Unsurprisingly our team has had to contend with some stormy seas on their voyage back to Argentina. For a while the swells were so large that most people retreated to their cabins where any object that wasn't tidily stowed away rolled around the floor in time with the waves. 40 knot winds forced the cancellation of afternoon lectures and closure of the outer decks.
However, most folks emerged from their cabins to observe the Shag Rocks as the Plancius sailed past. The Shag Rocks are a curious clump of six tiny islets about 150 miles west of South Georgia Island and 620 miles from the Falklands -- quite a strange sight to come upon these diminutive rock formations emerging from a wide open ocean.
The Shag Rocks have very little vegetation and are, no surprise, covered in seabird guano, especially that of the South Georgia shag, a species of southern ocean cormorant.
Some fun news: the team reports that the weather has been steadily improving lately and as a result everyone is feeling much more social. Annie Aggens gave a presentation on the Shackleton Crossing and the golden age of polar exploration--a super engaging story!
There was also an auction onboard, and, reportedly, some team members came away with some very cool items. And tonight Annie and Taylor will host the Shackleton Poetry Slam! Anyone who wants to participate can read their favorite adventure themed verses to a rapt audience. It's a good bet that the Shackleton Whiskey will be broken out once again for the occasion. Should be a hoot!
