The Voyage of M.S. Explorer to Antarctica 15/11/06

Slept fine and awoke to a very discernible rolling, though the weather is fine. No problem showering, but getting to the dining room took a drunken stagger. This is how one develops sea legs. Worth it; breakfast was a fine buffet.

Aaron, the trip leader, had used the intercom to alert us to the presence of albatross at 7.30, so after brekkie I went out on deck. Fantastic! Sea all around and no sign of land, the Cape petrels and albatross swung through the sky behind us.

Looking at the petrels flying so far out at sea with no land nor prospect of it for long stretches, it struck me that save for nesting, they had no home except the sea. They flew over it, rested on it and ate in it. True nomads. Coincidentally so many of my fellow travellers were also nomads, with homes that were distant in space and memory. I cannot recall one who was looking forward to returning 'home'.

At 9.15 we had a lecture on seabirds by Anna the ornithologist. Lance followed with a talk on the makeup of the Antarctic. Later in the day, the resident historian, David, from Cornwall I believe, gave an account of the various expeditions to the South Pole up to Scott.

Dinner did not disappoint though we had a spillage or two (spilt milk). Nothing to dampen our appetites. Two tour operators from London on a round the world trip, Keith and Jen, and an Irish couple living in Boston, Brian and Louise, were at my table. We had a good chat and afterwards headed for the bar. Conveniently the coasters are plastic and made to keep the glass to the table. I had just poured my second glass when an unexpected swell hit us. Gripping coasters or not the whole thing went over and straight into the lap of Keith. That kind of dampened my enthusiasm and I headed for bed, as indeed did most people. Things were starting to get rough.

I don't want to ruin any day on this trip, so I do not intend to go crazy drinking. I certainly don't want to jeopardise tomorrow when we're to head to Elephant Island, a place of huge significance in Antarctic exploration. After Shackleton's ship, Endurance, was crushed in ice, he and his men made their way to this uninhabited island as the nearest piece of land. Later Shackleton would set off for South Georgia with four or five others in the James Laird, an adapted lifeboat. To say seeing this place is exciting is an understatement of antarctic proportions.