TRIP TO ANTARCTICA DECEMBER 15 2025 to JANUARY 15 2026

Travel for pleasure and learning

Tampa        Monday, December 15/25

Friend Nancy took us to the Tampa Airport at 11 AM for a 3:25 PM AA Flight to Miami (1 hour), time in Turkish Lounge (very busy – not beautiful) for AA Flight to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at 7:55 PM for an 8½ hour flight through the night.

 Rio de Janeiro  -  Tuesday, Dec16/25  Hot, Sunny Day   90 degrees

(Name meaning River of January and is Brazil’s second largest city with a population of 7 million and 17 million in area (Sao Paulo in larger).

Arrived 6:05 AM and did a very long walk through the airport and collected luggage and met the Regent representative to direct us to the van to drive the 1½ hour drive to the J W Marriott hotel on Cococabana Beach for one night before boarding the cruise ship. The drive to the hotel was busy with traffic and crazy driving and “beep beep” of numerous motorcycles making their way to work downtown weaving between all the vehicles.

We had to wait for our room but had access to the lounge and the pool and spa where Don spent the morning and I walked the 5 km beach 2X for 2 hours (swimsuit, cover-up and hat) but still got a sunburn on my shoulders and back. Checked into Rm 1703 and pool time in the afternoon and Regent planned a $78 US tour for their guests awaiting the cruise starting tomorrow. Mary took the 3 PM tour to the iconic Christ the Redeemer Statue that can be seen all over the city of Rio (population of 7 million and 17 million in the area. A bus through Rio’s traffic took the group to the base of the Corcovado (hunchback) mountain (2,316’ or 706m) to transfer onto a cog train to travel up the mountain through the largest man-made urban forest in the world (Tropical jungle of Parque National da Tijica) that has monkeys and sloths and Jackfruit trees. These trees have a large watermelon sized fruit growing from an umbilical cord off the tree trunk. It is a sweet fruit but very odoris and for that reason can only be purchased in outdoor markets and not to be stored in your frig – so the tour guide admitted.   

The cog train arrived at the base of the statue and there was still and elevator ride and 2 escalators to get to the statue. Cristo Redentor statue was designed for Brazil’s Independence Centenary and was officially inaugurated in 1931. It is considered one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World.”  The entire city of Rio is embraced by Christ and the statue’s open arms as a testament to the warmth of the Brazilians.

The pedestal under the statue if 26’ (8m) and has a chapel in it (dedicated to Our Lady Aparecida, patron saint of Brazil) and the Statue itself is 98’(30m). It is a reinforced concrete monument covered with a large mosaic of soapstone, a beautiful material, malleable and resistant to heat, cold and erosion. The statue contains a stylized heart of soapstone dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and dedicated to the workers who built the statue.
Back to the hotel by 7 PM and a snack dinner in the Concierge Room and Early night.

Other things I learned on our first day:

The 1960’s bossa nova song “Girl from Ipanema” was composed for a very beautiful well dressed young woman who would frequent the Ipanema Beach (beach beside Cococabana Beach in front of an expensive nieghbourhood). The story goes that this woman asked for a cigarette from a fellow on the beach one day and the fellow said that certainly if he could write a song about her. Which he did. Apparently that woman is still beautiful at 85 years of age.
While walking on the beach I passed many 4 or 5 people groups playing with a soccer ball and the object of the game was to keep the ball from the ground by keeping it in the air with their foot or head of body. Another game that was popular with 2 people with solid paddles (pickleball paddle size) hitting a squash sized ball quickly between them. There were beach volleyball courts  for volleyball or a tennis like game as above.
Vendors patrolled the beach selling food and apparel and this picture is of beach wear and there are 2 umbella carousels connected with two rods holding them that the seller would have on their shoulders as they walked the beach.
Metal scaffolding for music stages was being set-up on the beach for the upcoming Carnival celebration that would attract 2 million people on New Years Eve.
There were walking pathways from the road to the Ocean that had low flowing sprinkler hoses on the sand so you would not burn your feet.
Time change to 2 hours ahead of our EST, day light saving time back in Florida. 

Rio de Janeiro - Wed, Dec 17/25   Cloudy, Humid, Light Rain

Breakfast at hotel and short walk on the beach to the famous Cococabana Palace hotel which opened in 1923 and many famous people stay for room rates of $600 to $2000 US per night. I did go in and had a look around. 

Loaded on a bus to transfer from the hotel to the downtown Rio to board the Regent SS Splendor to embark on our 11 day “Holiday Cruise” to Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was a little confusing at the port but we made it through to have lunch on board and were assigned Room 774 for this leg of the voyage and 17 days after.
At 6 PM we were entertained by local Brazilian drummers and dancers before dinner in the Compass Rose Dining Room. At 9:30 PM was the variety show “A Taste of Things to Come” in the theatre with the singers and dancers of the entertainment team.
11 PM was sailaway for Ilha Grande, Brazil (306 nautical miles).

Cruising the Coast of Brazil - Thurs, Dec 18/25   Cloudy, Sun, Rain

Up at 7 Am for the morning stretch and yoga classes in the gym but was disappointed by the Indian man instructor and later spoke to his boss. Had breakfast together and a walk on the 12th floor deck. Don played the Regent reward games and earned 16 Regent points by the end of the day. I did line dancing class lectures on South America and future Regent cruises, started a Regent needlepoint project and spa sauna/shower.
Supper was in the Prime 7 dining room and had a broken glass episode. Early night.

Notes from the day:
Lecture of “South America: The Lesser Known Continent” by Ashok Sajjanhar (Indian diplomat speaking on Colonization and Development.
South America (SA) is the 4th largest continent in size and the 5th in population (448 million). It has agriculture, oil, gas and critical minerals. It was not part of WW1 or WW2  so it is peaceful but had a 5 year war against Paraguay. There are 12 independent countries. They are great soccer fans (British influence) and have tango dancing, bossa nova music and many beaches. Brazil is the largest country making up 47% of SA and from north to south is the tallest country in the world with Argentina the second. Bolivia and Paraguay are land locked. Most countries speak Spanish except for Brazil that speaks Portuguese and the 3 Guyanas – Guyana is English with Suriname (formerly Dutch Guinea) speak Dutch and French Guyana speaks French. The climate is mostly tropical. The Falkland Islands are a United Kingdom Territory and do not belong to Argentina. The Andes (average height of 4000 metres) are the longest mountain range (6000 miles) and goes through 7 countries. Patagonia area at the bottom of SA in inhospitable land but has oil and gas reserves for Argentina. There are Brazilian highlands on the coast of Brazil. SA has lots of rivers and the Amazon River has a wide basin. Chile has a dessert.
SA people are 60% European, 20 to 30 % Indigenous (Mestizos) and 10 to 20% African who are descendants from the slaves brought over for sugarcane, coffee and cotton. Angel Falls is in Venezuela.

History: The Inca Empire (population estimate of 20 to 25 million) (mostly in Peru and the west side of SA) reigned for 200 years and then the Spanish from 1438 to 1533 AD wiping out the Incas with European diseases, technology with horses and weapons, and the Inca civil wars between the tribes). The Aztec Empire was in Central America.
The Portuguese came to Brazil and settled along the coast. The Pope with the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494 AD divided the world between Spain and Portugal. Things changed with the Napolean wars and the French revolution and the American revolution and slave uprisings. There was a Caste system in Spanish America with the top going to the Peninsulares who were born in Spain and given the top positions, followed by Ciriollo who had a Spanish parent, then Mestizo having a native mother, Mulatto and Zamba the lowest. Liberation came with El Liberator (Bolivar) 1808 to 1824 and Spain gave up and left. In Peru, it was Jose de San Martin. 1823 the US President with the Monroe Doctrine stopping any future European recolonization in Latin and SA. Still civil wars with division , instability, dictators and corruption, Liberals vs Conservatives gave rise to Caudillos, the Warlords or Military Dictators.

ILHA GRANDE, Brazil - Friday, Dec 19/25   Sun/Cloud  75 degrees

Up at 7 AM for breakfast with a 9 AM tender ride to the town of Abrado on Ilha Grande (big island). The island is covered with tropical rainforest, peaceful blue lagoons and has 102 beaches, protected bay and no cars. It is a haven for Rio’s jet set and was once a pirate’s liar. We did the Historical and Cultural Walking Tour and learned the island was first settled by the Dutch with a prosperous Dutch farmer until the Emperor of Brazil bought it. Just remnants of the farmhouse “Lazaretto” remain with the jungle taking over. Some imported palm trees and eucalyptus trees are still growing there. In 1884 to 1913, it was a quarantine stopover for European immigrants to the New World, by order of the Emperor of Brazil for they may have been infected with cholera. We walked to an aqueduct built for the quarantine center which brought fresh water from a mountain stream for the first class immigrants and the second and third class people received their water from streams further down. From 1940 to 1954 it operated as a maximum security prison.

We were back on board for lunch, pickleball, relaxation and trivia at 4:30 PM with Regina and Chris and daughters from Singapore and Jack and Wendy from Denver. Dinner in Compass Rose with our favorite servers. Early night again so no tango show.
8 PM Departure to Ilhabela, Brazil (93 nautical miles)

Note – We paid $229.16 CAN for our Brazilian visas – required to be seen by AA attendants before we could even get boarding passes at the Tampa airport before we flew to Rio. While the ship sails in Brazilian waters, a 25% surcharge had to be applied to any purchase made at the bars, Boutique and Spa (for retail products only) onboard. Of course we did buy anything in Brazil or onboard.

Ilhabela, Brazil - Saturday, Dec 20/25   Sun/Cloud   77 degrees

Up at 6 AM for 7 AM stretch class and Saturday workout in gym. Don decided to stay aboard today due to tender port, possible mosquitoes and rough 4x4 excursion ride. Breakfast together and I let for 8:45AM “Waterfall and Beach 4x4 Trek.”

Ilhabela, an island paradise off the coast of Sao Paulo and most of it is a state park with forests full of waterfalls (320). It has only 2 roads, one for cars and one for 4x4s. The historic village Vila has cobblestone streets, colorful buildings and many cafes, restaurants and boutiques. 

On arrival on Ilhabela (“Beautiful Island”) in the town of “Vila” we were loaded in jeeps and drove though town to a beach and left for 90 minutes for which I walked on the beach. Then back in the jeeps to a rugged path leading to 3 levels of a waterfall. Back on jeep through town again and back to ship with no mosquitos. Met 93 year old Joel from Manhattan who was a lawyer and musician on the tour and his wife declined this excursion too but he did the climbing to the waterfalls with the rest of us. Lunch with Don at the Pool Grill as usual.  

Note of beautiful Flamboyant trees with bright red flowers blooming at Christmas time. This one was in the town of Vila where out tender docked.

Played pickleball in the afternoon, trivia and even did laundry. Took Wanda the Mermaid to dinner with us in the Compass Rose. Went to the 9:30PM entertainment in the theatre featuring the pianist James Doughty, composer and entertainer from the UK. He was amazing on the piano and very good with the audience as well.
8 PM Departure to sail to Santos, Brazil (93 nautical miles).

Santos, Brazil - Sunday, Dec 21/25   Sunny   79 degrees

Up at 6:30 AM and received room service breakfast since we had an early excursion but Don was not impressed with his 3 minute boiled eggs and no heavy cream for his coffee so he found his usual breakfast on the 11th floor and no more room service food.
Docked today so we left for the bus at 8:15 AM for “Highlights of Santos” tour.
Some cruisers left earlier for a 7 hour tour to Sao Paulo.

Santos (Saints) Brazil is a port city of 500,000 people founded in 1535 and the gateway city to Sao Paulo (17 million) which is 90 minutes inland. It had the first hospital in SA. Santos exports 75% of the world’s orange juice and even has an orange juice pipeline from the port to its processing center nearby. It also exports coffee and sugar worldwide. Some of the buildings in the city are leaning since they do not have stability in their footings due to the sandy soil.

On tour we drove to a small botanical garden in the city that was started by a man with a large orchid collection. Now the park also has small animals and birds that required rescuing due to injuries.
From there we went to the Pele Museum in downtown Santos that is across from their old train station and an old church. There were 6 floors of the accomplishments of soccer star Pele who played for Santos at the start of his soccer career. Pele assisted in turning this old building into a great museum.
From there we walked a short but hot distance to the Coffee Museum which housed the beautiful Coffee Exchange that ran the Brazilian Coffee business from 1922 to 1950. Only men were allowed in the circular exchange and its galleries in that time. The building also contains coffee history and opened in 1998 and is now one of Sao Paulo’s main tourist attraction.  Learned there that coffee was first noted by an Ethiopian goat herder seeing the increased activity in his goats when the goats fed on certain plants which turned out to be coffee plants. The Dutch were the first to cultivate coffee plants and grew them in Suriname and Indonesia. Then production when from the Dutch to the French. 

Back to the ship at 1 PM for lunch. Played a few games and attended the 5 PM lecture on Brazil. 4 PM sail to Porto Belo, Brazil (219 nautical miles).

“Brazil: The Land of the Holy Cross” by Ashok Sajjanhar
Brazil was first discovered by the Portuguese as they searched for a new route to India for spices and claimed it as the “Land of the Holy Cross.” The name of Brazil comes from red (in Portuguese is braza) after the pau-brasil or brazilwood tree. It has a dark brown, flaking bark revealing a lustrous blood-red sapwood.  Its dense, orange-red heartwood is prized for its high shine and is the premier material for making bows used in stringed instruments like violins, violas, and cellos—where it is often called pernambuco wood. The sap was used as a textile dye as well.  It is the national tree of Brazil and endangered due to excessive harvesting in the past and today there is a hefty fine if anyone damages or cuts these trees.
Brazil is 8.5 million square miles (which is more than continental USA) and covers 47% of SA and 38 degrees of latitude making it the tallest country in the world. It has 26 provinces and Brazilia, the capital. It has 27 stars on its flag and the Southern Star in its Coat of Arms. In 1889 it became a Republic. Rio de Janeiro was the capital city for 200 years and then Brazilia in 1960.
Bahia province was the first settled in the 1500’s and grew sugarcane. The Caribbean took over the sugarcane growing with the influence of the British. Gold mines came next. 10 countries border Brazil. It has 25 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The rivers are so important because they supply 75% of the power through hydro electricity. Brazil has a population of 213 million (7th in the world). It has an unequal society due to slavery and poverty. Population is made up of 45% pardo (Interracial), 43% white, 10% black and .6% indigenous and .4% East Asian. In 1908 Japanese people were brought to work in the coffee fields. Brazil is 84% Christian. It has agriculture, manufacturing and mineral resources. Unfortunately, it is not politically stable, has inequality and corruption. Its exports (aircrafts, oil and agricultural products) are higher than its imports. Sao Paulo area was the coffee center in the 18th century and supplies 32% of the GDP of Brazil. Brazil is the world’s largest producer of coffee, orange juice and soya beans.

History: Rock art shows a prehistoric people. Pedro Cabal landed for one week. In 1494, the Treaty of Tordesillas divided the world between Spain and Portugal. King John III (1521-1557) of Portugal redivided the land but failed. Five Million slaves (out of 10 million for North and South America) were brought to work in the sugarcane.
Conquistadors were Spanish and Portuguese military explorers looking for gold during the 16th century, acting under the authority of their respective monarchs. For the next 300 years it was sugarcane and gold dominating.
Then revolutions with Napolean occupying Portugal in 1807. 50,000 Portuguese moved from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro. King John VI (1767 – 1826) known as the “Clement” and his reign was defined by major historical events, most notably the transfer of the Portuguese court to Rio de Janeiro in 1808 to escape Napoleon’s invasion of Portugal establishes Brazil and it prospers as no longer a colony. Despite efforts to maintain control, his son Pedro I declared Brazil’s independence in 1822, which John reluctantly accepted. Pedro’s son Pedro II was left in charge as father returns to Portugal. Pedro II was successful in Brazil and abolished slavery in 1888 (last in Americas). From 1889 to 1930 Brazil was run by Coffee Baron Presidents and in 1930 coffee prices dropped. Getulio Vargas became president in 1930 after a coup with a dictatorial rule but did improve life for workers. He committed suicide while president or maybe was killed with arsenic? Dictatorial rule continues for 20 years. President Lulu is ruling as the “working class man” or “Bolsa Familia” and Brazil is part of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) 2001 group.

Other: Brazil has the largest Japanese population outside of Japan. There are 300 indigenous tribes. Voting age is 16 years old. Prison sentences are reduced for every book an inmate reads. Sex change operations are free.

Little Block Party in the Hallway followed by supper in Compass Rose and Mary went to the Crossroads show featuring Nashville / Rock n Roll music by the Entertainment Team in the Constellation Theatre at 9:30 PM.

Porto Belo, Brazil - Monday, Dec 22/25  Sun/Cloud/Windy  81 degrees

Was to go on 8:15 AM tour “Camboriu Highlands and Cable Car” but all tours cancelled due to high waves so tender boats could not be used safely so a day at sea. So we cruised on to Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil for December 24th (386 nautical miles).

Set-up an hour exercise class in the gym for 3 other passengers which I led. Quiet morning and discussed next years Christmas / New Years cruise with Cruise Consultant on board for logistics and pricing for our family. Lunch at pool grill as usual. Afternoon with samba dance class, Regent games, needlepoint and trivia. Dinner in Compass Rose and found tiny metal shaving in my soup and staff made a big fuss about it. Early to bed and missed 9:30 PM entertainment of Ultra Music Trivia game.

At Sea, Brazil - Tuesday, Dec 23/25   Sun/Cloud/Humid   75 degrees
(Sunrise 5:18 AM and Sunset 7:20 PM)

Up at 7 and breakfast at 8 and lead my exercise class at 9:30 with 4 participants. Played Regent games and lunch in Pool Grill. Spotted 3 Orca whales in ocean. Did afternoon Regent photo scavenger hunt and other games. Attended the Regent Loyalty Cocktail Party in the Theatre and had supper in the Chautreuse Dining Room (French cuisine). Don declined food but accompanied me. Watched sunset on top deck. I went to Broadway show at 9:30 PM. Bedtime. 

Rio Grande, Brazil - Wed, Dec 24/25        Sun/Humid   85 degrees
(Sunrise 5:20 AM and Sunset 7:35 PM)

Breakfast at 7 to be ready for our excursion at 8:15 “Sights of Rio Grande.” The ship is docked and Portuguese music was playing and dancers in costume were dancing as we got off the ship and loaded on a bus to downtown Rio Grande to walk around this old Portuguese port that has seen more prosperous times. Saw old Catholic Church of St Peter, a little mall with a cowboy (gaucho) store, outdoor fish market, slavery abolition statue to Isabella (Daughter of Pedro II who ruled Brazil in 1888 when slavery was abolished and costumed dancers in Central Square. On coach again to their Oceanic Museum and saw 2 Magellan Penguins being rehabbed and nice exhibits but all descriptions were in Portuguese.
Quiet afternoon by infinity pool and spa on the 6th floor and then trivia in the Observation Lounge on the 11th floor. There was carol singing in the Atrium at 6 PM by the Entertainment Team. Our dinner in the Compass Rose with dressed up Wanda the Wandering Mermaid. Wanda gave out a few presents to our wonderful wait staff of socks for Antarctica to John Rojsel, Buda, Chriska and Rowana and also our cabin ladies. I went to the special Xmas Celebration in the Theatre at 9:30 and then bed.

(5 PM the ship departed to Punta del Este, Uruguay for 242 nautical miles. Bye Brazil. But this port too had to be cancelled due to strong winds and waves that would be unsafe for the tenders so we cruised on to Montevideo, Uruguay by noon on Christmas.

Montevideo, Uruguay - Thurs, Dec 25/25        Sun/Cloud   75 degrees
(Sunrise 5:29 AM and Sunset 8 PM)

Up at 7, breakfast and 9:30 my 3rd exercise class in the gym. Lunch and a 1:45 excursion bus tour of “Highlights of Montevideo.” It is a very nice city of many beautiful buildings. We had an excellent guide who had been a tourist guide for 21 years in the tourist season of November to April. Our stops included downtown square, the Parliament Buildings, the La Carretta (Mule Train) bronze monument and the beach. Items learned by guide:
Mate Drink – stimulant herbal infused drink from a gourd cup refreshed with hot water.
Everyone votes or will be fined. They are meat eaters. 75% of their land is agricultural and they have 12 million cows and also sheep ranching.  
Population is 3.5 million (90% urban) which has not changed for 40 years and is mostly middle class. Birthrate is 1.9 and Montevideo has a population of 1.3 million. Uruguay has MAID in last year, cannabis is legal, LGBTQ rights and same sex marriage.

Back to ship by 5. Saw the huge MSC Desedia (6000 passengers) ship leave port as we stay in port overnight.
We had full course Christmas Dinner in the Compass Rose with our trivia friends of the Singapore family and Denver couple. Saw piano player James Doughty at 9:30 show.

Uruguay Seminar from Dec. 22/25 “The Switzerland of the Americas” with Ashok Sajjanhar.
Uruguay is the second smallest country in SA and started as a buffer state between Brazil and Argentina. It is the size of Florida or Washington state.  It is not a coveted territory for resources but it has rivers and is a low lying country. Power is 100% hydro electric.
Montevideo is the capital and largest city stretching along the broad Rio de la Plata estuary. The main square Plaza Independencia has the statue and mausoleum of the national hero Jose Artigas who was a Spanish soldier and statesman in 1815 and named the “Father of Uruguay” by fighting off the British. Uruguay is a democracy with 19 states/departments and its flag has blue and white strips with a sun (inca sun god) in the center. It has a 6 minute national anthem. The population is 86% white, 10% black, 6.3% indigenous, .7% East Asian and 6.3% other. For religion, 54% unreligious and 40% Christian. Cerro Cathedral is its highest point at 500m.
History: 6 to 7 thousand natives in area 10,000 years ago and they were hunter/gatherers who were wiped out by wars and diseases.
Juan Diaz was a Spanish explorer in the 1500s but succumbed to cannibal natives?
Sebastian Caboto, and Italian explorer commissioned by Spain came in 15so but left since there was no gold to be found. In the 17th century, cattle ranching started on the rich grassland. In 1680 the Portuguese resided in the north and in 1726 Montevideo was established by the Spanish. Artigas fought off the British in 1815 but in 1820 was exiled to Paraguay and lived the rest of his life there. Artigas had Federalist/Socialist views that the elite in Uruguay did not like since they wanted to rule and keep land for themselves. Lavalleja (Uruguay Liberator) led the group called the Thirty-Three Orientals during Uruguay's Declaration of Independence from the Empire of Brazil in 1825. In 1828 came the Treaty of Montevideo constitution based on the French and American constitutions. 1831 stated the great war which was a civil war between the Blancos (rural men wearing white armbands) versus the Colorados (urban men wearing red armbands). In 1867 the railway came and the finest station in SA was built.
1864 to 1870 was the War of Triple Alliance involving Paraquay loosing land to Brazil and Argentina.  Later came Battlism as political ideology within Uruguay's Colorado Party, named after José Batlle y Ordóñez, who served as president in the early 20th century (1903–1907, 1911–1915).  It emerged as a progressive, social democratic current emphasizing labor rights, social welfare, government regulation of the economy, and state ownership of key services such as electricity, water, and oil importation. This continued for 4 generations of leaders bringing more industries to Uruguay. The “Civic Military” dictatorship took over in 1981 to 1985 with Armelino who was later convicted of many crimes and spent 25 years in prison.
José “Pepe” Mujica was a former president of Uruguay who served from 2010 to 2015 and passed away on May 13, 2025, at the age of 89.  A former Marxist guerrilla and political prisoner for 14 years during Uruguay’s military dictatorship, Mujica became a symbol of humility and progressive leadership. Known globally as the "world's poorest president", he rejected the presidential palace, lived in a modest farmhouse, drove a 1987 Volkswagen Beetle, and donated around 90% of his salary to charity.

Montevideo, Uruguay - Friday, Dec 26/25        Sunny   84 degrees
(Sunrise 5:30 AM and Sunset 8 PM)

Up at 7 for “Montevideo by Bike” excursion at 8:15. The bike ride covered 11 miles to squares in Old Town and down the coast. We were back for lunch onboard and I went off the ship again to join an afternoon walking tour of “old town” as a standby. The group walked around Independence Square and visited the lobby of the old Presidential Palace there. Saw the iconic Opera House from there and the Canadian Embassy on the Square. Walked through the Old Fortress Gate and down the Shopping Street to a designer’s Museum (Agatha Ruiz De La Prada). Back for trivia on the ship and Regent Point Retrieval for Regent swag. Supper in Compass Rose. Early night being very tired from today’s exercise so no 9:30 show. (5 PM departure for 8 nautical miles across the estuary to Buenos Aires.)

Buenos Aires, Argentina - Sat, Dec 27/25    Sunny/Humid   90 degrees
(Sunrise 5:40 AM and Sunset 8:08 PM)

Up at 6 AM, breakfast and ready for 8:30 “The Ecological Reserve of Buenos Aires”  which is a park in the middle of downtown BA. Boarded a small bus and Diago was our guide for our group of 10 people. Saw a venomous snake (Don almost stepped on it), lizard, turtle, natria and many birds. Learned about the rufous hornero which is the national bird of Argentina, recognized for its distinctive oven-shaped mud nests that has 2 sections and symbolic representation of unity, strength, and freedom.  This medium-sized ovenbird, also known as the red ovenbird, is native to eastern South America and thrives in savannas, pastures, agricultural land, and urban areas. It is celebrated for its hardworking nature, lifelong pair bonding, and melodious song, embodying resilience and dedication.
Back for lunch on board and a quiet afternoon by the back deck and the big pool. Don played games and did laundry too. I went out for 6:45 “Buenos Aires by Night”. The bus tour took us through the main areas of important buildings. We stopped for 90 minutes to see the sunset from the 33rd floor of an office building and it had a wrap around pub where we could use our 3 drink tickets we were given. Last stop was to walk across the iconic “Bridge of the Woman” which was designed to depict a dancing tango party. This was around 9 PM and the bridge was packed with so many people enjoying the Saturday night with 78 degree temperature and clear skies. Was back to the ship at 10 PM. 

Argentina “Land of Silver” history from Ashok Sajjanhar.
Buenos Aires area was discovered in 1580 by an explorer from Peru and settled by Spanish speaking people and in 1776 was under the Viceroyality of Peru. BA was a flourishing port with Spain.
The Conquest of the Desert was an Argentine military campaign directed mainly by General Julio Argentino Roca during the 1870s and 1880s with the intention of establishing dominance over Patagonia, inhabited primarily by Indigenous peoples. The Conquest of the Desert extended Argentine territories into Patagonia and ended Chilean expansion in the region. Argentine troops killed more than 1,000 Mapuches, displaced more than 15,000 more from their traditional lands and enslaved a portion of the remaining Indigenous people. Settlers of European descent moved in and developed the lands through irrigation for agriculture, converting the territory into an extremely productive area that contributed to the status of Argentina as a great exporter of agricultural products during the early 20th century.
1930 to 43 was a bad period with 4 presidents. In 1946 President Peron took over and believed in industrialization and social rights. His 3rd wife Eva Peron was a young actress and fought for the working class and women and children and was loved by the citizens but not by the ruling class. 1946 to 1952 was the “Evita” time. 1976 to 1983 was called the dirty war with a military dictatorship with violence and terrorism. Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands in 1982 and were defeated by the British after a month but still believe the Islands are still owned by Argentina. There was a political crisis in 2001 with 5 presidents in a 10 day period.
The current-ruling party in Argentina is the Libertarian Party, with Javier Milei as President of the Nation. The country is in a depression with its heavy reliance on agriculture, spending too much and having to borrow money.
There are no blacks in Argentina due to a “whitening” by one of their presidents. 97% of its people were immigrants from Italy, Spain and Germany and some were criminals. Some immigrants from Wales as well who still speak Welsh.
Tango originated in the dance halls and brothels in the 1880s. Mt Aconcagua is their highest mountain with a height of 22,837 feet. Pato is a game played on horseback that combines elements from polo and basketball from the gaucho (cowboy) culture. Since 1953 it has been the national sport of Argentina. Diego Maradona is their famous soccer star and soccer is treated like a religion.

Start of second cruise: 17 day Antarctic Celebration

Buenos Aires, Argentina - Sun, Dec 28/25   Sunny/Humid   90 degrees

Up at 7. Change over day. 11 day Christmas Cruise passengers leave (667 passengers on board, 52 continuing on for next 17 days with 650 onboard for Antarctica Cruise. A 9 AM 4 hour bus tour “Highlights of Buenos Aires” was arranged for the 52 passengers continuing on so the ship could get ready for the new cruisers.

Buenos Aires is a very busy port and our ship was parked right beside huge container stacks using cranes to get the cargo on and off the ships and on to transport trucks. People were not allowed to walk off the ship and into the city. We had to board a bus to go to the front of the port, unload and go through the port building and then load onto tour buses in front of that building. Even walking into the city at that point was discouraged due to a shanty neighborhood close to the port and the train stations. 

We drove by the BA Lotus flower which was made to open and close with the sun’s rays. Recently it was fixed after a petal was damaged by a strong wind storm.

Our first stop on our tour was the Recoleta Mausoleum Cemetery (Cementerio de las Recoleta) where national icons rest in extravagant tombs. Established in 1822, the 14 acre cemetery “city of the dead” contains over 4,600 ornate, often decaying, marble vaults and statues.  Some tombs have 2 stories below ground level to hold many coffins and urns.
Eva Perron is buried here in her family’s mausoleum. (Eva died at the age of 33 from ovarian cancer. She had no children. Her husband had her body preserved and there are many stories of how eventually she came to be buried here.) A story our guide told us of this young woman who married an Olympic skier and was buried by an avalanche in Switzerland and died. Her beloved dog who was not there died the next day. Fascinating place with so many stories. 

Our second stop was the main square of the National Congress Parliament Building affectionally known as the “Pink House”. Eva Perron made several memorable speeches from the balcony on the right side. To date no one has spoken from this balcony. Also on the square was the National Bank, Plaza de Mayo (center) and the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity. I did enter the Cathedral as they were preparing for the 11AM mass.

The tomb of General Jose de San Martin is inside the cathedral. The black sarcophagus is guarded by three life-size female figures that represent Argentina, Chile and Peru, three of the regions freed by the General.
Pope Francis was the Archbishop of BA for 15 years and celebrated mass in this cathedral before moving to the Vatican in 2013.  

Our last stop was the “Caminito in La Boca.” Caminito is a famous, 328 foot long pedestrian street and open air museum in the La Boca neighbourhood of BA. Known for its brightly painted, colorful houses and it features tango dancers, street art and souvenir shops. It was created in 1959 by artist Benito Martin and honors the immigrant, portside history of the area and inspired the famous tango, “Caminito.”

Back to ship for lunch and a quiet afternoon seeing the new passengers arrive and look around. Supper in the Compass Rose and early bedtime.
6:45 PM Departure for Puerto Madryn, Argentina in 700 nautical miles.

Argentine Sea  - Mon, Dec 29/25   Sunny    80 degrees                (Sunrise 5:42 AM and Sunset 8:22 PM)

Up at 6:30, Stretch and Pilates classes in gym before breakfast. 10 AM Speaker series starts with “Where are we going? What will we see? With Robin Frisch-Gleason (geologist, retired public school teacher, climate change educator) Robin introduced the other 4 members of the Excursion team that will educate us on this cruise.
Penny Clarke – whale researcher from Scotland, Glenn Stein – historian from Florida, Dr Tim Stowe – bird scholar from UK and Craig Dockrill – conservationist from Canada but lived in the Falkland Islands.

Where are we going?
Puerto Madryn, Argentina is a resort town in Patagonia. It has dry areas with low grasses, llama like creatures (rheas) and whales (orca and right whales).
Punta Arenas, Chile is a colorful town with European style, an interesting cemetery and a Magellan statue where you can rub the foot and hope to come back to area again.
Strait of Magellan discovered in 1520 and is a canal though mountains with Terra del Fuega to the south.
Ushuaia, Argentina is the southern most town in the world. Condor farm there. Excursion ships to Antarctica leave from here. Iconic lighthouse.
Beagle Channel (Glacier Alley) has tide water glaciers named after European countries. Should see elephant seals, penguins.
Drake Passage is 600 mile passage at the tip of SA where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Pacific Oceans and the currents can cause huge waves (Drake Shake) or can be calm (Drake Lake).
Antarctic Peninsula – penguins, whales, research bases, icebergs – tabular or sculptured – close to Antarctic Circle (66½ degrees south)
South Shetland Islands – includes Elephant Island – whales
Falkland Islands (800 islands) with town of Port Stanley – geology, penguins, seals
Can use Google Maps for location our ship and “Windy” app for wind conditions, wave height and weather report.

10:30 – Paper Bookmark craft in Observation Lounge

11  “Wonderful Whales of Antarctica” lecture by Penny Clake
Penny calls whales “Ecosystem Engineers” because they make changes in oceans with their big bodies and red fecal poop. We get 50% from our oxygen from oceans. Carbon is stored in their blubber whether the whale is alive or dead (carbon sinks) and still exists for 10 years. 400 other animals feed on the bones.
Whales are top predators and are good for biodiversity and the tourism economy. For evolution the whales are linked with a thickened ear bone to a prehistoric creature in Pakistan 54 million years ago to whales 34 million years ago.
Whales are mammals as they have hair, are warm blooded and feed milk to young.
Blue whales are the largest followed by fin and mink whales. The whale’s mouth has baleen which is made of creatine and filters water out as the whale feeds on krill. They have a double blowhole verses one. Orcas and dolphins with one blowhole and they have beaks. Porpoises have flat faces.
Whales have long migration routes and go south for feeding.
Humpbacks have long flippers and breach a lot and tall slapping. They have a 16,000 km migration route. Only males “sing” to attract mates and get rid of other males. They hunt together, have a short bushy blow, hump on back, and has hair follicles on back. Their diet is mainly krill but seals and penguins are possible.
Blue Whales are the largest whales up to 33.5 feet and their heart is as big as a car. There are 4 years between young, mottled skin, high blow and can hear very low sounds (10 hertz) for miles.
Fin whales are 27 feet long and fast swimmers up to 30 mph.
Mink whales are 7 feet and maybe 10 feet in Antarctic and have white patch.
Southern Wright whale was hunted because they would float.
Orca whales- 4 types in Antarctic and male have a higher fin. They may feed on mink whales and hunt in groups.
Sperm whales have a boxy head and can dive down 3000 meters to feed on giant squid. They hang vertically while sleeping. They have wrinkly skin, blow sideways and a tail like a gingko leaf. Beaked whales are elusive.
While whale watching look for birds flocking around and blows.

Website of www.happywhale.com – send in whale tail picture with date, location and vessel. Whale can be identified. One man on our cruise did this and got an email back saying the whale was identified with a # and last seen 10 years earlier. Since it had a number and not a name he could name it and he did as “Marianne” which was the name of his wife.
Since 1986, there was to be no more whaling but Japan, Norway and Iceland still do.

Lunch Break

1:30 Lecture: “Antarctic Expeditions 1819 to 1922” by Glenn Stein

1819 William Smith of Great Britian discovered the South Shetland Islands
1820 Edward Bransfield (Irish born British Naval Officer) was the first to the Antarctic Peninsula (It wasn’t until 1930 it was found to be a peninsula.)
1820 – Russian was the first to the Antarctic continent and did circumnavigation.
1820 - US Nathaniel Palmer at age 21 was a captain of the New England sealing ship and the first American to see the Antarctic Peninsula.
1823- James Weddell (Weddell Sea named after him) and sailed to 74 degrees south feeding on seals and penguins when caught in mass of spinning ice.
1839 /40 – US Lieutenant Charles Wilkes (named Antarctica a continent named Wilkesland) and charted the coastline and brought back the first exhibits from there to the Smithsonian.
1840 – French Jules Sebastian Dumont D’Urville landing on an ice-free island in what is now Adélie Land, Antarctica.  He named the region Terra Adélie in honor of his wife, Adèle.  This act established a French claim to the area, which remains a cornerstone of France’s presence in Antarctica and today France has 2 research stations on Antarctica. There is a type of penguin named the Adelie Penguin.
1839/43 – Search for the South Magnetic Pole (1841). British officer Sir James Clark Ross explored Antarctica with summer voyages and reached 78 degrees south and confirmed the presence of a magnetic south pole. David Lyall was a Scottish surgeon and botanist on these expeditions and collected flora specimens of the continent.
1872-76 HMS Challenger Expedition was the first global scientific voyage dedicated to oceanography, transforming our understanding of the deep sea.
Heroic Age: 1895 to 1922
1892 – Captain Carl Anton Larsen was a Norwegian-born whaler and Antarctic explorer who made important contributions to the exploration of Antarctica, the most significant being the first discovery of fossils indication warmer times. In 1895 a landing discovered lichen growing. The Larsen Ice Shelf named after him. In 1904, Larsen re-founded a whaling settlement at Grytviken on the island of South Georgia. In 1910, after some years' residence on South Georgia, he renounced his Norwegian citizenship and took British citizenship.[5] The Norwegian whale factory ship C.A. Larsen was named after him.
1895 – The 6th International Geographic Congress called for international cooperation in Antarctic exploration, framing it as a scientific endeavor rather than a political one.
1897/8 – Belgian Adrien de Gerlache expedition ship was trapped in ice for a year with the winter months in total darkness.
1902/3 – A Swedish expedition was trapped and spent 2 winters in the ice and ate penguins to survive. 20 survivors were rescued by a ship from Uruguay.
1901/4 – The Ross Ice Shelf which covers 3,100 miles (largest ice shelf in Antarctica) was surveyed by Chariot from UK.
1907/9 and 1929/31 – Australian Sir Douglas Mawson. Mawson's first experience in the Antarctic came as a member of Shackleton's Nimrod Expedition (1907–1909) and was part of a group which became the first to climb Mount Erebus in March 1908. Mawson with another party became the first people to attain the South magnetic pole. After his participation in Shackleton's expedition, Mawson became the principal instigator and leader of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (1911–1914). The expedition explored thousands of kilometers of previously unexplored regions, collected geological and botanical samples, and made important scientific observations. Mawson was the sole survivor of the three-man Far Eastern Party in 1912–3, which travelled across the Mertz and Ninnis Glaciers, named after his two deceased companions. Their deaths forced him to travel alone for over a month to return to the expedition's main base, which became known as Mawson's Huts. Mawson's account of the expedition was published in 1915 as The Home of the Blizzard. He returned to the Antarctic as the leader of the British Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition (aka BANZARE, 1929–1931), which led to a territorial claim in the form of the Australian Antarctic Territory. The two long summer voyages were also noteworthy for the major oceanographic as well as terrestrial collections.
1910/2 – Japanese expedition also exploring Antarctic.
1911 – Norwegian Roald Amundsen reached the South Pole.
1912 – British Robert Scott is best known for reaching the South Pole in January 1912, only to discover that Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen had arrived 34 days earlier. Scott and his four companions died on the return journey from the pole, succumbing to extreme cold, starvation, and exhaustion. Their bodies were found eight months later, along with journals and the first Antarctic fossils ever discovered, which provided evidence that Antarctica was once forested and connected to other continents. 
1912 – German team discovered and named Luitpold Land by the Weddell Sea.
1914/7 – Sir Ernest Shackleton’s most famous expedition was the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914–1917), aboard the ship Endurance.  The vessel became trapped in pack ice in the Weddell Sea in January 1915, was crushed and sank in November 1915. With no way to cross Antarctica, Shackleton’s new mission became survival. He led his crew on a series of harrowing journeys: drifting on ice floes for months, landing on the desolate Elephant Island, and then making a 720-nautical-mile open-boat voyage in the James Caird to South Georgia—a feat hailed as one of the greatest small-boat journeys in history. After a grueling trek across South Georgia’s uncharted mountains, Shackleton secured rescue and returned to Elephant Island on 30 August 1916, bringing all 22 crew members to safety—a testament to his leadership under extreme adversity.  The wreck of the Endurance was discovered in 2022, over a century after its sinking. 

2:30 PM Lecture “Seabirds of the Southern Ocean” by Dr Tim Stowe.  An Introduction

Albatrosses – are large bird with a wing span of up to 3 meters or 17 feet on a Wandering Albatross. They rely on the wind and waves. It takes 6 years to attain adult plumage. The Northern Royal Albatross looks similar but has darker wings. Black browed - breed found in the Falkland Islands. Grey headed have yellow and black beaks and Light Mantled are smaller and are a grey color.
Albatrosses live at sea and do not lay eggs until they are 8 or 9 years old. They have a long life of 60 to 80 years and are the eldest known wild bird. They have an outlet on their bill that is believed to expel excess salt since they spend their lives on oceans.
Shearwaters – the Great Sooty if small and appears usually around dusk.

Petrels appear to be able to walk on water. Some will be seen following the ship like: the Southern Giant which is a nasty scavenger with a powerful bill and salt excreting gland on the beak: Cape Petrel which is black and white; White Chinned is dark but has whitish bill; and Snow which is all white and stays around icy waters.
Diving Petrels, Prions, Storm Petrels – strong sense of smell and live closer to shore.
Shags, Gulls and Terns – spread their wings to dry. Terns have the longest migration.
Brown Skua lives on rocky coastline and is a scavenger.
Penguins: Adelie and Chinstrap are the ice lovers; Gentoo are small, Macaroni (yellow feathers on top of head) and King (yellow patch on side of head) and only breed every 18 months. Emperor is the largest.

Did 4 seminars today. Don played Regent games and trivia. Usual lunch and had dinner in the Compass Rose. Walked on 12th floor deck after dinner but it was getting cooler and windy. I went to 9:30 Entertainment of “Life is Music” with talented Chilean musician and singer from Salvatore Hasard.
Became GOLD Loyalty Society Members today with over 75 days of sailing on Regent ships – now 4 internet connections, 3 hours phone time, traded in our silver room key cards for gold ones and received 2 magnetic gold pins. Next level is after 200 days!

Argentine Sea  - Tuesday, Dec 30/25   Sunny    70 degrees                (Sunrise 5:43 AM and Sunset 8:48 PM)

Up at 7, breakfast and walk on 12th floor deck and then stretch in gym.
9:30 Mandatory Safety Briefing on Antarctica as per IAATO Regulations. This is an International Assn since 1991 and ships visitors need a permit to travel to Antarctic waters. Antarctic has strong winters so deck 12 will be closed. All species are protected and bird flu has been there for several years. Ships are to slow down in places. No drones allowed. Stop and enjoy.

10AM Lecture “Conservation Partnerships” with Craig Dockrill.
We are now in the Patagonia Sea which is the gateway to Antarctica. It has had a low population forever with no indigenous population or human contact.
Falkland Islands had controlled access WW1 and WW2. Archipelago on Chili side. Continental shelf on east side that is 200 feet deep and supports rich life and plankton growth since sunlight gets to the bottom. There is a great drop off to 2000 feet.  Very coldwater currents around Cape of Good Hope. Sealing, whaling, tourism and fishing for last 200 years from many nations around the world.
Local interests for Conservation such as grassland renewal in Falkland Island, underwater too, turkey vultures in Falkland Islands (nonmigrating), albatross task force vs fisheries. Voluntary Stewardship – Be an Antarctic Ambassador.

10:30 Regent Craft Corner on 11th floor - I made a bracelet, the 3rd for this cruise and matching earrings for one bracelet too. Also I did a needlepoint Christmas ornament and a needlepoint sewing kit and I have 2 more coin purses to take home to do.
11 Regent Cruise Consultant Bea Kessler’s presentation on future cruises and the fleet.

Lunch and 1:30 Country Line Dancing Class

2PM Lecture “Whale Hello Again” with Penny Clarke – how ocean giants are rebounding.
Whaling in the 1800’s almost wiped out the whales. In the 20th Century, commercial whaling for all about oil for lamps and other uses. Captain Carl Anton Larsen was a Norwegian whaler, industrialist and explorer started a whaling processing station in the South Georgia Islands and later came whale processing ships which went after the humpback whales mostly. Between 1904 and 1965 175,250 whales were killed. In 1940 the war stopped the whaling and in the 1960’s it stopped because there were no more whales. It is estimated that 2 million whales have been killed in the Southern Ocean. In 1986 the International Whaling Commission was setup to declare the Southern Ocean a Whale Sanctuary to save the whales.

3PM Lecture “The Global Ocean” with Robin Gleason
Background – 70 miles per degree of latitude and poles are at 90 degrees North and South. For Perimeridians – 180 longitude is the International Date Line.
Antarctic Convergence if the boundary around 60 degree latitude where warmer water (42 degrees) meets the cold polar water (2 degrees C). The line is about 2 degrees across (latitude) and there is more life in polar water.
History:         13.7 billion years ago - “Big Bang”
                4.6 billion years ago – Solar System
                4.5 billion years ago – Earth and Moon
                4.4 billion years ago – Cooling – Ocean starting
                4.2 billion years ago – oldest rocks (Greenland, Canadian Shield)
                3.8 billion years ago – sedimentary rocks
                2.5 billion years ago – free Oxygen – Evolution of Life
70% of the Earth’s surface is water. The northern hemisphere is 39% land and the southern hemisphere is 19% land. In the Pacific Ocean, the Mariana Trench is 36,000 feet deep. The Atlantic Ocean is ½ the size of the Pacific Ocean.
Antarctica is a land mass the size of North America. 97.5% of water is salt water and 70% is ice (70% of the world’s ice is in Antarctica and the ice can reach a depth of 4 kilometers). The surface water is 0.4% fresh water. There are mountain ridges in oceans like the mid-Atlantic Range. The marine food pyramid has carnivores on the top. 3.5% salt in the oceans (The Dead Sea is 34% salt). As for motion in the ocean. A swell is rocking and could be 200 feet deep and is an energy wave. The Coriolis Force is the movement due to the earth rotating (right in north and left in south. Gyres are surface currents and the Coriolis effect. There are also rivers in the ocean like the Kuroshio current in Japan flowing 25 to 75 miles a day.  Gulf Streams like the Humboldt or Peru Current brings cold water north. No warm water gets into Antarctic waters. The Global Conveyor Belt makes weather patterns.
Plate Tectonics Theory mentioned and continental drift and Gondwanaland.

Don played trivia and Mary to spa. Dinner in the Compass Rose. We walked around the deck for witness sunset with the “green flash” just as the sun goes down but not seen.
I went to the 9:30 show which was a tribute to Whitney Houston by Trina Johnson-Finn from Las Vegas.

Puerto Madryn, Argentina   Wed, Dec 31/25   Sunny/Windy                  70 degrees             (Sunrise 5:44 AM and Sunset 9:01 PM)

Docked in Puerto Madryn, Argentina. It is a coastal city (100,000 population) of Argentine Patagonia.

Breakfast before 8:15AM bus tour to Welsh town of Gaiman (90 minute ride through desert like land with many windmills by the windy coast). Had lovely English (Welsh) tea in Gaimen complete with homemade scones and goodies and a 14 member Welsh choir to entertain us in a large teahouse. We walked around the pretty little town on a river with gardens and trees and then back on the bus to get back to the ship.
Notes on this Patagonia from our tour guide Mimi:
Largest dinosaur fossil found in this area which on further investigation seemed to be a dinosaur cemetery as more bones were found.
Saw cedar tree with yellow tips and oleander trees with double blooms in Gaimen.
Puerto Madryn is the largest producer of aluminum in the world.
Long beach in Puerto Madryn and the area has low average rainfall with only 10”.

Lunch in the Pool Grill as usual. Played a game of pickleball and other Regent games in the afternoon. Participated in hallway party outside of room at 6 PM as Captain and Cruise Director toured the floors. New Year’s Eve Dinner in Compass Rose with Wanda to give out a few more gifts to staff. Walk on top deck for sunset at 9PM. Made some calls from our room as we are now gold and have 3 hours of calls available – to Anne, Larry and Annette, Langs. Bed by 10 PM even though a big party would go on in the Atrium of the Ship. Advised that waves to increase through the night and continue tomorrow.
4 PM was our departure for cruising to Punta Arenas, Chile in 754 nautical miles.

 Argentine Sea     Thursday, Jan 1/26   Sunny/Windy    70 degrees                (Sunrise 5:28 AM and Sunset 9:51 PM)

Up at 7, yoga at 8:15 and Zumba at 9 and a quick breakfast to get to
10 AM Lecture “How to find and identify Seabirds” with Dr Tim Stowe

There are 700 million seabirds in the Ocean. If you see a bird, you have to give directions on where to look. The clock method works with the bow of the ship at 12 o’clock and the starboard (right side) runs 1 to 6 and the port (left side) is 6 to 12. Distance is mostly underestimated and you say near, mid or far distance. Say what the bird is doing like flying, sitting on water? Slightly cloudy is better for bird watching than bright sun. There are 4 keys: Shape of the tail, wings, body, neck, beak; Size like pigeon or sparrow; Colors and patterns; How Flying – soaring birds have thin wings, wide wings have to flap. In flight, is it flapping or gliding. Terns are acrobatic. Need detail.
Albatross is long winged which seldom flap. They can fly massive distances and hang on the wind. They can’t take off if wind is calm.

11 AM Lecture “The Antarctic Treaty” (1959) with Glenn Stein

Antarctic was isolated with no other humans there. In 1902-4 was the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition with W S Bruce established the first meteorological station made of stone called Osmond House which was given to Argentina. The station, renamed Orcadas Base, has remained operational ever since, having been rebuilt and extended several times.
The UK wanted to claim Antarctica and the Falkland Islands. It ignored Argentine claims and there were claim disputes for 50 years with many countries involved. There are international laws for bases occupied. President Eisenhower revealed a national plan in 1959 with 12 countries signing and 1961 the treaty was ratified. The treaty has no military use, use for science, nuclear free and is applied to land and not the seas and can be modifies anytime. May 2025 there are 58 member countries and 29 consultative countries with no vote. In 2035, the treaty can be looked out again and members will react as needed. There are many bases on the Antarctic Peninsula. It is a very delicate environment not to be disturbed with krill, fish and whales. Bases rely on each other with the harsh conditions so mutual cooperation is necessary. Antarctica is the land mass and the Arctic is ice over water.

Lunch for me but Don was sleeping through some rocky seas. Did email catch up.

2 PM Lecture “Ice” with Robin Gleason  
Frozen in time. Antarctica is a “cryosphere” – most frozen water on earth – snow, ice, permafrost, glaciers, sea ice, icebergs. Regular water freezes at 32 degrees and salt water lower. Ice takes up more space so ice floats. There is land ice; sea ice (frozen ocean on top and is seasonal in polar winter with 1 to 6 inches in the first year but can get thicker and stronger; snow happens at low temperature and high humidity and made up of crystals; ice for temperature below freezing at high elevations and high latitudes; permafrost is the water in soil freezes; glaciers are rivers of ice flowing downhill and are powerful carving agents dumping debris at end. Glacial ice is deep blue due to effect of wavelengths and is very compacted ice. Three huge ice sheets in the world with the east and west of ones of Antarctica and the other in Greenland. They are dome shaped. Ice caps are smaller glaciers that come together such as Iceland. Ice shelves are floating ice that used to be land when still attached. Icebergs are birthed and many happen in Antarctica, less in Arctic. Icebergs have 10% of volume above the waterline and 90% below. Antarctica is a polar desert with less than 10” of rain a year. It is the dryest, windiest, coldest and highest place on earth. It has 5 cm of snow in a year in the center. Ice albedo describes the effect of ice keeping the earth cooler because it is reflective.
Icebergs are dynamic and can roll. They do get trapped in sea ice. They can be flat on top or tabular as they have broken off an ice shelf.
Ice cores are drilled to be studied. Ice captures bubbles to tell of climate 800,000 years ago. Crevasses are cracks in ice. A moulin is a hole in ice.
Glaciers make u-shaped valleys and fiords are made this way. Twaites Glacier (size of Florida) in West Antarctica is collapsing. The east side is higher and slowly melting.

Trivia at 4:30, supper in Compass Rose and great 9:30 show of Salvatore Hasad again.  

Strait of Magellan and Punta Arenas, Chile   Friday, Jan 2/26  
Partly Cloudy    54 degrees (Sunrise 5:22 AM and Sunset 10:12 PM)

In 1520, Ferdinand Magellan sailed through this 350 mile long passage as a short cut to reach the riches of the East. Today we pass by oil and gas rigs owned by Argentina and Chile that have been there for the last 10 years. To arrive in Punta Arenas at 4 PM.

Up at 7, Pilates class at 8 and then breakfast.
10 AM  Lecture “Spying on Antarctic Wildlife from Space” with Penny Clarke
Penny is a researcher using satellites to explore whales – where they are and numbers. Penny spoke of a 3 week period she and another researcher using drones to spot whales off the coast of a South Shetland Island. AI is also used in the research.

11 AM  Lecture “Forests of the Southern Seas” with Craig Dockrill
These forests are trees, kelp and tussac by the Falkland Island. Mentioned an extinct fox in the Falkland Island from skeleton findings but was found to actually be a wolf. The European hare was brought in by 1888 for sport hunting but it became invasive. In 1946, the beaver was brought in to promote the fur industry and it became invasive as the “Beaverscene” period and killed forests. There was talk to bring in black bears but that did not happen.
The aquatic forest is giant kelp which can grow up to 80 meters. It is nutrient rich and captures carbon and slows waves. It grows in the Patagonian Sea, Chilean fiords and around the Falkland Islands. It is hyper productive but has been declining in the last 20 years due to an increase in sea urchins which eat kelp.
The tussac forest is a grass forest that forms on Coastal peat and can grow to 4 meters. It grows in the Falkland Islands and is carbon dense. It is used as food for horses and grazing for sheep and cattle. It also houses penguins, sea lions and seabirds. There is also a special tussac bird which is black. The tussac grass holds the soil in place. There are restoration efforts going back 100 years by farmers planting the tussac just as you would trees. At the end of their winter there is a special day called Tussac Tuesday.

Lunch time inside today since it is just 48 degrees F and cloudy and misty.

1:30  Lecture “Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914-17” with Glenn Stein
(Shackleton’s attempt to cross the Antarctic continent for the first time)
In August 1914, 27 Men on the ship “Endurance” arrived in the Weddell Sea and the plan was to travel across Antarctica (1800 miles) to the Ross Sea on the other side with the help of 69 dogs to pull sledges. There was another ship at the Ross Sea awaiting them. Endurance became beset—trapped in the ice of the Weddell Sea—before it was able to reach the landing site. It drifted northward, held in the pack ice, throughout the Antarctic winter of 1915. Eventually the ice crushed the ship, and it sank, stranding its complement of 28 men on the ice. After months spent in makeshift camps as the ice continued its northwards drift, the party used lifeboats that had been salvaged from the ship to reach the inhospitable, uninhabited Elephant Island. Shackleton and five other members of the group then made an 800-mile (1,300 km) open-boat journey in the James Caird, and were able to reach South Georgia. From there, Shackleton was eventually able to arrange a rescue of the men who had remained on Elephant Island (Point Wilde) and to bring them home without loss of life. (The group was rescued by a steamboat cutter with Chilean Captain Luis Pardo). The remarkably preserved wreck of Endurance was found on the seafloor in 2022. On the other side of the continent, the Ross Sea party overcame great hardships to fulfill its mission. Aurora was blown from her moorings during a gale and was unable to return, leaving the shore party stranded without proper supplies or equipment. Although the depots were still able to be laid, three people died before the party was eventually rescued.

4 PM Docked in Punta Arenas, Chili at Sandy Point.
Punta Arenas is the southernmost major city (population of 130,000) of the Chilean mainland in Patagonia. It was originally founded in the mid 19th century as a penal colony. It quickly evolved into a thriving port and commercial hub to its strategic location on one of the world’s most important natural shipping route. The climate is famously unpredictable with strong winds sweeping across the city (100 mph at times) and sudden changes in weather to note it is close to the end of the continent.
4:45 – Tour “Highlights of Punta Arenas.”  My first stop was a lookout over the city looking out to the Strait.
The second stop was the central Plaza Munoz Gamero, framed by elegant mansions built during the sheep farming boom. Noted the mansion of Sara Braun (Jewish immigrant from Latvia) who married a rich man (fortune made in sheep, shipping and steamboats) over 20 years older and he died leaving Sara the fortune. Sara lived in this palace until she died at 95 years old and is the last burial at the mausoleum cemetery in Punta Arenas. Sara was a businesswoman and philanthropist and patron of the Red Cross, an orphanage and did many other good works. Another rich family was of Jose Menendez from Spain who built a luxury hotel and bank from sheep farming and steamship profits. He also mined coal from local mountain the built a railroad to bring the coal to the city to heat the homes and run the steamboats. The statue of Ferdinand Magellan at the plaza’s center pays homage to the explorer whose voyage first revealed the strait to the world. Local legend says touching the foot of the indigenous figure at the base of the monument ensures a return to Patagonia, a ritual I followed. 

Next stop was the Mausoleum Cemetery which had large tombs and Canadian Cypress Trees shaped into cones interspersed throughout. This cemetery was much smaller and not as crowded as the Recoletta Cemetery in Buenos Aires.
On to an outdoor Pioneer Museum and the sun did come out and the temperature was 60 degrees so it was pleasant to walk about viewing the many indoor and outdoor exhibits.  Our final stop was at the Salesian indoor history museum of the animals, natives, Christianity and exploration. There was a genocide of local natives including some canoe tribes. Natives were naked when discovered in this harsh climate with seal fat on their skin. All tribes were eliminated and protests continue against the genocide by the first sheep farmers.
Back to the ship for a late dinner in the Compass Rose. Sawa the female singer again at the 9:30 show. Did go up to the top of the ship after the show to see the stars but it was not dark yet at 10:30. Bed.

Punta Arenas, Chile   Sat, Jan 3/26   Windy/Cloudy    55 degrees   (Sunrise 5:24 AM and Sunset 10:11 PM).

Up at 6:30 for 7:15 bus tour of “Voyage to the Past” Our first stop was the Nao Victoria Ship Museum to see, board and explore Magellan’s ship “Victoria” replica ship. The HMS Beagle replica ship was there as well. For 5 years the English naturalist Charles Darwin (1831-1836) sailed on the Beagle during which his observations led him to outline his famous “Theory of Evolution.” Around the museum were giant clumps of mostly yellow lupins but there were other colors too.
The second stop was the Salesian Museum again. Onward to the Main Square and ending at the viewpoint. Although this was similar to yesterday’s tour it is always interesting with different tour guides with their stories.
Back to ship at 11AM. Time in spa and then lunch. Played some Regent games in the afternoon. Dinner in Compass Rose.
4 PM was departure to cruise to Ushuaia, Argentina in 257 nautical miles.
Big news back home was that President Madura was taken out of Venezuela. 

Beagle Channel and Ushuaia, Argentina   Sun, Jan 4/26   Partly Cloudy    54 degrees (Sunrise 5:04 AM and Sunset 10:11 PM)

 Up at 6 AM to go up on deck to observe cruising though the Beagle Channel. It was cold but hot chocolate was served to keep us warm.
Beagle Channel's Glacier Alley is a breathtaking 150-mile-long (240 km) stretch within the Beagle Channel, located at the southern tip of South America in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago.  
This iconic fjord section, also known as "Avenue of the Glaciers" or "Glacier Alley", is renowned for its dramatic scenery, featuring five major tidewater glaciers named after European countries: Holanda (Holland), Italia (Italy), Francia (France), Alemania (Germany), and Espana (Spain).  These massive blue glaciers descend from the Darwin Ice Field, which covers 2,500 sq km on Isla Grande, the largest island in the region. 

The glaciers, visible from cruise ships, flow from heights exceeding 3,000 feet (1,000 m) into the still, turquoise waters of the channel, creating a surreal, cathedral-like atmosphere. The deep blue color of the ice results from centuries of compressed snow and ice, filtering out red light.
Went to gym for yoga and my stretch with friend Rachel. We were to dock in Ushuaia, Argentina – the most “Southern City in the World” (population of 60,000) at 10 AM but were unable due to waves and a small dock. Ushuaia was established in 1884 as an Argentine naval base and also a notorious prison (Alcatraz of Argentina) in 1902.
The forecast was that the winds would get stronger during the day so if we could dock we might get stuck there for several days. I was disappointed to miss our excursion to “Tierra del Fuego Native Reserve.” But it is better to be safe. The Captain made the decision to move on to the Antarctic Peninsula.
Lunch at Pool Grill.
1:30 Lecture “A Day in the Life of an Antarctica Field Geologist” with Robin Gleason
In Antarctica the Central Transantarctic Mountains separate east from west.
Robin as a young geologist in 1985/6 spent time at McMurdo Station on Ross Island on Ross Island (Volcanic Island) with 3 other women for a study of rocks and fossils. This area was where the sea ice and the ice shelf (ice can be 2 miles thick) meet. Mount Arabus is the furthest south volcano in the world.  
Robin was working on her thesis from Vanderbilt University in Nashville Tennessee. They came on a 5 hour flight from New Zealand to this New Zealand base. Antarctica is like desert and it is so dry with no humidity. They stayed in “Jamesways” which were the dorms and labs. She described the clothing they were issued:
-silk gloves to wear close to the skin, then wool gloves and buckskin mitts
-bunny boots that were 2 layers of rubber with air between accessed by a value
- clothing was in layers
They had ice axes to prevent sliding down ice slopes. Their excursion took them out on snowmobiles and tented with 2 per tent. The double canvas Scott tents had a tunnel entrance but no floor since the winds are so strong (can be up to 200 mph) so the tent could fly away but you would not be in it. They also had to carry their water in thermos else the water would freeze.
Robin returned in 2007 to Cape Royds Base (in 1907 and 1909 was where the Shackleton Expedient was stranded in sea ice). She recalls having the allowed 3 minute shower 2X/week and walking back to her dorm a short way from the showers and flicked her wet long hair and the hair just broke off. From the base she did some remote camping again. 

2:30 Lecture: Birds (Albatross Story) with Dr. Tim Stowe
Mollymawks (smallest), Goonies (intermediate – in Pacific), and Wanderers (biggest) with a wing span of up to 15 feet.
Part 1 – Villian to Victim –The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is a narrative poem by English Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, first published in Lyrical Ballads in 1798.  The poem tells the story of a sailor (Joseph Banks) who, after killing an albatross—a bird seen as a good omen—brings a curse upon his ship and crew. The albatross becomes a symbol of guilt, hung around his neck as penance ("an albatross around one’s neck").
The albatross was first reported in 1593 by Sir Richard Hawkins.
Albatrosses display a tender courtship by mutual preening and mostly mate for life. An egg will develop in several weeks and takes 4 to 5 weeks to hatch. Their nests are hammock like off ground. They are good parents and feed through mouths and parent may have foraged for 3 to 4 days at sea for the food. Juveniles have black bills and downy plumage. Albatrosses need wind to get airborne so nest on the edge of cliffs.
Albatrosses are in danger of extinction from industrial scale fishing as they follow the ships with long lines of hooks containing fish bait that the birds go after. South Africa had a task force to train fisherman on a device that shielded the birds from the hooks that was successful and then this training was done in 30 other countries too so recover may be possible.

Trivia at 4:30 and dinner in the Compass Rose at 6:30 but the ship was rocking as we were now cruising in the Drake Passage (Drake Shake) with 15 feet swells so a seasick pill required and bed by 8:30 PM.

Drake Passage    Monday, Jan 5/26   Partly Cloudy    45 degrees (Sunrise 4:30 AM and Sunset 10:22 PM)

Still rocking.  4 more lectures today with the Excursion Team.

10AM Lecture: “Scott’s Last Expedition 1910 to 1913” by Glenn Stein.
Robert Falcon Scott’s first expedition to Antarctica was 1901-4 on the Discovery ship.

This second trip was on ship “Terra Nova” (new land) (whaler ship) (wooden ships give with ice – not metal). Scott was 43 years old in 1911. The ship anchored in McMurdo Sound. The voyage was sponsored with money and supplies from companies such as Shell and Heinz. There was even a piano and a gramophone on board. There were 33 Siberian dogs, 17 Manchurian ponies and 3 Wolseley motor sleds (unfortunately did not work in the cold)  to assist in the goal of being the first to reach the South Pole.
Lawrence “Titus” Oates (tough guy), Petty Officer Edgar Evans (drinker), Birdie Bowers, Wilson and Scott were the team to get to the Pole. At the same time there was a Norwegian team lead by Roald Amundsen Who started in the north and then went south. The Amundsen team reached the Pole on Dec 14/1911 and the Scott team reached the Pole on Jan 17/1912.
The team was to meet a Northern Party awaiting them But with terrible weather on the way back as well as scurvy and frostbite, Oates dies, Evans dies of a head injury, and Scott, Bowers and Wilson’s bodies were discovered later in 1912. Their deaths remain a mystery as a revolver was found in Scott’s hand. The bodies were not moved, their tent was collapsed over them and a stone Karn made over them. Very unfortunate as their tent was not far from the return point. The northern party of 6 men for 12 weeks spent the winter in an ice cave but survived.

11AM “Geology and Geography of Antarctica” with Robin Gleason
How Antarctica was formed through plate tectonics, mountain building, volcanoes, glaciations, weathering and erosion. Place on earth – the coldest, windiest, driest, isolated, highest (average elevation of 16,000 feet). The land is a lot under sea level due to the weight of the ice. 1% is exposed being the mountain tops.
Geology is the rock itself and the crystals in the rocks. Geologic history if how the rocks get to where they are. Glossotroposis is the study of leaves and ferns.
East Antarctica is a ½ billion to 3.8 billion years old. West Antarctica if ½ billion to present with its active volcanos.
Rocks are made of minerals. Igneous rock and basalt are volcanic, sedentary from erosion, and metamorphic were something else, granite cooled slowly. East Antarctica has a lot of granite.
In 1950’s Plate Tectonics was discovered as a mechanism behind geography with divergent (plates move out), convergence (plates move in) and transform (plates slide past).
Vostock Lake in Antarctica is a lake under ice to a depth of 2.2 miles and is the size of Lake Ontario. New bacteria has been found in this lake.
Antarctica has valuable mineral resources which are protected by the Treaty and extraction and transportation would be very difficult.

1:30 PM  Lecture “The Iconic Penguin” Culture, Biology and Travel by Dr Tim Stowe
Culture: Penguin Publications established in 1935 developed paperbacks to reduce the cost of books ; in comics Batman had an evildoer named The Penguin; Movies like Happy Feet, Penguins of Madagascar, Skipper, Ringo, Surf’s Up, Argentina movie The Penguin Lessons; Stamps
Biology: Penguins are attractive in beauty and movement, live in hostile cold environments, swim very deep and stand upright, wobble walk, waterproof wings are flippers and feet are paddles, have speed under water and can turn quickly, have a bone in their tail and can sit on it, bones are solid not like flying birds, no teeth just carotene spikes that are pointed backwards so no chewing, can’t fly but can hop (Rock Hopper). Feed on krill and silverfish and poop is pink(krill), white (fish) and green (starving). Other birds try to grab their eggs and chicks and leopard seals eat them too.
In 1497, Vasco de Gama noted penguins on the southern tip of Africa; 1520 Magellan noted penguins on the tip of South America; and in 1840 Adelie penguins discovered in Antarctica. At modern times now there are 9 varieties but in past there are thought to be as many as 50 varieties that are now extinct like the Spear-billed. Modern include Chinstrap, Gentoo, Emperor (biggest) and Adelie (only 2 in Antarctica), King, Macaroni.

2:30PM Lecture: A “Seal”iously Interesting Talk with Penny Clarke.
Seals and Sea Lions are Pinnipeds for their finned feet.
In 1978, sealing was stopped from the 60 degrees latitude south.
There are many species of the Phocidae (true seal is earless and found on ice) and Otariidae (eared and walk and run on land). These mate, rest and rear young on land.
The male is the bull, female is the cow and pup is the offspring.
A Sea Lion is large, dog like face on bull and the bull is larger.
A Fur Seal has long whiskers (sensors) and a double layer of fur.
There are blonde seals which happens 1:1000 due to a genetic trait.
Elephant Seals have big noses like a trunk. Their pups are called wieners. These seals can run (galumphing) on land and are great swimmers reaching depths of 3000 meters.
The seals had a decline of 47% due to bird flu in the South Georgia Islands.
A Leopard seal has a snakelike face. Satellite tagging is used on seals.

Did afternoon trivia, attended the Regent Loyalty Captain’s Reception and dinner in the Compass Rose with bedtime at 9:30PM and tomorrow the Antarctica Peninsula.

Antarctica Peninsula    Tuesday, Jan 6/26   Partly Cloudy   35 degrees (Sunrise 3:20 AM and Sunset 10:33 PM)

The Antarctic Peninsula is the northernmost part of mainland Antarctica extending approximately 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) toward South America. It is a mountainous region that is considered a continuation of the Andes Mountain range. The peaks rise up to 3,239 meters (10,627 feet). The landscape is predominantly covered in ice with less than 1% ice-free. It hosts numerous scientific stations of various countries and serves as a critical breeding grounds for seabirds, seals and penguins. 

Up at 6AM to see our cruise into the Peninsula area. We saw: Humpback whales, orca (killer) whales, seals on ice bergs, huge Gentoo penguin colonies, penguins in the water porpoising (like flying fish), penguins on ice flows, giant icebergs and 2 research stations (Argentina and Chile bases – Chile’s is now a museum).
By 6 AM Srollaert Antarctica; 9 AM at Errera; 12 PM at Neumar; 3 PM at Paradise Bay and 5 PM we started cruising to Deception Island Antarctica (142 nautical miles) and this was a bit rocky due to strong winds. 

We did have to wait for a National Geographic ship to leave Paradise Bay before we could cruise closer. This smaller ship could tender guests off on zodiacs to actually step onto the coast but our ship just cruised. Special permission is needed to sail in Antarctic waters and more permits for any landing parties.
Saw 3 females and one male orca whales hunting.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner as usual. Don did Regent games and trivia. I went to the 9:30 PM theatre show “From A to C” starring Anne VanDerZee from The Netherlands. She was a beautiful singer/entertainer and Cruise Director’s girlfriend.

The South Shetland Islands    Wed, Jan 7/26   Cloud/Sun/Windy  
35 degrees   (Sunrise 4 AM and Sunset 11 PM)

The South Shetland Islands are an isolated archipelago situated in the Drake Passage, approximately 120 kilometers north of the Antarctic Peninsula. Covering an area of almost 4000 square kilometers, these islands are characterized by their rugged terrain, shaped by glacial activity and volcanic formations.
They serve as a breeding ground for various species of penguins, including chinstrap and Adelie, alongside other wildlife such as elephant seals and Antarctic fur seals.
We arrived at Deception Island around 7 AM. Deception Island is a horseshoe shaped island as a result of volcanic activity but we could not enter the caldron because the entrance is shallow. The caldron provided a safe harbor with warmer water for ships of sealers and whalers. From 1819 to 1825 it was a whaling processing station and later this processing was done on whaling ships. It was also used for military and meteorological stations. The British claimed the island for taxes for use of the harbor and the island also has a cemetery. The rock has a red color because of the iron content.
10 AM Matt Bittman, NYT former columnist and author held a cooking demonstration in the theatre with the Regent Head Chef preparing a White Salmon dish.
11:30 AM Arrived at Halfmoon Bay but were a bit delayed entering the bay since another ship was there before us. Saw a large Chinstrap Penguin Colony of 1000’s of Penguins. These penguins are 75 cm tall, weigh 3 to 4 kg, travel up to 40 km/day foraging in the water, have pink feet, little ones leave nest by end of March, estimate of 8 million penguins in Antarctica. There was an Argentina Research Station but no flag flying so no one was there at this time.
Lunch at Pool Grill and sometime in Spa.
3 PM Arrived at H O Island (a basalt rock island). We saw an Ecuadorian Research Station and another huge Chinstrap penguin colony. It was so enjoyable to watch the penguins swimming around the ship and porpoising like flying fish.
Dinner in Compass Rose and early night.

Elephant Island    Thurs, Jan 8/26   Cloud/Sun/Windy   35 degrees  
(Sunrise 3:25 AM and Sunset 10:08 PM)

Elephant Island is an ice-covered, mountainous Island in the outer reaches of the South Shetland Islands, lying roughly 245 km northeast of the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. The island is best known for its role in the Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, when the 23 men of the 28 crew of the Endurance were stranded for 5 months in 1916 at Point Wild on the north coast while Shackleton sailed to South Georgia to seek rescue. Today the island has no permanent human settlement, but its coastal areas host colonies of penguins and seals. Including chinstrap penguins and southern elephant seals that helped give the island its name.
Up at 7 AM and yoga at 8:15. We were to visit 3 points on Elephant Island but our course was changed due to a solid ice flow block so our only vantage today is Point Wild. We saw lots of whales and icebergs along the way. 

2:30 Lecture “Antarctic Sealing and Whaling” with Glenn Stein
(Glenn told the audience that he had been by Pt Wild many times and we had the best weather he had ever experienced there today.)
Sealing had no regulations in the earliest industry in 1775 and was brutal done in secret locations and the seals had no protection. They were killed in large numbers in the South Georgia Islands with the British and Americans dominating. In the 18 and 19 century the industry expanded and reported in 1821/22 100 ships were sealing. The seals were killed by clubbing them and the fur to go to markets in London England and China. By 1833, 7 million seals were killed and the fur seals were wiped out and then the hunt was for the elephant seals for high grade oil and over 800,000 were killed. In 1955/56 2000 tons of oil was collected.
Whaling began in the 1730’s in the Arctic and 1904 in Antarctica. By 1920 there were floating factory ships. The whales were hunted to the point of extinction. In 1926, whales were starting to be tracked. The Royal Research Ship Discovery II was the largest research ship to explore Antarctica. In 1929 aircraft were making charts of the geology and fauna. In 1962 the ship Discovery III took up research.
Whaling does continue with the Japanese but it is limited and research is part of it.

3 PM Departure from the South Shetland Islands cruising through the Drake Passage (this time the Drake Lake) for 560 nautical miles to Stanley, Falkland Islands.

Trivia and review by the Excursion Team (Penny – the Whale Lady was tearful talking about seeing so many whales the last few days making her feel the whales are multiplying again. She was happy we had to change course because of the ice wall because we saw more whales on our new route.) and then dinner in the Compass Rose and early bedtime by 9:30 PM.

The Drake Passage    Friday, Jan 9/26   Cloud/Sun/Windy  
35 degrees    (Sunrise 4:15 AM and Sunset 9:20 PM)

9 AM My stretch class with 3 other ladies in the gym. 
10 AM Lecture “Welcome to the Falkland Islands” with Craig Dockrill   An introduction to the history, etiology. economy, and inhabitants of the Falkland Islands. (Craig lived in the Falkland Islands for 3 years.)
Falkland Islands have a population of 3,500. The Falkland Islands is made up of 778 islands and are 350 miles from Argentina and 500 miles from Antarctica.
In 1982 there was a 74 day war between Britian and Argentina fighting for possession of the islands. Argentina invaded Stanley (main and only big town) and British sent them away. Argentina still believes the island are part of them and have an outline of the islands on the Argentina passport. The Argentinians planted mine fields and Zimbabwe people took from 2009 to 2020 to demine the fenced areas that were affected. It is now a UK overseas territory.
It is an independent society that has its own stamps and currency (pounds).
There is a UK Military Base outside of Stanley with 1000 personnel as a peacekeeping defense force.
They have elections every 4 years with 4 representatives from Stanley (75% of population) and 3 from camps on other islands.
Economy: Since 1820 it has been Merino sheep for wool and meat. Fisheries developed in the 1990s for squid and hake fish that are frozen and sold in Spain and South Korea. Much of their government money comes from fishing licenses. Tourism is growing for their summer months but this suffered during the Covid years when they were isolated. The community now has a road. Two nighters are getaways to the remote places.
Stanley has the southern most marathon in the world and horse and human races happen annually on December 26th (Boxing Day).
Charles Darwin visited the Islands 1831 and 1834 as he was working his theory of evolution focusing on island verses continent species.
The Warrah or Falkland Wolf was killed by the sheep farmers and became extinct in 1876. It was the only native land mammal and ate more penguins than sheep.
Ecosystems: Sheep and penguin mix. Now cattle farming replacing some sheep farming. Have some rock hopper and king penguins but more gentoo and magellanic. There are sea lions, elephant seals, dolphins and other seals. 95% of the land is privately owned. There is peat on the islands which cause a fire risk.
The cost of living is expensive but it does have a greenhouse but fruit is imported.
Their power needs are supplied by wind and off shore oil production is the start in 2028.
There is a primary and secondary school in Stanley and at age 16 students can go to the UK for further education with cost covered. There is a hospital in Stanley but complicated medical needs would be seen to in Uruguay or the UK.

11 AM Lecture: “History of the Falkland Islands” with Glenn Stein   A general history of the Falklands, from the early 16th century through to the Falklands War of 1982.
The Islands were noted on early Portuguese maps as Las Islas Malvinas.
In 1592, English explorer John Davis took refuge from a storm at the Islands and in 1690 was the first recorded landing by British Captain John Strong. France founded the first settlement (Port Louis) in 1764, followed by Britian (Port Egmont) in 1765. Spain acquired the French settlement in 1767 leading to early conflicts. Spain abandoned its settlement in 1811, the newly independent Argentina claimed the islands in 1820. Following the destruction of an Argentine fort by the US in 1832, British forces returned in 1833, establishing permanent control and later, a crown colony. The islands are now largely self-governing, with the UK responsible for defense and foreign affairs.
Whalers used the islands for supplies. In 1845, Port Stanley was named and it was a busy port due to its location but in 1914 with the opening of the Panama Canal it lost status. There was a battle in 1914 with the Germans losing against the British.
In 1982, the Falkland Islands war happening 6 weeks in winter started with Argentina invading with constrips. The British sailed down to protect the islands. The HMS Conqueror (a British nuclear submarine) sunk an Argentina ship. In total, 649 Argentine soldiers, 255 British soldiers and 3 Falkland Islanders were killed during the hostilities.
Lunch at the Pool Grill.
2 PM Lecture “Birds of the Falkland Islands” with Dr Tim Stowe – some birds we may see. Black-browed Albatross have a white body and make up 70% of the albatross population and are endemic (Meaning limited to that environment.) There may be steamer ducks that are mostly flightless although some can fly and they are aggressive. Magellanic Penguins weigh 6 to 14 pounds and about 2½ feet tall. They breed in burrows and under bushes. The Gentoo Penguins have while on a black head and sometimes have 2 eggs. The King Penguin is 3 feet tall and weighs up to 25 pounds. They breed 2 times every 3 years with one egg per pair. They have yellow on their head, beak and neck. It takes 13 months from egg hatching to swimming for food. The Southern Rockhopper Penguin had distinctive punk hair and are very agile. The Macaroni Penguin has a yellow punk hairdo. There are Rock Shags (cormorants) with the Imperial Shag has 2 black spikes feathers on the head and yellow bumps on their beak. The Dolphin Gull has a colorful red bill. Rats on the islands are problems since they eat the bird eggs and chicks.
3 PM Lecture: “A Whale-y Fun Day on South Georgia” with Penny Clarke. Insight into the day in the life of a whale scientist. Clarke.pennyj@gmail.com
Penny and a colleague spent several weeks under challenging weather and terrain to view whales with the assistance of a drone on a South Georgia island for the Hungry Humpback Project. In the weeks that they did this they only observed 3 whales from their high hill perch. They did have to cross a tussac forest where seals hide for November, December and January which is a challenge when you disturb them. They spent time in a Discovery Hut where supplies are delivered to only 1 time a year.

4 PM Hot Stone Massage in Spa for special of $129 – really nice! Did steam room and shower. Dinner in Compass Rose and early to bed preparing for early excursion on the Falkland Islands tomorrow. Missed our Canadian Cruise Director David Nevin’s show at 9:30. He is a very talented singer.

The Falkland Islands    Saturday, Jan 10/26   Cloud/Sun   50 degrees   (Sunrise 4:49 AM and Sunset 9:07 PM)

Up at 7 AM and breakfast to get ready for the 8:30 AM tender (20 Min) to the port of Stanley (southern most city in the world). Went on excursion “Joe’s Gentoo Penguins at Newans Station.” We were loaded on a minibus for a 20 minute ride out of Stanley to transfer to a 15 minute bumpy ride in a 4x4 to the 200 nesting pair Gentoo Penguin colony for an hour visit. The colony was situated on bare ground rocky and peat area located about 500 meters from the ocean. The eggs had hatched and large grey chicks that were almost as big as their parents and were awaiting their parents to return from the ocean with food for them. We were given stamped postcards and a pen and wrote them out for VB Marsdens (Opa) and Davis Whitehead (Oma) and would be sent from Stanley. Enjoyed a scone with cream and Diddle Dee jam and penguin cookies with hot chocolate by their cabin by the sea. From there and the beach we could witness the penguins swim out into the ocean and even saw a curious seal in the water checking out what was going on. This tour was established by Joe Newell, the original proprietor of the Newans Station in 2010 and continues to be run as a family business by his daughter and son-in-law. The farm is 7,500 acres leased from the government with no sheep anymore but 150 beef cattle. 

Back to Stanley at 11:45 AM and Don went back to ship on tender and I stayed on land to quickly join a 2 hour walking tour of Stanley. We visited 1892 Anglican Christ Church Cathedral with its adjacent 1933 Whalebone Arch (jawbones of 2 blue whales) and beautiful lupin flowers in front. We saw old buildings and monuments, school, hospital and ending at the Historic Dockyard Museum. I bought a souvenir penguin necklace and earrings, visited souvenir gift shops, large grocery store on way back to the dock for the tender to go back to ship. We felt very fortunate to visit Stanley because many cruise ships miss this port due to bad weather and cannot use their tenders to get passengers off the ship to the dock.
Started cruising again at 5 PM for Montevideo, Uruguay in 1033 nautical miles. Dinner at 6:30 in Compass Rose. I went to the 9:30 show of “Astounding Women” performance by Anne Van Der Zee. 

Cruising the Atlantic Ocean    Sun, Jan 11/26   Cloud/Sun   50 degrees   (Sunrise 4:54 AM and Sunset 8:50 PM)

Did my fitness class in gym at 9 AM with 3 ladies.
10 AM Lecture: “The Role of the Polar Regions in Global Climate Change” - Robin G.
Milankovitch, a Serbian scientist /mathematician/ astronomer, predicted the earth warming though time. The increased heat is from cities (urban heat effect) with oceans warming causing increased cyclones which are stronger, heavier rains due to warmer temperatures holding more water. There may be longer and deeper droughts, more fires , floods and mudslides. The Arctic is melting fast and the Antarctic Peninsula worse than the South Pole. Albeto is more heat being absorbed by the oceans because it is darker absorbing more heat, causing increased disease and more acidic oceans affecting the coral and the fish. (Had to leave the talk at this point and never heard the end but Robin did acknowledge that at this time it is a controversial subject.)
11 AM Lecture: “Of Mice (& Rats) & Men – The Struggle to Restore Land Ecosystems” with Craig Dockrill. Discussing the ongoing struggle of restoring and safeguarding island ecosystems.
The mice and rats are now in the bird colonies and these rodents came off ships. 50% of all threatened species occur on islands; 75% of all threatened extinctions occur on islands; 86% of all extinctions happen from invasive species; 100% of these invasive species have to go. There have been 820 eradication efforts since the 1960s with an 88% success rate. 95% eradications used rat poison. New Zealand wants to be invasive free by 2050 (overrun by rabbits, stoat (to control rabbits) and opossum). The South Georgia Islands got rid of rats (1775 to 2017). Gough Island in the South Atlantic Ocean failed with 900,000 baby birds are killed per year. In the Falkland Islands (778 islands) have 65 islands free of rats but unfortunately rats can swim up to 1.6 km to another island. Baffles on the ropes that tie up ships were invented to keep the rats from escaping or climbing up. More planning, execution and monitoring is needed. 

Enjoyed the beautiful Sunday Brunch in the Compass Rose with Bill and Sandy Dillon from Naples Florida.

Had an afternoon spa break. Completed the Regent 25 square Art Scavenger Hunt to earn 20 Regent points.  At 6 PM in the theatre was “Navigating the Ice” discussion was held with our Captain Marco Nocera and Ice Captain Maggie (aboard to take us safely through the Antarctic waters which she has done for the past 10 years).
Dinner in Compass Rose and our favorite waiter Roysel from the Philippines celebrated his 30th birthday. I attended the 9:30 show by Salvatore Hasard “Still on the Ship”. He was one of the entertainers that was to depart the ship in Ushuaia but could not since we were unable to dock there. Bed by 10:30.

Cruising the Atlantic Ocean    Mon, Jan 12/26   Foggy Start/Sun later 55 degrees   (Sunrise 5:30 AM and Sunset 8:30 PM)

Up at 7 AM. Breakfast on 11th floor as usual. 8:15 Pilates class in gym with Siokham and 9AM Zumba class in Meridian Lounge with Miranda.
10 AM Lecture: “Mollyhawks, Goonies & Other Wanderers Part 2” with Dr Tim Stowe
Albatross populations are declining. Albatrosses have tube on their noses to excrete excess salt form their seafood diet and these open as needed and close when they dive. Their sense of smell is amazing and they can small food for up to 12 miles away and recognize the smell of their partner. They are the greatest travelers in the world and use the power of wind. They can sit on the water and sleep there too but can also sleep in flight on the wind for a few seconds. Their wind is 6 feet and can run across water with their wings going up and down as they lock their shoulders.
Where do they go? They average 430 miles/day and can go around the world in 46 days and 120,000 miles/year. They can do 1100 miles in a day with speed of 35 to 40 mph and get up to 50 mph. Breeding? One egg per couple and feed on fish, squid and krill and 5 to 6 lb/day of partially digested food is needed for the growing chick. Plastic pollution has become a big problem.
The Wandering Albatross breeds every 2 years and the incubation period is 78 days and fledging at 270 days. The population of the snowy wandering Albatross is 8,000 pairs. It takes 6 years for an albatross to attain adult plumage.
11 AM Lecture: “Falklands Conservation – A story of local stewardship & conservation ambition” with Craig Dockrill. Falklands Conservation is a UP non-profit group that is doing great work with volunteers in the Falklands. Of the over 700 Falkland Islands only 20 islands are occupied. Projects include planting more tussac forests and rat eradication on the islands.
Lunch at Pool Grill as usual.
2 PM Speaker Series: Expedition Highlights with the Expedition Team
635 passengers on this cruise and come from 28 countries. Each team member spoke of their highlights and were so thankful for all the great weather we had in the Antarctic area on this cruise.
Dinner in Compass Rose. Hear the ship referred to as “Float and Bloat Ship”. Early bed.

Montevideo, Uruguay    Tues, Jan 13/26   Sunny   75 degrees   (Sunrise 5:45 AM and Sunset 8:01 PM)

Arrived in port at 7 AM. Workout in gym at 7:30 AM and then Breakfast. Don opted out of the excursion and walked 6 miles to and from the fire station and visited their fortress station. I went on the 4 hour excursion “Montevideo as a Local” since we had been on the other excursion offered here on our earlier stop. The guide was from Baltimore Maryland who has been teaching history at an American / Uruguay school here for the last 8 years. On our bus tour we stopped at the International Plaza, an Indoor Market  (beautiful glass building that came from Brussels, Belgium piece by piece and reassembled in Montevideo), outdoor market, lookout point and a lunch spot where we had coupons towards our lunch. I shared a steak dinner with Linda from California. Uruguay love their beef and are a nation of carnivores. Back to ship by 2 PM.
Time for spa and infinity pool. Packing at 4 PM. Don collected Regent swag articles for all his game playing on this cruise. At 5:45 PM I attended the “Broadway in Concert” show by the excellent Entertainment Team vocalists. Dinner in the Compass Rose and time to say goodbye to our amazing serving team of Roysel, John, Chriska and Rowena. Sunset at 8 PM and walk on deck with 70 degree temperature and a slight breeze. Back to room to finish packing.
Ship cruising over to Buenos Aires for 9 nautical miles across the estuary Rio de la Plata.

Buenos Aires, Argentina    Wed, Jan 14/26   Sunny  90 degrees   (Sunrise 4:54 AM and Sunset 8:50 PM)

Up at 7 Am and had last breakfast on board. Off ship at 9 AM to bus to do ½ day sightseeing tour of Buenos Aires before being dropped off at the airport for our 11PM flight to Miami on American Airlines and then on to Tampa.
Had a review of the sights that we had first seen in Buenos Aires 17 days ago. We did stops at the La Recoleta Cemetery, Caminito Street in La Boca (Bought the special Argentina cookie which is chocolate coated wafers which sandwich a dulce de leche carmel filling for $2), Bridge of the Woman and rest in the Hilton Hotel lobby there.
We arrived at the Buenos Aires Airport around 2 PM and had to wait for the AA counter to open at 4 PM before we could get rid of our heavy luggage. We tried 3 different lounges and finally got entry to the 3rd one. The airport was fairly quiet in the afternoon but busy at 10 PM with families travelling since this was their summer holiday time.
Takeoff at 11:20 PM and arrived in Miami at 8:30 AM for a little Breakfast at Don Shula’s ($6.50 for a coffee). To Tampa for a 9:45 AM flight and arrived around 11 AM and our friend Nancy was there to pick us up.

Cruise from Buenos Aires to Buenos Aires was 4,452 nautical miles.