Antartica View fullsize Our vessel - the Acamedic Ioffe - berthed at Ushuaia Our vessel - the Acamedic Ioffe - berthed at Ushuaia View fullsize Albatrosses accompany ships on the journey across Drake Passage Albatrosses accompany ships on the journey across Drake Passage View fullsize These tiny birds - Cape Petrels or Pintos to the locals - accompany us miles out to sea These tiny birds - Cape Petrels or Pintos to the locals - accompany us miles out to sea View fullsize Cape Petrel into huge waves Cape Petrel into huge waves View fullsize Northern giant petrel Northern giant petrel View fullsize Land - well almost Land - well almost View fullsize Out in the Zodiacs Out in the Zodiacs View fullsize To see a seal (Leopard Seal) To see a seal (Leopard Seal) View fullsize Or a Weddell Seal Or a Weddell Seal View fullsize Stunning ice caves Stunning ice caves View fullsize Ice formations Ice formations View fullsize a long walk for food a long walk for food View fullsize And the Penguin colonies - and oasis of brown in a land of white And the Penguin colonies - and oasis of brown in a land of white View fullsize the brown trail down the brown trail down View fullsize and back again and back again View fullsize penguin and ice sculpture penguin and ice sculpture View fullsize Chinstrap - easy to see how it gets its name ... Chinstrap - easy to see how it gets its name ... View fullsize Testing the ice Testing the ice View fullsize Beauty above and below the water Beauty above and below the water View fullsize and again and again View fullsize you could almost pop it in your drink ... you could almost pop it in your drink ... View fullsize except it's 50 foot across except it's 50 foot across View fullsize dangerously close to ice floes dangerously close to ice floes View fullsize glacier edge glacier edge View fullsize and phallic ice bergs... and phallic ice bergs... View fullsize Its the time of year for mating - and calling out Its the time of year for mating - and calling out View fullsize or with friends - the ecstatic greeting or with friends - the ecstatic greeting View fullsize either alone either alone View fullsize greeting greeting View fullsize with gifts - pebble to make a nest with gifts - pebble to make a nest View fullsize Gentoo on nest Gentoo on nest View fullsize and adelie penguin with egg and adelie penguin with egg View fullsize waterways waterways View fullsize and fairy cake formations and fairy cake formations View fullsize making land break making land break View fullsize morecambe and wise morecambe and wise View fullsize but supremely adapted to the water but supremely adapted to the water View fullsize flying penguin flying penguin View fullsize not all days are clear not all days are clear View fullsize penguin in whiteout penguin in whiteout View fullsize life goes on - just slowly life goes on - just slowly View fullsize nest sitting in a storm nest sitting in a storm View fullsize Weddell seal and penguin Weddell seal and penguin View fullsize Stunning scenery Stunning scenery View fullsize ice floes of all sizes ice floes of all sizes View fullsize penguin versus rock penguin versus rock View fullsize land journeys land journeys View fullsize formation diving formation diving View fullsize and multiple diving and multiple diving View fullsize and again.... and again.... View fullsize and again and again View fullsize and again and again View fullsize High speed water exit High speed water exit View fullsize Perfect landing Perfect landing View fullsize Moody berg Moody berg View fullsize Cormorants Cormorants View fullsize Tern Tern View fullsize and a very white Ptarmigan and a very white Ptarmigan View fullsize There is only one Macaroni in the colony There is only one Macaroni in the colony View fullsize Chinstrap close up Chinstrap close up View fullsize Antartica-0991.jpg View fullsize at prayer? at prayer? View fullsize Contented Weddell Contented Weddell View fullsize Synchronised spouting Synchronised spouting View fullsize Tail like from Humpback Tail like from Humpback View fullsize Nightime Nightime View fullsize Farewell Farewell