Christina’s Journey Journal

Tag: humpback whales

  • April 19th, 2023 – a day of watching and pampering🇮🇸

    April 19th, 2023 – a day of watching and pampering🇮🇸

    The day started off with some whale watching and we saw a few humpbacks off Reykjavik. We were on a larger boat so I feel like the sound probably frightened them off, although humpbacks are curious.

    Then we went to The Blue Lagoon for dinner and a dip in the pool! A-Maze-ing! There has been a lot written about why you should go and why you should not. I say definitely GO! It was quite the experience and I would go again.

    The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa outside of Reykjavik. It’s in a lava field in front of Mount Þorbjörn where the water comes from the nearby Svartsengi geothermal power station. The water is high in minerals and white silica mud. Both are said to have healing properties. In fact, a guide told us that people with psoriasis are healed with repeated use. It tends to leave your hair stiff and dry so we ensured not to get that wet! (And I lathered on hair conditioner as a preventive measure).

    When you’re in the lagoon, the steam rises up and at times, it’s difficult to even see in front of you. This simply adds to the mystique of the lagoon.
    Time to soak and relax!
    Icelanders know how to do it right.
    Silicon mud masks for all! I did 3 other masks after this one – the clay scrub, the anti-aging algae, and the mineral. The water was a very comfortable 98-104 degree Fahrenheit (37-40 Celsius) and there’s a swim up bar. What a relaxing evening at the lagoon. 💙🤍🩵

    While it’s technically man-made, the Blue Lagoon was formed from the runoff water of the nearby geothermal power plant. That said, the water is as natural as can be as it comes from deep underground where it is heated by geothermal energy. Speaking of water, we DO NOT need to buy bottled water in Iceland. I saw something funny about how to drink the water—1. Turn on the faucet; 2. Put your cup under to fill it; 3. Drink it. It’s as cold and fresh as can be!

    Want to go? Book your experience here, stay overnight if you wish, and eat at their gourmet restaurant: https://www.bluelagoon.com

  • 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 🇦🇶

    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.
  • Danco Island Penguins and Humpbacks 🇦🇶

    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.

  • 1/6/23 – Last day on the ship

    We dock tomorrow and then spend two days traveling home via airplane. This has been a surreal and magical trip—more than I could have imagined! The staff/the crew are all outstanding. They know your name and are always striving to go above and beyond.

    Antarctica exceeded my expectations — I have said this before but it’s other worldly. Serene, beautiful, primitive, wild, and unspoiled. A camera cannot capture the uniqueness of Antarctica, nor can words. It’s one of those “you have to see it to believe it”.

    Everyone on board, including our expedition leaders, have been taking photos/videos and sharing to Ultramarine’s computer. The photographer on the Quark staff is putting all together and will send us the link so we can download the ones we want. There will also be a slide show tonight!

    I just returned from the discussion about Humpback whales (Baleen whales). So fascinating! Some tidbits about these amazing mammals and their culture:

    1. The tail that comes out of the water is called a fluke. They can be 18 feet wide and each fluke is unique. We saw one that had a chunk out of it’s fluke, for example. It’s like our fingerprints. When you see the fluke, you know you won’t see the whale for awhile as fluking helps them dive deep.

    2. They sing songs—and are one of 4 whale species that do this. To be considered a song, it has to have: Melody, rhythm, pitch, and repetition. And the Humpbacks have this! You can find recordings on YouTube. Our biologist, Tom, walked us through an actual Humpback song. It is believed they use their songs as a way to establish the pecking order amongst the group, not for mating.

    3. Their biggest predator is the Orca (Killer) whale —the Orcas focus in on the baby Humpbacks by separating from its mother and then dragging them down, essentially drowning them.

    4. The Humpbacks are here in Antarctica during the summer months to feed. Their breakfast, lunch and dinner of choice are Krill.

    5. They engage in a behavior called Bubble-net feeding. This occurs when whales blow bubbles from their noses to encircle their food (krill/fish) like a net, luring their prey into a tight ball. Then the whales swim together from beneath the water and rise to the surface opening their mouths to gulp up their prey. (We actually saw this behavior the night we camped)

    6. Humpback whales range between 39 to 52 feet in length. They weigh on average 28-33 short tons, although they can be much heavier. The females are larger than the males because they need all that extra blubber for birthing.

    Last full day on the Ultramarine! Tomorrow we disembark & tour Tierra Del Fuego National Park

  • 1/4/2023 – An afternoon with the penguins 🇦🇶

    What a picture perfect day in Antarctica. There were penguins, it was snowing, and there were Humpback whales in the bay! A postcard afternoon.

    Wifi has been slow so going to keep this post brief and show you some of the boisterous and amazing penguins at Palaver Point on Two Hummock Island in Antarctica. Lots of Chinstrap colonies and rookeries with baby chicks (penguins)

    Chinstrap Penguins
    Some are lying on their nests or newly hatched babies

  • 1/4/2023 – Morning in Wilhelmina Bay 🇦🇶

    Icebergs, glaciers, whales, a ship wreck from 1915, a Crabeater seal, and Lichen welcomed us this morning on our zodiac cruise in Wilhelmina Bay.

    A crabeater seal on a gorgeous iceberg. The bluer the iceberg, the older the ice.
    This is the Governoren ship in the middle—two other ships are viewing it on either side. In January 1915, the crew was celebrating another successful whaling trip below deck. Someone (probably partying too much), knocked a lamp off the table and the ship went up in flames. Remember what this ship did? Whaling. They had thousands of gallons of whale oil aboard. All men aboard were saved but the ship remains exactly where it went up in flames.

    The brownish – rust stuff is Lichen (pronounced Like In), a complex life form that results due to a symbiotic partnership of two separate organisms, a fungus and an alga. Here is the poem—Fred Fungus met Alice Algae and they took a Lichen to each other 💚

  • 1/3/2023 – Camping on the continent – Part 1 🇦🇶

    It’s 7:00 am and just back from our overnight camping experience on Danco Island with 58 others from the ship. We had insulated sleeping bags and lots of layers but it was cold! Would we have changed our minds had we known how truly cold it would be? Absolutely not! What an amazing experience to sleep on the continent and experience nighttime. BTW-it was light the entire night. I woke up at 3:30 am and felt like it was still early evening after the sun sets.

    Danco Island is home to lots of penguins – there’s a penguin colony and a penguin highway. The entire hill was covered with penguins. Our guides clearly marked where we slept which ensured we kept our distance from the penguins. We did have a little curious one that popped over to our campsite and eventually went back into the water. VERY IMPORTANT—our guides create a path for us and it’s important for us to stay on that path. If we wander off, we create deep holes with our muck boots. If a penguin falls into that hole, he cannot get out.

    Our white noise was the Gentoo penguin’s continuous bleating, the majestic sound of calving (sounds like thunder) and the distinct noise of the humpback whales in the bay. Those whales can trumpet! It was so serene to breathe in my surroundings, listen, watch, and be amazed.

    Look at those penguins enjoying the sunset!
    This pic was zoomed in significantly. We do not interact with the penguins, even those that wander close to you. We maintain, at a minimum, 5 meters (approx 15 feet)

    The penguins are resilient little birds. They get knocked now and then get right back up again! I have so many videos. I will see if I can post one in the photo section.

    I call this one “The 3 amigos”. They stuck together on that penguin highway like 3 best friends.

    This experience deserves more details so stay tuned for a part 2.

  • 1/2/23 – Back from morning zodiac excursion in Fornier Bay 🇦🇶☀️

    Yesterday, I sometimes didn’t know where the sky and the ground came together because of the snow and overcast skies.

    Today, the sky and the ocean are one! Bluebird day at Fornier Bay. Lots and lots of humpback whales hanging around. We have to stay a good distance from them—unless they approach (like the one did with us yesterday). I caught a few tails!

    In addition, we saw a female Leopard Seal hanging out on the ice. Again, we maintained our distance. It is their space, not ours. This type of seal is at the top of the food chain, along with Orcas (Killer Whales).

    Note – NONE of these pictures are touched up in any way. Taken on my iPhone 13 Pro Max. This is Antarctica!

    Leopard Sea soaking in the sun ☀️ – we were a ways away per the requirement—this is zoomed in
    One of about 8 whales tails we saw today
    No words for this. Nature’s art canvas at work!

  • 1/1/2023 – Expedition 2 – Graham Passage 🇦🇶

    Fyi—may have to remove the picture from this post as wifi isn’t working very well. Like Laura said, “Well, we are in Antarctica!”

    We took the Zodiac to the passage, explored the amazing icebergs and saw some humpback whales—in fact one went right under our Zodiac!! I have the video to prove it but it will not upload. I will try again later.

    Our guide said that this has only happened to her once before in her 9 years of leading expeditions!

    We saw whales!