Our captain from SFO was retiring. Said co-pilot son: "Please remain seated until dad turns off the fasten seatbelt sign."

Flying into Ushuaia, Argentina, over the Beagle Channel.

Welcome to Tierra del Fuego at the foot of the Andes Mountains and the southern tip of South America.

Rob's ready to road test his new digital camera.

What, it's already time to go? We really must come back and explore.

The foot of the Andes and Patagonia. That's Chile over there.

And we're off! Looking back at the dock in Ushuaia off the the stern of Le Diamant.

Farewell to the South American continent - see you in 12 days!

The Drake Passage can be rough and they aim to meet all passenger needs.

A forebidding shoreline. It looks rather cold too.

Rob meets his first real iceberg. We're so excited!

Dana meets her first real iceberg. Wonder if the thrill will fade... it didn't!

A rare, pigmy Minke whale in the English Passage - Jean Pierre, our expert whale naturalist was ecstatic.

Just a hint of the towering mountains and the glaciers.

The entrance to Yankee Harbor, Greenwich Island, in the South Shetland Islands, approaches.

Ashore, Eduardo gives us an education (yes, that's Dana in the attractive blue hat with white pompom).

Our first penguins! These are Gentoos, doing what they do best.

It started to snow, which couldn't have been more perfect!

He/she really does have two flippers, but balance is a tricky thing.

A bracing bath (photo by ship's photog Nathalie).

Now that we're clean, let's go get filthy again!

Eared Antarctic Fur Seals share the coast. Don't those rocks look comfy?

Seals and penguins seem to get along. For now.

Yawn (awfully hard to find a dentist down here) (photo by Nathalie).

An intrepid group explores.

A skua makes off with a penguin egg.

Skuas have to eat too.

Enjoying a lovely summer's day.

Gentoos don't think much of Le Diamant in the distance (and snow on Rob's lens).

Our Zodiac driver - don't remember HER name.

From Yankee Harbour we'll cross the Bransfield Strait into Antarctic Sound for Base Esperanza and Brown Bluff.