Antarctica Day 8- Discovering Devil Island

With only one more day left in Antarctica, it was becoming bittersweet. Turning the ship back towards South America meant that our days of exploring Antarctica were coming to an end.

We started our morning early with a day out on Devil Island, lasting approximately two and a half hours. This island was formed with two peaks and a valley in between, giving the appearance of two horns. There is also a rock formation that can be found that resembles a skull, too.

Devil Island was an otherworldly location, different from the icy lands we had encountered throughout our journey. Before the guides split us up into our chosen activities for the day, we all walked together admiring the beautiful coastline with washed-up icebergs.

There were two options on this day of exploring, an intermediate hike to the penguin colony on the other side of Devil Island or a trek through the water at low tide. Brandon chose the hike, something I was actually glad I didn't join this time as it pertained to climbing up a muddy and rocky slope at approximately 70 degree angle. My adventure down to the coastline was filled with discovery, finding creatures I never knew existed!

Middle two photos are Sea Louse, an ancient crustacean isopod. Bottom left photo is a pyrosome, proof that the oceans are warming as pyrosomes typically live in warmer climates. Other photos are of shells and kelp.

While my group continued walking through the shallow water, a lone Adelie penguin swam up ashore and briefly greeted us. After seeing this sweet penguin, I didn't feel like I missed out on the hike to see the colony. Devil Island was full of wildlife; we saw a seal pup, Adelie penguin, countless Antarctic birds, and lots of sea creatures. It was a beautiful island with so much to see and learn. It's incredible to think just how small we are as humans in the grand scheme of things. Everything has a purpose, big or small. Antarctica is truly amazing.

We eventually met up with the other groups and made our way back to the zodiacs. Brandon and I shared our stories and photos with each other, something that we both enjoyed doing because it gave us a glimpse into what the other groups did.

Devil Island was our last land excursion for the day. Although there was one more zodiac excursion to be had, I had booked a spa appointment for the afternoon. We freshened up for lunch before we split ways again.

Our trip was quickly coming to an end, so we savored every bite, more so than usual. We ordered the lobster bisque, beef tagliata, creamy red wine risotto, and to finish, red fruits in hibiscus jelly, and a chocolate royal.

It was definitely a bummer to miss the very last zodiac excursion of the entire trip, but having the spa entirely to myself was the ultimate pampering. When we originally booked with Deanna at Southern Explorations, she had gifted us a visit to the spa. This was such a nice gift and it was used at the perfect time. While everyone on the ship was getting their gear on in the mudroom, I was preparing for a relaxing algae massage. Spa treatments onboard Le Commandant Charcot are fairly priced and comparable to other cruise lines.

The massage was soothing and the algae treatment was quite unique. After my pampering (and a shower in the spa room), I bounced in between the sauna and snow room. If you'd like to read more about the spa on deck 9, head on over to Exploring Antarctica with Ponant: A glimpse of Le Commandant Charcot. The views of Croft Bay by the sauna window were mesmerizing. Towering mountains with crisp snow on top reflected on the calm blue waters below. This moment was peaceful, no distractions, no noise...and I was completely alone to soak it all in. After 10 minutes in the sauna, I spent another 10 in the snow room, playing with the snow in my hands and practicing my breathing. The health benefits of going from one to the next seemed enticing enough to embrace the extreme temperature changes.

After my afternoon of tranquility in the spa, I enjoyed a smoothie in the Detox Bar while I waited for Brandon to come back.

Photos of Croft Bay that were taken by Brandon during the zodiac excursion.

There was a pre-dinner lecture in the theater discussing the wildlife findings at Devil Island, mainly talking about the Sea Louse, the spider-like creature that had everyone stumped.

Dinner was indulgent and we were even visited by some whales right outside the window!

Seeing them was bittersweet, it was our last viewing of whales and I somehow felt like they were saying farewell.

For dinner, we had ordered: mushroom soup, sweet potato soup, chickpea royal with rock lobster and green tea emulsion, creamy morel mushroom risotto, prawn and vegetable ravioli, seared sea bass with gnocchi, profiterole with mango sorbet, and chocolate from Alain Ducasse soft cake.

We played a few games in the Panoramic Bar as we watched the sunset before calling it a night. It was nice to finish the evening listening to live music, playing scrabble, and watching the world go by. Tomorrow is the final day in Antarctica and I so badly wish time would slow down. In the mean time, we soaked up every second we could as it was quickly coming to an end.