January 22 Sims Island, Carroll Inlet

Tranquility plus

Sims Island

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 in between ice shelves and sea ice and landed on a small volcanic island towering 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 has 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!

There were a few seals on the beach, probably Weddell seals lounging 
beside ice 'mushrooms' on the beach

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. Yeah I know I’m a scaredy cat but despite that I got almost to the ‘top’. It’s quite humiliating 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, the back deck, which was completely awash with sunshine. But the day was not over yet ….. 

View from the Blue Lagoon!

This Florent Taburiaux, Cruise Director (he's great)