Enterprise Islands and Cuverville Island
National Geographic Explorer made its way down Gerlache Strait early this morning and maneuvered into the protected anchorage of the Enterprise Islands. These small, icy islets play host to a variety of birdlife and make for beautiful Zodiac cruises. This island grouping was also the site of whaling operations just after the turn of the century.
There are the remains of the whaling ship Guvernøren at the head of one of the bays. This ship plied the Antarctic waters beginning in 1913, but was lost completely in a fire in January of 1915. The rusting hull still juts up from the seafloor and has become the temporary resting place of beautiful Antarctic terns. Along the edge of one of the smaller islands we were able to see a glimpse of an old, wooden waterboat, another relic from the whaling days.
Our Zodiacs leisurely made their way around the islands and explored the coastline, enjoying nesting groups of kelp gulls, Antarctic shags, and a larger group of Antarctic terns on a cliff. The ice, itself, was stunning, and each formation seemed to outdo the last.
During lunch we continued down Gerlache Strait and entered the Errera Channel. The fog impeded our view, somewhat, but broke up as we approached Cuverville Island. This island is home to one of the largest colonies of gentoo penguins along the length of the Antarctic Peninsula. The vertical face on one side of the island is covered in beautiful lichens, which break up the color scheme of black rock, blue ice, and white snow. Many decided to explore ashore today, tentatively approaching the raucous bird groupings and enjoying the chaos that is a part of everyday life during breeding season.
A few other guests joined us in the Zodiacs for a tour of the bay before a walk ashore. A light dusting of snow fell throughout our time ashore and afloat, making our experience all the more atmospheric. The area around Cuverville has incredible ice formations, many of which rivaled our ship in size. The brilliant blue, against a gray backdrop, made for an infinite number of photographic opportunities. The ice formations were majestic and varied, and riding around them in our small boats was a humbling experience.
At the end of the day, we were energized by the beauty we saw and exhausted by trying to take it all in. Antarctica once again left us unable to describe its grandeur. In the end we must settle for the colors, textures, and light, which continue to endear us to this amazing corner of the world.
