Saturday (28-December-2024) — New Jersey

Fourteen-Years Ago Today. Yellow Flower in front of a Locked Vault. Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires. (28-Dec-2010, Argentina)

Gone to See Antarctica 2014/2015: Day 13 – At Sea on the Hurtigruten MS Fram in the South Atlantic Ocean

The wind and waves were not as bad as the Hurtigruten MS Fram continued traveling south and west from South Georgia to Antarctica. Still not many folks were up and around either in the observation deck or in the dining rooms. I didn’t take any sea-sick medication and was doing fine as long as I kept eating the meals and could view the horizon. The ship’s musician was playing Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale” on the piano in observation deck in the background during this short video clip recorded on a Leica T camera.

Friday (27-December-2024) — New Jersey

Thirteen-Years Ago Today. Alligator with its Jaw Wide Open. Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. (27-Dec-2011, Florida)

Gone to See Antarctica 2014/2015: Day 12 – At Sea on the Hurtigruten MS Fram in the South Atlantic Ocean

Short videos from the observation deck of the Hurtigruten MS Fram of the sea conditions while traveling between South Georgia and Antarctica. I didn’t get seasick but remember that there were not many folks in the dining room. I did notice that my GPS track for the day had about six times as many data points from all of the rocking and rolling. We were going into some really heavy head winds, which reduced the speed of the ship from about 15 knots to 7 knots.

Wednesday (25-December-2024) — New Jersey

Eleven-Years Ago Today. White Christmas – Santa captured bringing in some firewood on a snowy night by a camera with a motion detector. (25-Dec-2013, New Jersey).

Gone to See Antarctica 2014-2015: Day 10: Christmas Day on South Georgia Island

The Hurtigruten MS Fram arrived at South Georgia early in the morning. We were ferried from the ship to the island on Polarcirkel boats (a more comfortable version of the Zodiac boats). We then hiked across the island to Grytviken — an abandoned whaling village to attend Christmas Service at the Whalers Church. This is reported to be the southernmost church. It was prefabricated in Norway and dedicated 104 years ago on Christmas Day. The Christmas service was performed in Norwegian, German, and English. The church has a foot-pumped organ that the ship’s musician used to play Christmas music (as well as “A Whiter Shade of Pale” by Procol Harum). We then spent the remainder of our time on shore investigating the remaining whaling buildings in Grytviken and visiting a King Penguin rookery just outside of the village.

Hikers from the Hurtigruten MS Fram going to attend Christmas Service at the Whalers Church at Grytviken in South Georgia. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 30 mm, f/16, 1/160 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 8, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC 2014. (David J Mathre)
Hikers from the Hurtigruten MS Fram going to attend Christmas Service at the Whalers Church at Grytviken in South Georgia. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 30 mm, f/16, 1/160 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 8, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC 2014. (David J Mathre)

King Penguins. Individual images are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Seals. Individual images are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Thirteen-Years Ago (29-January-2007) — Norway

Gone to See Norway 2007 Family Winter Vacation. Day 9: Hurtigruten MS Kong Harald Norwegian Coastal Voyage Northbound (Båtsfjord to Kirkenes) then Southbound (Kirkenes to Berlevåg).

There were a dozen or so Black-tailed Ducks swimming in the icy waters as we departed Kirkenes, Norway on the Hurtigruten MS Kong Harald. It was cold enough out that ice was forming on the surface of the salt water.

Long-tailed Duck from the deck of the Hurtigruten MS Kong Harald while departing Kirkenes, Norway. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 85 mm, f/4.5, 1/160 sec). (David J Mathre)
Long-tailed Duck from the deck of the Hurtigruten MS Kong Harald while departing Kirkenes, Norway. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 85 mm, f/4.5, 1/160 sec). (David J Mathre)

Long-tailed Duck from the deck of the Hurtigruten MS Kong Harald while departing Kirkenes, Norway. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/13 sec). (David J Mathre)
Long-tailed Duck from the deck of the Hurtigruten MS Kong Harald while departing Kirkenes, Norway. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/13 sec). (David J Mathre)

Thirteen-Years Ago (28-January-2007) — Norway

Gone to See Norway 2007 Family Winter Vacation. Day 8: Hurtigruten MS Kong Harald Norwegian Coastal Voyage Northbound (Øksfjord to Berlevåg).

As we departed Havøysund a large Golden Eagle was soaring over the harbor. I don’t remember seeing fish farms in that location, but did note that Tøbo Fisk had a fish processing plant near where we docked.

Golden Eagle soaring over Havøsund from the deck of the Hurtigruten MS Kong Harald. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/90 sec). (David J Mathre)
Golden Eagle soaring over Havøysund from the deck of the Hurtigruten MS Kong Harald. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/90 sec). (David J Mathre)

Golden Eagle soaring over Havøsund from the deck of the Hurtigruten MS Kong Harald. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/90 sec). (David J Mathre)
Golden Eagle soaring over Havøysund from the deck of the Hurtigruten MS Kong Harald. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/90 sec). (David J Mathre)