With the exception of orcas, which remained hidden (apart from a view from the bridge in the early hours of one morning), we saw representatives of just about everything that lives down there. Typically I'd just resigned myself to the fact that whales were always a long way away when a pod (school? gam?) of 30 to 40 humpbacks surfaced and did their stuff, blowing and waving their flukes. And the camera was in the cabin. Rather than run about and drop lenses I just watched.

Coming into the Lemaire Channel in the morning was stunning. Calm water, bright ice, black mountains, white snow. The first landing (see the Ukranians doing science as you watch) didn't happen, the ice kept drifting back in. Plan B was Port Lockroy. Lots of penguins, Brits selling postcards and stamps and also doing light science. Very light. Just a no entry to half the penguins and compare the two populations to establish whether vistors bother them. They don't, so that's OK.