Today we’re in the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Game of Thrones fans – does it look familiar?
When I think of Iceland, this is it!
Author: Christina Ritchie
-
Take a deep breath and enjoy!🇮🇸
Kirkjufell (AKA church mountain) rises up from the ocean and is the perfect background for the Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall(s).
When I think of Iceland, this is it!There are 10,000 named waterfalls in Iceland —there are an unknown number of others that are not named! I was surprised to learn that many of Iceland’s geographic wonders and tourist sites (like this one) sit on privately-owned land. Icelandic law allows the public to access these sites. Wow, Wow, and Wow!! -
Another outstanding day exploring the Snaefellsnes Peninsula🇮🇸 (April 16, 2023)
We made it back to the hotel last night (early morn) about 2:00 am. No Northern Lights so we will try again tomorrow night as it’s supposed to be clearer.
Up early and ready for the Snaefellsnes Peninsula tour, which started at 8:30 am. The weather isn’t so great—rain and wind. By the way, it’s not Snuffaluffagus, rather it’s pronounced sni (as in snider) fells – ness.
Where: The Snaefellsnes Peninsula is located northwest of Reykjavik in what’s considered Western Iceland. Get ready for some breathtaking scenery!
What: there was so much we saw today. I will break it down in chronological order.
How: We went with Julian from EastWest – a small group tour. There were only 7 of us. Julian is from France and loved Iceland so much that he stayed! He deserves so much credit for our safety today. At one point when we were driving, I thought the wind would blow us right off the road!
1. Gas Station – don’t laugh. We have stopped at a lot of gas stations on these tours. They are like QT at home with food, groceries, drinks and clean restrooms. Oh and gas. I had a skyr parfait at the one this morning—I have become a huge Skyr fan! Take a look at this big map on the gas station wall—you’ll see the Snaefellsnes Peninsula on the part that jets out to the left. That’s where we explored today!
2. Seal stop – that’s right, we went to Ytri-Tunga beach to watch the Harbour and Grey Seals. We watched 3 of them—two were casually relaxing on a rock and the third was keeping watch in the water.
On the lookout for seals! Peekaboo! 🦭 
Remains of a stranded whale on the beach 3. Gotta eat…And that we did! Lunch was at a beautiful countryside home — they rent a couple of rooms and have a horse farm.
Lamb lasagna was one of the main dishes. Icelandic lamb is well known and 100% natural. We also had chicken, vegetable, rice, potatoes and bread. Dessert was a pear cake, which you can see sitting in the distance 
Here are the beautiful Icelandic horses with two extra gaits. If a horse leaves Iceland, they can never return. 4. Another picturesque church! One of my favorites called Búðakirkja (Búðir is the hamlet; Kirkja = church) that dates back to 1703, although it’s been reconstructed many times since.
Set against nature’s backdrops — the ocean, the mountains and Búðahraun lava fields—breathtaking! 
The church is painted black with pitch – the same as a hull of a ship to protect against the harsh Icelandic elements. There is a small cemetery on-site as well. 
Peeking through a window to see the Búðakirkja altar. This church has a lot of cultural significance for Iceland based on the strength and persistence of one Icelandic woman. From my research it remains the home of some original relics, including a bell and chalice. 5. The Peninsula is named after Bárður Snæfellsás, 1/2 man and 1/2 troll. He sailed from Norway with his men in the 9th century and came ashore, built his farm a little further east on the peninsula, and became well known. Wait until you see what’s right down the path…
6. Continue the path you reach the sea cliffs at the village of Arnarstapi. The power of the waves smashing on the rocks was awe inspiring!
As you look at the ocean, THIS was to the right. 
Staying warm on a chilly, windy, rainy day!🩵 7. Gatklettur, or Hellnar Arch, is a natural rock formation on the peninsula in the village of Arnarstapi
And THIS was to the left! Constant wind and the beating of ocean waves have created a wonderful work of nature! 8. Djúpalónssandur Beach is a beautiful black lava sand and pebble beach with an even prettier pathway to get there. But it’s more than just black sand. It’s situated in an arch-shaped bay where strong waves beat against it with a force that mesmerizes!
The pathway to the beach, surrounded by amazing lava rock formations 
Djúpalónssandur black sand and pebble beach 
There were ruins scattered on the beach that were left here intentionally when a British fishing ship called The Epine GY7 wrecked on March 13, 1948. Fourteen men were killed and five survived. The ruins remain in memory of these brave fishermen. -
Silfa – snorkeling between the tectonic plates🩵🤿🇮🇸
Today we really stepped out of our comfort zone and into 35 degree Fahrenheit glacial water!
We snorkeled Iceland’s Silfa Fissure, located within Thingvellir National Park (Þingvellir) where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates can be found. They have been moving apart about 2 centimeters per year.
How did Silfa happen? Earthquake! In 1789 Thingvellir experienced a major earthquake and this opened up several fissures. Silfa Fissure collected the glacial meltwater from the Langjokull glacier and thus the name, Silfa, which means silvery.
Mike and I doned our dry suits (not for the claustrophobic) and explored the amazing rock formations in the deep Silfa crack, Silfra Hall, Silfra Cathedral and Silfra Lagoon. Visibility was unbelievable (up to 300 feet) and parts were up to 60 meters deep.
Our route through the Silfa Fissure Now you may ask, were we cold? The only exposed parts were the face that wasn’t covered by the mask and then when water seeped in the gloves and a bit around my face. For some people it may be a shock but I thought it was quite refreshing. And we were moving so it warmed up quickly. We were in the water, traveling the outlined path, for about 30-45 minutes. No hypothermia!
All ready! 
Entering Silfa with our group of 6 + our guide, David, from Dive.is 
Some divers below us Snorkeling 🤿 in Silfa Hall After a quick dinner at Rossopomodoro (with really delicious gluten free pizza for me), ice cream at Valdis, and some shopping in the city center, we’re off to chase the Northern Lights!💚💚💚
Did you know…Iceland has between 70-100 earthquakes daily—26,000 detected each year, sometimes more. Yesterday we saw one of the largest active volcanoes, Katla.
It’s north of Vik and over 4,900 feet tall.
It last erupted in 1918 and many believe it’s long overdue. It’s one of largest volcanic sources of carbon dioxide on our planet. 🌍 -
(Part 3) April 14, 2023 – Picture Perfect Day on Iceland’s🇮🇸 South Coast concludes…
We then headed to Reynisdrangar to see the basalt sea stacks. The black sand on Reynisfjara Beach is almost always wet. This is one of the rainiest parts of Iceland but not today. The weather was perfect, the beach stunning, and the water = menacing! Be careful of sneaker waves. We experienced how sudden they can be! 🌊 ⚠️
Reynisdrangar basalt sea stacks. And, it was on the beach that we saw two Icelandic horses with their distinct gait called the tölt. It was like watching poetry in motion! Most horses have 3 gaits and the Icelandic horses have 5. 
Column rocks at Reynisfjara Beach on Iceland’s South Coast. Impressive! 
Selialandsfoss
We hiked behind the waterfall at sunset.Ahhhhh! 
The Northern Lights (and a few stars) showed up! 
Northern Lights from the city (rooftop at the Canopy by Hilton) – not as good as what you’d see in the countryside.
This was, and will always be, one of my favorite days ever ☀️🩵🌟
Note – lots of people speak English here. In fact, when I said Tak Tak (thank you), the reply is usually You’re welcome (in English). Here are a few useful phrases I have been using: Hello = Hallo; Goodbye = Bless (or Bless Bless); Thank you = Takk (or Takk Takk); Good Morning = Góðan daginn (go-thah-n die-in)
-
(Part 2) April 14, 2023 – Picture Perfect Day on Iceland’s🇮🇸 South Coast continues (Part 2)…
Back at the glacial lagoon on a short hike to take in another view. 
Now I am taking it in! 💙🩵🤍 In your life you remember the best days—this was one of my best days. 🩵🤍🩵 
Another countryside church – Hofskirkja. it’s one of 6 remaining Turf churches in Iceland and this was the last one built. The walls are rock and the roof is stone slabs covered with turf. The church is still holding services today. Those mounds are graves—some dating back to the 1800s. 
See the date on here?
The parishioners have been using this rock to wash their hands before entering the church since 1343.This one reminded me of a bundt cake with icing drizzled over it. 
Another foss with eye-catching rock colors -
(Getting the day started – Part 1) April 14, 2023 – Picture Perfect Day on Iceland’s🇮🇸 South Coast
Our day started at 7:30 pm with a pick up at Bus Stop #6 by our tour guide, Gummi, with Gateway to Iceland. Btw- he’s going to get the best Trip Advisor review! Not only is he an expert tour guide, but one of the company’s founders. 21 years of educating and story telling. Probably the best guide I have ever had. To top it off, there were only 3 of us on the tour—Mike, me, and our lovely new friend, Amikha, from South Africa. Thanks for all the pictures, Amikha!❤️
Over 500+ miles and nearly 16 hours of touring, we learned about the volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, bridges, flooding, the Vikings, waterfalls (foss), the geothermal power plants, the people, the Sagas / history, each other, the legends and folklore, the swimming pools, and the list goes on! We ate lunch and dinner, had hot chocolate, and finished with ice cream as a night cap. I was on sensory overload because everywhere we stopped, there was something even more unbelievable to see, hear, smell and touch.
I could write a book about today but we didn’t get back until after 11:00 pm and I am once again exhausted. PLUS, The Northern Lights were in action and we watched from the rooftop of our hotel. I am sure they were more vivid away from the city lights.
Here is Part 1 of my 3 part summary in pictures!
Not sure what it is about a waterfall that makes a person want to throw their hands up in the air. We had the same urge, especially with a rainbow 🌈 right next to us! Welcome to our first waterfall today—Skógafoss. This beauty has a 200 foot drop (60 meters) and measure 82 feet wide. It’s now 3 miles from the coastline but it used to be on the coastline. Game of Thrones fans will recognize it from the the final season. Justin Bieber fans – this was in one of his music videos.
There’s got to be a book somewhere about all the little amazing churches in Iceland. Here’s the one in the small seaside village of Vik, perched up high on a cliff and overlooking the ocean.
Reyniskirkja Church (Lutheran) 
Walking in the lava fields within a designated area. The rocks are covered in woolly fringe moss, and it’s important to protect it.
The moss is between 1-2 feet deep!
I booked this tour for a few reasons. This is one of them—Jökulsárlón. A glacial lagoon in the southern part of Vatnajökull National Park,
and at the head of the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier.This is another reason — Diamond Beach! Chunks of ice wash up on the gorgeous black sand from the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon after they are broken into smaller pieces at sea. They sparkle like diamonds! 
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend! 💎
Especially these diamonds.
Pictures cannot capture the beauty 🖤🤍 -
Day 1 in the books 🇮🇸
I can barely keep my eyes open. No sleep last night and a quick hour nap today wasn’t enough.
What a full day—we explored Reykjavik and went to 3 different museums: Maritime, Whales of Iceland, and Northern Lights Center. I learned so much about noise pollution and how it’s impacting and even killing our whales.
We walked down Rainbow Street 🌈, which was painted by the citizens of Iceland in 2019 to represent “respect, inclusivity and love.”
Me with my ❤️ -
Reykjavik, we’re here!🇮🇸
And the power is out in the entire downtown Reykjavik area. So we are having breakfast at our lovely hotel and enjoying some of the famous Icelandic Skyr — yum!! (And we’re pretty tired from flying all night!)
Blueberry Skyr for breakfast.
The recipe for Skyr is over 1,000 years old!
It’s like yogurt only different—and better for you. It has more protein than Greek yogurt and is lower in sugar and fat. It’s creamier and more nutrient rich!The flight was eventful as the Northern Lights guided us for about an hour. I have seen the Northern Lights one other time. Also from an airplane. And also while flying over northern Canada (on our way to Alaska). Let’s hope this is a foreshadowing of what’s to come in Iceland! Note to self—don’t book an aisle seat on a flight where Northern Lights are possible! I had to do a bit of gymnastics to get this photo, which doesn’t do it justice.
Our driver from the airport was Arny. What a wealth of knowledge! Did you know that the Icelandic people don’t have a traditional last name? They follow a patronymic system, which mean that their last name is their father’s first name plus the words for “daughter of” or “son of”. So if Arny’s father’s name is Jon, Arny’s name is Arny Jonsdottir (daughter of Jon). If Arny has a brother named Gunnar, his name would be Gunnar Jónsson (son of Jon). Now you know!b
We will be staying at the Canopy by Hilton for the first 5 nights and then switching over to The Edition for the final 4 nights. I would love to drive around the island but this time we will use Reykjavik as our home base and do day tours from here.
-
Why Iceland?🇮🇸
Why not? My obsession with this island country started in 2nd grade. Mrs. Pippins assigned us a “country project”. We could choose any country and had to produce a report, filled with pictures and facts about the geography and culture. This curious little girl chose Iceland. I am not sure I fully remember the “why” behind that choice but I have to believe it’s because of the mystery of this island that is about the size of Kentucky and officially sits on two continents, Europe and North America.
I remember coloring Iceland’s flag 🇮🇸 and noticing it has the same colors as US flag. The red cross symbolizes fire and the ~32 active volcanos 🌋 ; the white is the ice 🧊 as ~10% of the island is made up of glaciers; and the blue is water 💧 as the island sits right where the northern Atlantic and Arctic Oceans meet.
In addition, what child isn’t fascinated by the legends of Vikings, elves, and trolls? Plus I remember someone saying to me, “Iceland is Green, and Greenland is Ice”. Hmm…something my 8 year-old self pondered. In fact, information about Iceland was barely in the encyclopedia I used for my research (there was no internet and therefore no Wikipedia). And while it wasn’t Canada, or Italy, or one of the more commonly known/visited countries (especially in 1976), it sparked a curiosity that remains today.
Let me dispel a few common beliefs from questions I have been asked or my findings through research:
1. There are no penguins in Iceland, only puffins! And puffins are a delicacy to eat.
2. There are no polar bears in Iceland. In fact, there is only one land animal native to the country and that’s the Icelandic Fox. There are whales—humpback, Orca, Minke, Fin (similar to what I saw in Antarctica). And, there are also Icelandic horses—they are beautiful in pictures so I hope we have the opportunity to see them in person! Another fact is if an Icelandic horse leaves the country, they can never return. That’s to preserve their pure-breed (Iceland hasn’t imported horses since the 11th century).
3. Iceland has a long and rich history. It’s also relatively “new” as the Vikings are credited for the first settlement around 874 AD (although I have read some articles that say the Irish Monks were there before). They passed the years under Norwegian and Danish rule, and became an independent republic in 1944. In addition, The Althing is one of the oldest parliaments in the world, starting in 930 AD.
5. Iceland has never won Eurovision. I am not sure what the Icelandic people think about Will Ferrell’s movie, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. It was filmed in Iceland and the scenery is drop dead gorgeous. I hope some day they take home the coveted title but for now their beautiful country wins the scenery prize!
4. Iceland does more with their geothermal energy than just take a bath in it. They use it to heat their homes/businesses and generate electricity. Iceland’s goal is to be carbon-neutral by 2040.
6. This and That: Icelandic is their official language. The currency is the Krona. Today the exchange rate is 1 Krona to .0073 USD. More than half of the population of 340,000 people live in the capital of Reykjavík (and almost all live near the coastline).
7. In preparing for this trip, I used Duolingo to practice some common Icelandic word/phrases. Let’s just say I have a lot of work to do! Whew. Speaking Icelandic will take a lot more practice and I am not confident anyone will understand me anyway. 🤣 I read Rick Steves Iceland. Rick is the travel guide king!
I also looked for my report so that I could learn from my 2nd grade self—I think it’s somewhere packed away in a box, but “where” is the question! Oh well, I will be able to write a new report after this visit.
Time to start writing!
Leaving on a jet plane! -
We’re off on a new adventure!🇮🇸
This time my hubby is coming with me to the land of fire and ice. Where Northern Lights, active volcanoes, thundering waterfalls, and hot springs abound. Where elves and trolls are folklore passed down throughout the generations. Where icebergs appear as diamonds on a black sand beach. I went south in January 2023–now it’s time to go North for springtime in ICELAND
-
Washington D.C. 🇺🇸
On April 4th, 2023 my dad was called for his honor flight to Washington, D.C. He’s been waiting about 4 years and the day had finally arrived! Along with 56 other veterans, the Greater St. Louis Honor Flight organization made the day incredibly special for each of them.
The day started when we arrived at Lambert International Airport at 3:00 am. After we walked through security, they served the veterans breakfast at the gate. Here Dad is showing off his breakfast sandwich 🤣. More importantly, he’s wearing his dog tags from Vietnam and his father’s from WWII. 
The agenda for our day of honor 
Headed to Washington D.C. to see the memorials. Onboard were two WWII veterans (tan shirts), 19 Korean (burgundy shirts), and 35 ish Vietnam (green shirts). 
Mid-air we lowered the shades, turned on the flight attendant call button, and flipped the switch on the bracelet each veteran was wearing. The plane glowed blue and we had 30 seconds of silence to honor those who couldn’t be with us today. 
Here we come! 
The fire trucks are there to great us with a water salute…rainbow and all! 🌈 
Welcome to DC! Everywhere we went people were so appreciative and let our veterans know! Once we arrived we loaded up on 3 buses.
We were on the “red” bus ❤️
First stop—The Lincoln Memorial and a group photoHonoring these Missouri veterans 
Taking in all in! 
Dad found the name of his high school buddy on the Wall. He was able to do a rub. 
Honoring so many who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. 🇺🇸 Dad was in Vietnam in 1968. 
After a brief lunch courtesy of Mission BBQ, we then went to the WWII Memorial 
Honoring his father at the WWII memorial. My grandfather was in D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge. He was part of the Army Corp of Engineers who built bridges. 
At the Iwo Jima Memorial 
Arlington National Cemetery – Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
We saw the changing of the guard.The Sweet Adelines serenading us during dinner at the Air Force Memorial during. It was such a gorgeous day! 
An old fashioned Mail Call for the veterans. Dad spent the entire flight home opening/reading 85 cards and letters! Each one was so moving. 
Coming home to a parade! The number of people at the airport to welcome home the veterans was astonishing. 
That smile says it all. A long overdue welcome home, especially for the Vietnam Vets!🇺🇸 
The welcoming committee, aka family ❤️ 
55 years later and a welcome home each of those veterans deserved A very long, rewarding, and inspiring day. The stories, the laughter, the tears, and the honor. Thank you for your service. ❤️🤍💙
-
Curaçao 🇨🇼 – Willemstad
What a view!
Taken from the ferry looking back at the city centre, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site 🌎 
That water 💦! 
Bon Nochi!🧡 -
Curaçao 🇨🇼 – Sunday Funday!
The beach and atmosphere at Blue Bay are incredible. After a lot of exploring, we sat in some pretty comfy beach chairs, enjoyed a Pornstar Martini, and ate dinner while watching yet another breathtaking sunset.
Ohhh and ahhh! 
Winding down the day 
Pornstar Martini – vanilla flavored vodka, Passoã, passion fruit juice, lime juice, and Prosecco. Kind of looks like a sunset in a martini glass, doesn’t it??
Cheers from Curaçao! -
Curacao 🇨🇼 – Days 1 & 2
A quick getaway with my sister for some tropical fun-in-the-sun in this southern Caribbean island.
We’re here! This Dutch Caribbean Island is home to 151k+ people, coral reefs, beautiful beaches, and an official language called Papiamentu, a Creole language based primarily in Portuguese & Spanish. It is also spoken on their sister islands, Aruba and Bonaire
(aka The ABC Islands)
Lots of “blue”💙 in the drinks! Of course! Curaçao is the home to Curacao liqueur, created when a local figured out how to use the rinds of the citrus fruit known as laraha (similar to an orange) Preparing a mid afternoon snack 
Crazy for coconuts! 🥥 🌴 
Sunset from our balcony Day 1 
Sunset from our balcony Day 2 
Incredible dinner at Gouverneur de Rouville. We started with spicy banana soup and then shared the Caribbean Chicken and the Keshi Yena. The latter is a traditional Curacao dish – cheese stuffed with chicken, onions, olives and prunes.
It was out-of-this-world delicious!Walking through a rainbow 🌈
Queen Emma Bridge, Willemstad, Curacao
This pontoon bridge was originally built in 1888. It’s been renovated 4 times and the lighting arches were added in 1955 
🔒 ❤️All the locks of love!❤️ 🔒 
Such a great word.
Dushi in Papiamentu means sweet, nice or good.
When there are roses, you stop and smell them. When there’s this on your walking path, you stop and swing! -
Reels from Social Media about our Antarctica adventures 🇦🇶
Here are the social media stories about our adventures. You need an Instagram account to see those on that platform but you should be able to see the Facebook ones without having Facebook. 🤷♀️
When we first got to Antarctica, it was indeed a Beautiful Day (U2): https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cm2T_h2ptJPrjXbpe-5oKmnYq0WuvDZIvAkL_Y0/?igshid=ZmMyNmFmZTc=
Expedition has begun and as Louis Armstrong says What a Wonderful World: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cm63bnjvqINLV83f0wyR8QHL9guNzFIreRCwZ00/?igshid=ZmMyNmFmZTc=
Penguins and snow in Palaver Point, Two Hummock Island. Don’t Worry, Be Happy (Bobby McFerrin) was the theme of this day! https://www.instagram.com/reel/CnC0kFYNzrCEK4o_Q0bFsXoaimM_fZUG9Or8Ig0/?igshid=ZmMyNmFmZTc= OR on Facebook without music: https://www.facebook.com/reel/5671650036287982?mibextid=wa05Vy&fs=e&s=9RfQYY
Baby Chinstrap Penguins at the rookery on Two Hummock Island. Isn’t She Lovely? (Stevie Wonder) https://www.instagram.com/reel/CnN32yMLb5sJERzS97KAjXpWFyTsQKGmgIWj_M0/?igshid=ZmMyNmFmZTc=
Dreams (The Cranberries) for sure on Danco Island, Antarctica during our camping experience—sleeping (on the snow/ice) with a colony of Gentoo penguins while the Humpback whales sang in the bay: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CnYKJinuQZyNoUZZNEVcbvkOocYIrigGCjusGo0/?igshid=ZmMyNmFmZTc= OR this one from Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reel/3724972331062866?mibextid=wa05Vy&fs=e&s=9RfQYY
SUPing in the Southern Ocean (Stand Up Paddleboarding) on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reel/691724379123605?mibextid=wa05Vy&fs=e&s=9RfQYY OR this one from Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CnAIepHKuUXvKy8aRaFfL5qgEgXMm0HmRQssQs0/?igshid=ZmMyNmFmZTc=
Porpoising penguins of Antarctic! on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cn0ewOBDj6mFQpzNa5Su3uKbFPaOSqHCHtoN9s0/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
-
One of my favorite memories – The Humpback Whales in Graham Passage on New Year’s Day 🇦🇶
Happy New Year! One of my favorite moments in Antarctica happened on Jan. 1st, 2023–our first day exploring the peninsula.
We are required to maintain a certain distance from all wildlife, including the whales. But sometimes they have other plans. There were lots of whales in Graham Passage that day and this curious Humpback whale went directly under our zodiac boat and came out the other side. 😮
Then, another Humpback (maybe the same one?) did the same thing about 10 minutes later. I don’t have a very good video of that 2nd time, but I do of the first time! I have posted both below. (Video taken on my iPhone 13 ProMax- I did not zoom in.)
The case of the curious Humpback under our zodiac. Ali, the lead expedition guide on the ship, was our guide/Zodiac driver. She said that this has only happened to her one other time in the 9 years she has been a guide. 🐋 This is the second time. I wasn’t in a good position on the Zodiac to film but you can see the whale’s outline under the water in the beginning of the video. -
Useful Island Gentoo Penguin Videos from Jan. 3, 2023 🇦🇶
Useful Island is covered with Gentoo Penguins colonies and we had so much fun watching them! Here are some videos from that day—always maintaining our 5 meter distance except when one crossed in front of us and I had no where else to go except to stand still (as I was hiking up a hill). I know that some of my narrative isn’t all that great but these little penguins rendered me speechless!
Welcome to Useful Island! Home of Gentoo Penguin colonies This is a stand off between a Gentoo Penguin and the Skua bird. These birds are known for two things—stealing Penguin eggs and eating baby chicks. We were hiking up the island to see the Chinstrap rookery when these two Gentoo penguins decided to cross my path. It’s very important that we stay on our path and I could not turn around as there were people behind me. So I just stayed still and let them cross. -
Danco Island Penguins and Humpbacks 🇦🇶
Here are some more penguin and humpback whale videos from when we camped overnight in Danco Island. That evening was full of wildlife, including bubble net feeding by the humpback whales.
On the Penguin highway! I call this one, the 3 Amigos🐧🐧🐧 Watch when they pass by the other penguins—it sure looks like a flipper bump to me!
Humpbacks in the bay. You could hear them singing throughout the night. -
Some cool penguin videos 🇦🇶
I wasn’t able to upload these on the ship so will try now that I have better cell service. This video was captured on Palaver Point on Two Hummock Island, Antarctica on Jan. 4, 2023. The Chinstrap chicks have started to hatch! You will see that the first Penguin has one chick and the second Penguin has two. Who is caring for these chicks? The mom and dad equally care for them, and that includes sitting on the egg. More Chinstrap penguins on Two Hummock Island. They were a boisterous bunch! We maintained our 5 meter distance so I zoomed in. What’s more perfect than a video of super cute penguins? A video of super cute penguins when it’s snowing!❄️ -
Patagonia, Argentina 🇦🇷
We went to Tierra Del Fuego National Park in the Patagonia region. It didn’t disappoint! The Andes Mountains and blue skies were the perfect backdrop for exploring and picture taking. This would be the perfect place to spend more time and hike!
In front of Lago (Lake) Acigami with the beautiful Andes Mountains behind us 
Our view from the tip of Argentina 
The Pan-American Highway runs up to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska from here! It’s the world’s longest motorable road stretching 48,000 km (close to 30,000 miles)
Christina’s Journey Journal 