Our ship, the Corinthian II, took passengers on a Antarctic expedition from December 22, 2008 to January 1, 2009, making various stops along the way. Highlights included seeing hundreds of thousands of penguins at their rookeries, spectacular ice formations, climbing volcanic islands, and celebrating Christmas at sea, but the trip ended in tragedy when a 65-year-old passenger died in the hospital after becoming unconscious on the return trip to Ushuaia, Argentina.

1. We fly from Buenos Aires to
Ushuaia, Argentina landing
at this air strip

2. Our ship, the Corinthian II is
waiting for us at the dock

4. Docked next to us was
Mel Gibson’s Yacht

5. CORINTHIAN II
December 22, 2008 – January 1, Drake Passage
2009
Elephant Isl.
Clearence Isl.
King Georges Isl
Racon Isl. Penguin Isl.
Robert Isl.
Greenwich Isl.
Livingston Isl.
Snow Isl.
Walker Bay
Our route across Smith Isl.
the Drake Deception Isl. D'Urville Isl.
Passage and Bransfield Strait Joinville Isl.
Low Isl.
various stops in Dundee Isl.
Antarctica Trinity
Brown Bluff
Isl. Paulet Isl.
Vega Isl.
Brabant Isl. Weddell Sea
James
Neumeyer Channel
Ross Isl. Seymour Isl.
Port Lockroy Anvers Isl.
Dorian Bay
Cuverville Isl. Snow Hill Isl.
Pleneau Isl.
Neko Harbour
Paradise Bay, Larsen Ice Shelf
Almirante Brown
Lemaire Channel

6. Our incredible expedition staff
that will take us exploring
through the Antarctic

7. On the third
day, we arrive
at our first stop

8. Six Zodiacs are
lowered into the
icy waters

9. I was proud to be riding
on the safest transport
between the ship and
each shore destination,
boats manufactured by
our company, Zodiac

10. Sally with a
quarter million
penguins

11. This “rookery” covers
the entire island

12. From the
seashore all
the way up
the hill
mating pairs
are nesting

13. Feeding their
young

15. Skipping up the
rocky hillside

16. At locations where
snow is present,
penguins develop a
roadway between their
nests and the sea

18. These
roadways
are complex
and allow for
two way
traffic during
the busiest
times.

20. To feed, these
penguins have to
make their way to
the sea shore
and then develop
the courage to
swim in these
dangerous
waters filled with
hungry seals

22. Courage to enter the water is best
developed in groups

25. We saw many species of
seals, mostly molting and
sleeping

27. They seem so docile
while resting, but these
are fierce hunters that
prey on the penguins

32. We celebrated Christmas with
special carvings by the
talented crewmembers and a
delicious feast

35. Notice the wonderful
lighting patterns in the ice

36. This iceberg rolled over
right in front of our eyes

37. There were spectacular formations

38. It is simply impossible to describe the majesty that
surrounded us in every direction. Everywhere one looks is
magnificence on a scale none of us had ever seen before.

39. We were
simply in awe
and spent
hours sitting in
the middle of
all this
splendor

43. The weather was
magnificent. We were all
fortunate souls as it is not
always this “perfect”

44. We saw millions of ice
formations in the sea

45. Our ship had to carefully maneuver its
way through ice fields

49. One day, we had a barbecue
lunch on the aft deck

51. Whale skeletal remains on the beach

52. A rock shack built by 20 of
Ernest Shackleton’s men to
survive the bitter winter

54. There were many opportunities to
climb to great heights like this
volcanic island

55. And this snow and ice
covered island

57. It was windy at the top

58. Conditions were ideal for sliding
down these slippery slopes

60. Our Group Photo

61. We were blessed to have an
extraordinary group from around the
world including Russia and Singapore

65. Oh yes, where there are kids
and water……………

67. The water temperature is 33
degrees Fahrenheit

68. And in some places, thermal springs to make bathing more relaxing

69. Beautiful birds were in
abundance

70. A penguin kill

72. The woman to the right
(with hat), was a wonderful
65 year old guest from
Singapore

73. Tragically, on New Year’s
Day she was found
unconscious in her cabin as
we docked back in Ushuaia.
An ambulance took her to the
hospital in a coma. She died
the following evening.