Looking out the window, there is a small amount of daylight still visible behind the thinner clouds. Very deep navy blue, but there nonetheless. I assume that we are now very close to the Antarctic Circle.
I simply can't believe the amazing coincidences that led up to our stop this morning on Deception Island. When we were planning for this trip, we looked at many different cruises through many different cruise lines. Most of them only visited the Antarctic Peninsula, where we are now (or near it, at least). This cruise was the only one that we found that went to the peninsula and to the Ross Sea and McMurdo Station. But, this cruise did not list Deception Island on the itinerary, which was a little disappointing to me.
However, when we reached Punta Arenas, one large group of passengers lost their luggage due to a mixup at the airport. Instead of being delivered to our ship, it was delivered to a Russian cruise ship that was also cruising the Antarctic. That ship left for the Falkland Islands. When we got to Ushuaia the next day, the relations between the Falklands and Argentina prevented us from having them shipped to us, so these people have been without their luggage for several days now, borrowing from other people and using a small amount of money given to them by Orient Lines to buy clothing in Ushuaia.
Yesterday morning, we were told that we would be diverting our cruise to Half-moon Island instead of Hope Bay, because the Russian ship was going to leave the lost luggage at the Argentine station there for us to pick up when we arrived.
Yesterday evening, we were told that we would be adding a new stop to the itinerary, since our trip to Half-moon Island allowed it. We would be able to add Deception Island to our schedule for the morning. They said at the time that we would be landing at Whaler's Bay, which is not an area that swimming is advisable at, unlike the hot springs at Pendulum Bay. But it was still thrilling to know that we'd be visiting the active volcanic caldera that makes up Deception Island.