other during the period they co-existed.

The Giant Petrels were first ashore.  We followed our marked trail across snow and rock, past a small penguin colony and down to the US base, which we were allowed inside of.   Ian continued for a closer look at the British base, while I retraced our steps in leisurely fashion back to the landing site, where one brave couple were taking a Polar Plunge.

We had more sunshine than any day so far, and some extraordinary light.  For the first time, we could see the mounatin peaks, which normally are swathed in clouds. Although seals and penguins were spotted, the icebergs were the stars of the show. I kept stopping just to gaze around me and remind myself that this was real and not some spectacular dream.

Since our return to the ship, it’s been a pretty quiet day.  A landing was planned for this afternoon at Red Rock Ridge, but after several attempts, it was called off (too many seals at the landing sites).  This was disappointing as it would have been our first ‘continental” landing – the others have been on islands.  So we have been watching talks, reading books, and watching icebergs drift by the window, for most of the afternoon.  We are now sailing west, before we turn south tonight.  We are currently due west of Neny Fjord.  We don’t know yet where we are aiming for tomorrow – all part of the adventure.