Fort Point—our first stop in the Antarctic
Gentoo penguins heading to shore. Photo by Werner Kruse
Fur seals find plenty of things to argue about
You might remember that last November our expedition from South Africa to Argentina never made it to the Antarctic. Halfway across the South Atlantic, one of the ship’s two propellers developed a problem that forced us to sail directly to the nearest port.
That was Ushuaia, the southernmost inhabited city on earth and the main gateway to the Antarctic. As an aside, we were told that 600 Antarctic expeditions sail from Ushuaia each year.
Fort Point, our first landing in Antarctica
But in March, and with many thanks to Swan Hellenic, we repeated the trip in reverse—from Ushuaia to Cape Town—on the SH Diana. And yes, this time we made it to the Antarctic.
Once we cleared the Drake Passage, which was surprisingly calm, we arrived at Fort Point on the edge of Greenwich Island in the South Shetland Islands.
Although the South Shetland Islands are 120 kilometres from the Antarctic Peninsula, they are still considered part of the Antarctic.
This important first stop for us included a landing amongst fur seals, birds and two main kinds of penguins—chinstrap and gentoo—as well as a zodiac cruise.What a great way to start an expedition.
A bird’s eye view of Fort Point. Too high to show us traipsing around. Photo by Werner Kruse
A bit about Fort Point and surrounds
Fort Point is exactly that—an 85-metre-tall rocky point that is linked to Greenwich Island’s southeast coast by a low-lying, 700-metre-long isthmus. The point used to be called Castle Rock.
Greenwich Island, which is 143 square kilometres (55 square miles) in area, has also been called Sartorius Island and Berezina Island. Chile and Ecuador have Antarctic research stations on the northern part of the island.
A closer look at spots we can’t reach on foot
The South Shetland Islands were discovered by William Smith in 1819, when he diverted while sailing from Buenos Aries, Argentina, to Valparaiso, Chile. Other mariners and sealers may have seen these islands much earlier, but Smith’s discovery was the first to be well documented.
The South Shetlands stretch across 500 kilometres (270 miles), and include 11 major islands and more than 12 minor ones. The land area measures 3,687 square kilometres (1,424 square miles), of which 80 to 90 percent is permanently glaciated.
A chinstrap penguin with attitude
King George Island is the largest, with Livingston Island second.
Today 13 countries maintain a total of 19 research stations, with 10 of them open year-round.
P.S. Werner Kruse was the professional photographer on the ship. Not surprisingly, he had a drone and a telephoto lens as long as my arm. I have used some of his pics and given credit.
Gentoos come ashore to breed, moult and fledge their young. They look seedy on the way
Where to next? 
I’m so pleased that the second trip worked out so well for you, and thanks for sharing the lovely photos with us, Peggy.
Best wishes, Pete.
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The second trip was sensational with two unexpected additions. Stay tuned.
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What a fantastic adventure! Amazing photos ❤
Ciao
Sid
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Thanks so much. More to come.
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Hello! Me, very curious 😜
Ciao
Sid
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All of the photos are fantastic captures! They really made me feel like I was right there in the middle of the action, too!
I’m glad you finally made it to Antarctica, and it looks like it was definitely worth it!
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It was worth it in overload. Would do it all again.
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Oh huzzah! These are beautiful images, and I’m excited to read more from your adventure. A lovely start, indeed, my friend! xxxxx
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Thanks Jean, hope all your family is well.
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Wow Peggy, thank you. Our brains tell us that there are these different things and places but it is still hard to comprehend. But when you know the person who takes the photographs it make is so much more real. So I repeat, Thank you Peggy.
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My pleasure to share. More to come.
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Wonderful to see your posts about the Antarctic trip take 2 and you’re up to posts after your medical issues. Looking forward to more.
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Thanks Robert. More to come. The foot has mended nicely.
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What a great start to the trip and the photos are amazing. I was particularly interested in the chinstrap penguin. I’d never heard of that one.
You were lucky to have a professional photographer to add to your own images.
(I’ve been waiting for this post for what seemed like forever).
Thanks for sharing. 🙂
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You can see why they are called chinstraps! We were most fortunate to have Werner on board.
It took me forever to get this post done. Hope I can speed up now.
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Hi Peggy
We wish you an exciting trip – maybe not too exciting 😉
We love the polar regions, but know the Arctic much better than the Antarctic.
Thanks for showing your great pictures
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Thanks so much. I’m still to learn more about the Arctic. Maybe next year.
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What an experience. I didn’t realize the South Shetland covered such a massive area. Looking forward to the rest of your trip. Maggie
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Thanks Maggie. Now to get busy writing. 🙂
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Fantastic pictures and such a fabulous trip. Looking forward to your next posts. Cheers.
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Thanks Lynette. I’ve already started on the next post.
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Great to see your posts!
Love to you from SoCal
And poor John too..
Sent from my iPhone
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Thanks Sherry. Now to get busy and do more posts.
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How wonderful!
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It really was wonderful.
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glad you got to Antartica on your second try Peggy.
too cold for me so I will just enjoy your photos. You are still a great globe trotter. Safe travels.
Dorothy
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Thanks. It was cold, but they gave us a good warm parka to wear—and keep.
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Dear Peggy and John
Amazing photos, so happy you got there. What an adventure. Much love, Lex
>
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Thanks Lex. Come visit. Much love to you too.
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Ah, I had to look it up. I was thinking of South Sandwich Islands that I didn’t go to but I did go to South Shetland Islands and visited two bases on King George Island rather than Greenwich Island. Fort Point looks amazing. It’s hard to photograph gentoos porpoising because they are quite fast and you don’t know where they are going to pop up..
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How lucky that you could visit two bases. I think Werner did a amazing jobs capturing those gentoos in action.
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Fantastic. I would love to do this.
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You’d love it.
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I’m so happy the second time around worked out! What an amazing experience!
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This second trip really surpassed expectations.
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I think the fur seals were gossiping – “Have you seen the state of her fur?” Fabulous shots and the (second) trip of a lifetime.
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Good one Kerry! I prefer gossiping to arguing.
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What an incredible trip this must have been, Peggy. I’m so glad that you were second time lucky.
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It was a wonderful trip and I look forward to sharing more about it.
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Great post and pics! What an adventure!
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Thanks so much. It really was an excellent adventure.
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Welcome!
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Oh yay, how exciting to finally make it! And what a beautiful start!
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We were so lucky to be able to do it for real this time.
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What an incredible start to your Antarctic journey—Fort Point looks absolutely magical! Penguins, seals, calm Drake Passage… and even a zodiac cruise? Total bucket list material. Loved the mix of history, wildlife, and your excitement shining through. Can’t wait to see where you went next!
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Thanks so much for your enthusiasm and encouragement. More to come soon.
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What a triumphant return, Peggy! I remember your November detour, so it’s wonderful to read that you made it to the Antarctic this time—and what a spectacular start at Fort Point! Your vivid descriptions, paired with Werner Kruse’s striking photos, bring the icy drama of the South Shetlands to life. I could almost hear the fur seals squabbling and the chinstrap penguins strutting with attitude. Thank you for sharing both the grandeur and the fascinating history of these remote outposts. Looking forward to more dispatches from your unforgettable voyage!
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Thanks so much Michael. It was indeed a triumphant return because it truly exceeded expectations. Working on the next post now.
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Fort Point is such a bizarre shape (and colors) – I love the look of it! I’m not sure I have seen penguins in the water like that – leaping? swimming? or just walking on the bottom which I can’t see? Anyway, very fun shot. So happy you were able to rebook this, and I look forward to all the sights!
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I’m so glad Werner captured a bird’s eye view of Fort Point. The penguins are swimming. This movement is called porpoising and they do it to breathe efficiently when swimming at high speeds.
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A friend and fellow chef used to work for the BAS (British Antarctic Survey) team. He’d spend 6 months working (feeding the crew and scientists) and then he’s spend 6 months working as a chef on a private yacht in the Mediterranean, I guess to thaw out 🙂
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Sounds like the best of both worlds.
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Hello LeggyZ,
I have been a little Re-miss about not going to your blog. But happy to see now that you made it to Antarctica for your second try. What an amazing trip of a lifetime… Super cold, but that never stopped you from venturing out to some of the most remote places on this planet. The photos are wonderful and
especially “Gentoo penguins heading to shore. Photo by Werner Kruse“.
Great that he was kind enough to share some of his photos with you..
using very long lens and even a drone.. amazing!
Sy S.
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Thanks Sy. It really was a trip of a lifetime. Werner is a great and generous photographer. I have lots more of his pics to share.
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What an extraordinary adventure!
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What a breathtaking start to your Antarctic journey! You transported me to the icy expanse of Fort Point. The drone shot of Fort Point and the close-ups of the chinstrap and gentoo penguins are particularly captivating. Thank you for sharing these moments!!!
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I’m so glad Werner shared his pics with us all.
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As always, pictures is at least half of the story 🙂
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lovely photos, thanks for sharing
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My pleasure. Thanks for visiting and commenting.
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Magnificent place and good weather too. I love the photo of the point and especially the moulting gentoo.
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Penguins won’t go into the water until they have finished moulting and their waterproofing has returned.
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