On the way to South Georgia - Icebergs and Penguins - 4
South Georgia
On the way to Antarctica
Elephant Island
“The captain plays with the ice”
Deception Island
Antarctic Peninsula
From Antarctica to the Pacific coast of South America
Patagonian Glacier World
The Long Journey Home
Final thoughts and helpful tips
February 2-3, 2026 - On the way to South Georgia
Last night, the clocks were set forward one hour. That's no problem for me, as I wake up early anyway. As predicted, the sea has become rougher, but not dramatically so. I was woken up more by the noises of the ship than by the movement. In addition to the creaking, it sounded as if someone was stomping down the hallway next door or above me. This morning, I had the idea of removing the unused hangers from the closets. Let's see if that was the problem.
At 9:30 a.m., there will be another bio inspection exercise for entry into South Georgia [↗]. Two lectures and a review of the Falkland Islands are also on the agenda. Otherwise, I hope to make progress with my pictures. At the moment, I haven't even finished the first round of sorting.
I listen to the first lecture on albatrosses on the TV in my cabin, while I go to the Hanseatrium for the introductory lecture on ice and later for the recap of the Falkland Islands. I end a very relaxed day in the full-service restaurant.
The next day at sea begins like the last one with breakfast in the mostly empty buffet restaurant. It always fills up late on days at sea.
There is little on the agenda today. A lecture in the morning that doesn't interest me, another in the afternoon, and a recap on South Georgia at 6 p.m. Around noon, there are plans to make a detour to A23J. This is a fragment of what was once the largest iceberg, A23A [↗]. Even this part is still the size of Amsterdam.
So it's a good idea to visit the gym. There are also a lot of half-hour classes available, but I don't feel like doing those. The gym is on Deck 8 and has a large window front through which you can look out at the sea while you work out. There is a selection of different equipment, and even though the room is not huge, it is perfectly adequate. I've never seen more than a handful of guests there.
This morning it was still heavily overcast, but since around 10 a.m. we have a bright blue sky. At around 2 p.m. we reach the area where A23J is located. The captain has had to change course significantly to the north for that. The iceberg and the pieces that have broken off from it are huge. Even from a distance of two dozen kilometers, it fills the entire horizon in front of us. It is up to 30 meters high.
We approach it until we are 1.5 kilometers away. At such a close distance from the ice, the captain has to retract the stabilizers and the ship begins to tilt significantly. The moment the ship turns to starboard so that we can sail along the ice front, an icy wind blows in our faces. Whereas it was quite pleasant before, the perceived temperature drops by at least 10 degrees within seconds.
I wanted to watch the seal lecture in my cabin and sort through some of the pictures. I managed to do about two-thirds of the talk. But now the ice field outside the window is becoming too interesting. So I grab my camera and go on the Inspiration Walk.
The icebergs here are also fragments of the A23A. However, they are significantly smaller and more photogenic. At noon, we were simply standing in front of a large, white wall.
I watch the rest of the seal lecture in the English-language recording. Half an hour later, the PreCap for the next two days in South Georgia begins.
Now I'm sitting in the restaurant, enjoying the menu and watching the last remnants of the ice field pass by the window. Afterwards, I have to prepare my things for tomorrow. I have to be in the Zodiac already at 6 a.m.
