We awoke to another beautiful sunny day even though rain was predicted. Just after breakfast we were told that one of our fellow passengers needed to be taken off the boat to be transferred to another ship that was leaving for the Falkland Islands today where there is a hospital. Sheri, the expedition leader, said we would be updated as the day progressed. Many of us knew who was having the problem. He is a frail 80 year old man who appeared more and more stooped and miserable in the last few days.
Transfer of passengers at sea is a problem I know about but I never had to deal with getting permission to transfer to a foreign nation where hospital services were required. Apparently this transfer which has taken the entire day of negotiation with the Falklands, insurance and the receiving boat has been a long tangle of negotiations. It is now almost 4pm and we are still completing the transfer. So it goes. Some people are complaining that this isn’t efficient. They have no idea how complex a problem this is.
Finally once the transfer was complete, we went to a harbor in Salisbury plain where we were told we would have a land based late afternoon trip. We were not very enthusiastic but we decided to go anyway. Wow. It was a super treat. There was an enormous colony of king penguins in all stages of development. There were eggs, chicks, and year old young ones who were just beginning to molt. They are very curious as we walk nearby and they look spectacular. There were also lots of baby fur seals. The afternoon light made the photos even better. Everyone was excited.
We returned to the ship reluctantly but it was getting late and we needed to eat dinner so that the food staff could get some rest. We were told that there would be an early morning opportunity around 5 am to visit a beautiful beach and penguins. More adventure to come…
The Adventures of Anne 