Day 03 - Danco Island, Antarctica
This morning the skies are clear and we begin to see the beauty and majesty of Antarctica. There are no morning excursions planned for today. Instead, we are welcomed by our Entertainment Hostess, Yessie, and given a preview of things to come on this cruise.
Entertainment Hostess, Yessie
While entertainment and dining are part of any Silversea cruise, a Silversea expedition cruise is focused on the destinations and the expeditions designed to allow guests to experience amazing destinations like Antarctica. At the head of this effort is Marieke Egan, our Expedition Leader.
Expedition Leader, Marieke Egan
Marieke introduced us to the expedition team, a group of 20 experienced Zodiac drivers and expedition guides with many years of combined experience in Antarctica. Antarctica is one of the harshest and least forgiving environments in the world, so it is comforting to know that Silversea provides guests with experienced and knowledgeable guides.
The seas were fairly rough last night on our way to Danco Island. The Captain warned us to place items so they would not fall off tables. We placed wine glasses and camera gear on the sofa with pillows to protect them. Our butler uses rubber bands to hold the shower doors together to prevent them from swinging open inadvertently in rough seas. Fortunately, the seas were not that rough, but there was a nice rolling motion which helped us to get a good night’s sleep.
After the briefing, we have time for lunch before our first afternoon excursion. We chose to dine in The Grill. The Grill is located aft on Deck 5 and offers a greenhouse-like view of Antarctica that is unmatched by any ship we have seen.
The Grill
The Grill offers fresh sushi every day on the lunch buffet as well as some hot items and a menu of items made-to-order.
Sushi offered at The Grill
Rickee and I both ordered the Fish and Chips from the menu.
Fish and Chips Offered at The Grill for Lunch
After lunch, we put on all of our cold weather gear, waterproof pants and parkas and board a Zodiac for the short ride to Danco Island.
Zodiac Arrives At Danco Island, Antarctica
It is about 35 (F) degrees today and a little windy, so it is pretty cool. But, the parkas provided by Silversea, combined with our warm headgear and gloves, keep us in relative comfort.
Many guests made the long hike up to the penguin colony, but I made the mistake of bringing my large and quite heavy camera with me and I did not want to risk falling and breaking the camera, or worse, getting some broken ribs in the process. We decided to stay on the beach and take some photos of the friendly Gentoo penguins.
Silver Endeavour In Antarctica
A Gentoo penguin stops by to greet us on the beach.
Gentoo Penguin At Danco Island
We spend about an hour on the beach before another Zodiac arrives to take us back to Silver Endeavour. It was a pretty mild introduction to Antarctica, but a taste of things to come. This evening, all guests meet again in Explorer Lounge for the daily briefing where we learn about the next day’s planned activities.
Explorer Lounge
For dinner this evening, we have reservations at Il Terrazzino. This is sort of a mini version of La Terrazza on other Silversea ships with an Italian-inspired menu, albeit a smaller menu than you find on other Silversea ships.
In La Terrazza tradition, the meal begins with a complimentary platter of charcuterie, bruschetta and tepenade.
We enjoyed our meal at Il Terrazzino and chose to make it an early night after dinner. Tomorrow, we will be at Cuverville Island and we want to be well rested.
