January 22 Sims Island, Carroll Inlet

Surrounded with tranquility

Sims Island - a gigantic volcanic plug

Today was one of those days that are nigh on perfect. Dreamy seascape dotted with ice and perfect weather. We sailed into Carroll Inlet off the Bellingshausen Sea between ice shelves and sea ice and landed on a small volcanic island towering straight out of the sea, Sims Island. Black and formidable, this is the pipe of an ancient volcano active 2-3 million years ago. The island is very rich in iron so here and there you could see patches of rust where the iron had oxidised. It is quite wild and beautiful. 

Wind, snow and frost have eroded much of the pipe/plug to create wide sloping skirts of scree fairly challenging to us but perfect for penguins. The island has been designated an ‘Important Bird Area’ because it supports a colony of more than 15,000 pairs of Adelie penguins. We visited them!

A few Weddell Seals lounged on the beach beside ice 'mushrooms'

Delicate icicles fringed the shore

The Adelie Penguins are very curious birds and absolutely adorable

The one on the left is a juvenile - still white under his chin

We tumbled out of zodiacs onto a jet-black beach dripping with sparkling icicles and followed a narrow path up the slopes to look at the colony. It was definitely not my favourite walking track - loose stones, sloping down one side with no hand holds, but I got almost to the ‘top’. It’s quite demoralising to be stumbling along only to be passed effortlessly by a short legged feathery dot of a thing. The Adelies were adorable.

The colony spread up the slopes. Down to the right was ice and snow

There were lots of young fluff balls and some birds seem to be still on nests

That was our morning! It was pretty spectacular. We came back ship-side to a tasting of BBQed prawns and white sangria in the Blue Lagoon bar on the back deck, which was completely awash with sunshine. But the day was not over yet ….. 

View from the Blue Lagoon bar!

This is Florent Taburiaux, Cruise Director (he was great)