15 Dec 2015

Return to Bluff Harbour

The weather has been a dominant feature of this expedition and while we await the arrival of the Pilot to guide us into the Port of Bluff there is a strong westerly and persistent rain. The Southern Ocean is renowned for its winds and weather (some would say that is one of its many attractions!) and this voyage has encountered more than its fair share, largely due to the El Nino weather system mentioned in a previous update.  Despite the weather we have achieved a lot on this expedition, making all the landings we planned and seeing everything we hoped to see. Our time at Campbell Island was hugely successful with some great sightings of the Snipe and Flightless Teal and good numbers of Southern Royal Albatross.  We called briefly at the Snares Islands yesterday, having had to bypass them on our way south.  The latest Southern Ocean graduates will disembark after breakfast and we will prepare to welcome the new recruits aboard this afternoon for the Forgotten Islands of the South Pacific expedition. This evening we sail south from Bluff Harbour to experience the exhilarating and inspirational Subantarctic Islands once again.