Position: Lat. 64° 44’S, Long. 62° 38’W Speed: At anchor Course: n/a Barometer: 983.0 hPa
WIND: calm Air temperature: 2°C Sea temperature: 1.4°C
To dine with a glacier on a sunny day is a glorious thing and makes feasts of meat and wine ridiculous. The glacier eats hills and drinks sunbeams. —John Muir
Today has been an amazing.
We were a bit disappointed last night that camping was a no-go because of the wet snow, however, we were woken from our sleep this morning not by Judd’s usual rendition of an Antarctic poem but by the news that a pod of orcas was near the ship. Many of us sprang out of bed, and most of us managed to throw on some clothes before heading to the bridge or the foredeck. Around 20 orcas were swimming in front of, alongside and even underneath the ship, so close that when you looked into the water you could see the outlines of their bodies. They stayed with us for ages, seemingly enjoying accompanying us and happy to wait for everyone to make it out of bed to see them. People on the front deck were so close to them that they got wet from their spouting.
Our zodicas today headed to Cuverville Island and after a short exploration set of for a cruise looking for wildlife, apparently we have a good chance of seeing minke or humback whales but there was great excitement as we watched a leopard see effortlessly launch itself onto and iceberg, wriggle and rol about until it was comfortable, let out a conted (I've got a belly full of penguins' sigh) and fall asleep and begin to snore. WOW! WOW! WOW!
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| That's me, 2nd from the left and Max 2nd from right - thanks for the photo Rene. |
The weather began to change – for the better. The clouds cleared, the temperature rose and the sun came out. It was pretty exciting, as I don’t think there’s been that much sun on the trip so far. I have enjoyed the moody overcast weather, and especially the way it makes the icebergs glow with unearthly shades of blue and green, but the sunshine lit up the whole landscape in a completely new way. It was such great conditions that Judd announced another quick shore trip to Orne Island to see some chinstrap penguins. Once we zoomed over there, a chain of humans, looking remarkably penguin-like, trekked up to the top of the hill to see the breeding area of the chinstraps and say ‘Gidday’.
Another change of clothes once we got back to the ship for a group photo on the foredeck. This time Eva took the costume award for her little black dress, which seemed perfectly appropriate for the sunny afternoon. The Polar Pioneer lifted its anchor and we headed off to Neko Harbour. We travelled there via the Lemaire Channel, which we’d been up the day before, but it was completely different to see it in the sunlight and the day just seemed to get warmer and brighter as the afternoon wore on. Many of us spent the trip on the foredeck enjoying the sun and being completely awestruck by the scenery around us. Icebergs ranging from tiny to massive, nearby mountains looking crystal clear, distant mountains looking ghostlike and dreamy, the sun sparkling.
Arriving at Neko Harbour. It was an extraordinary cruising in the sun over glassy water down the channel, past icebergs, glaciers towering above us and cracking ominously from time to time. Our group fell silent and often just naturally for a peaceful moment of gliding along in the immensity of it all. It was so sunny that we were quite hot and the sun seemed to make Antarctic white even whiter.
Arriving at Neko Harbour. It was an extraordinary cruising in the sun over glassy water down the channel, past icebergs, glaciers towering above us and cracking ominously from time to time. Our group fell silent and often just naturally for a peaceful moment of gliding along in the immensity of it all. It was so sunny that we were quite hot and the sun seemed to make Antarctic white even whiter.
It was stunning to see a transparent jellyfish emitting electrical 'neon' lights, another highlight for me today. I have seen Orcas, penguins, leopard seal, humpback whale, krill and now this amazing creature.
Back on board for the ship BBQ. The kitchen staff did an amazing job, dishing up chicken, pork, sausages, corn and even a few chili prawns, along with salad and finished off with ice cream. A vat of
mulled wine and plenty of beer meant the party got going with a swing and the dancing started early and went late. Something about the silly hats seemed to bring out a whole different side of people!
The sun set slowly over the mountains and the light changed from brilliant sunlight to a beautiful Antarctic twilight. Finally the last dancers straggled off the rear deck after 11.00 p.m., threw their hats and wigs back into the fancy dress box and headed for bed.
Back on board for the ship BBQ. The kitchen staff did an amazing job, dishing up chicken, pork, sausages, corn and even a few chili prawns, along with salad and finished off with ice cream. A vat of
mulled wine and plenty of beer meant the party got going with a swing and the dancing started early and went late. Something about the silly hats seemed to bring out a whole different side of people!
The sun set slowly over the mountains and the light changed from brilliant sunlight to a beautiful Antarctic twilight. Finally the last dancers straggled off the rear deck after 11.00 p.m., threw their hats and wigs back into the fancy dress box and headed for bed.
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