Day 12 – A whaley good day!
Tuesday, 13 January 2026 – written by Mimi
Is there a better way to start your morning than with a breaching humpback whale outside your breakfast window? By the fourth breach, it was clear the whale was putting on a show for us. So many passengers rushed to the starboard side that I could have sworn the ship tilted!
After breakfast, the group geared up in multiple layers and waterproofs, preparing for a morning spent observing Gentoo penguins. Neko Harbour is home to hundreds of breeding pairs of Gentoo penguins, and we were fortunate to witness a wide array of their behaviours—pebble stealing and sneezing among the highlights.
After completing our 30-minute observations, we walked (or rather, trudged) up the nearby hill, rewarded with an incredible viewpoint overlooking the harbour. The walk down proved just as challenging, requiring careful footing on a steep, snowy descent.
After returning to the MS Roald Amundsen, seabird and marine mammal surveys began, with over 15 humpback whales recorded during the first shift alone. The −0.5 °C temperatures were easy to bear with such extraordinary wildlife and scenery surrounding us. Moments like these are a reminder of how lucky we are to be studying in such a beautiful and remote part of the world.
In the afternoon, we were in Paradise!!! Well, Paradise Bay to be exact where we embarked on a zodiac adventure that included coming within mere meters of a leopard seal and a gentoo penguin hanging out together. When in the water, leopard seals usually eat penguins for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! In this case, however, both individuals were on the same ice floe and able to coexist peacefully. This was truly a rare sighting!
As we continued our cruise a humpback whale made a close swim-by past some zodiacs. A special surprise for those in the boats. Everyone got to cruise by a cliff with nesting Antarctic shags which had large chicks. Antarctic shags resemble flying penguins, and were able to see them commuting to and from their nests overhead. We continued into the ice-filled bay of Scontorpe Cove taking in the enormous vista of glaciars reaching down to the water from the high mountains surrounding the bay.
When back on the ship we gathered on the top deck for a group photo. The ship had organised passengers into polar species for activity rotations, and as the “Royal Albatrosses,” we attempted to arrange ourselves into the shape of one. While not the most accurate depiction, it was great fun trying.
The ship stayed put in the area overnight as a group of passengers headed out to camp on a small ice-covered island. The overnight stay in the same place left the rest of the evening for data collection and relaxation and taking in the tremendous views. When we met for dinner we discussed all we saw that day and took time to reflect on how lucky we are.
Our day ended on Deck 10, where most of the students chatted late into the evening. Jim suggested the wonderful idea of the class adopting a penguin through the ship, contributing to the upkeep of historical sites in Antarctica. With a £5 donation from the class, we are now deciding what to name our penguin (suggestions are very welcome!)
Today was truly special, and as our time on the ship draws to a close, we are making the most of every moment outside or by a window, soaking in our final days on this extraordinary continent.
Es hat viel Spaß gemacht dem Block zu folgen und ihr hattet wirklich Glück mit den ganzen Sichtungen und Erlebnissen. Nun wünschen wir euch eine gute Heimreise und einen erfolgreichen Abschluss des Studium.