Day eight began with a morning cruise around Charlotte Bay. We saw several humpback whales, and a calf even circled our zodiac, which had everyone on board grinning.
In the afternoon we hiked up the snow-covered hills at Portal Point, another landing on the mainland, and looked out over the bay, watching whales surfacing and seals swimming below us. Icebergs were scattered across the water along the icy shoreline. Portal Point once had a British hut, put up in 1956, but only its concrete footings are left now, as the hut was taken away for display.
Good to know
- Portal Point: another landing on the mainland. Only the concrete footings are left of a 1956 British hut, which was taken away for display. Antarctic Treaty site guide
- Whales: humpbacks and minkes are present in large numbers, especially towards the end of the season. International Whaling Commission
We checked these details in October 2026. Times, prices and rules do change, so it’s worth a quick look at the official sites before you go.