Eventually we had to move on from the excitement of the Humpback Whales, and the wind picked up as we approached Penguin Island, creating a short, choppy sea. By 9.15 a.m. Lisa and I were ashore on the rocky beach and set out to climb to the top of the 170m caldera; unfortunately, the way up was too crowded with petrel and albatross nests for us to pass without disturbing the brooding birds, so we spent our time along the beach and up on a headland with a large Chinstrap Penguin colony. For the first time we saw baby Chinstraps still at nest – the Chinstraps make a gathering of stones in which to lay their two eggs. And I watched a Brown Skua as it surveyed the scene from a big rock in the centre of the colony and then made a sudden dive for a chick when an adult shifted its stance for just a second. It was all over in an instant, and the Skua and its mate shared a good size meal between them.

The wind on the beach made it bitterly cold and it was very pleasant to get back on the ship to warm up. The morning had been pretty overcast, but the clouds began to clear and we were rewarded with wonderful views of King George Island, King George Bay, and Penguin Island – which looked totally different when bathed in sunlight.