Booth Island / Pleneau Island
The Antarctic Peninsula was awash in white today. While this might not come as a surprise to those who have ever visited, or wish to visit Antarctica, today was different. Fresh snow carpeted everything. It blotched out the sun, clung to every surface including the vertical ones, buried nesting penguins and even coated the sea. Yes, it coated the sea!!! Being just cold enough to remain frozen on contact with the salt water, a thick slurry of snow amassed overnight and transformed the waterways linking our landing sites into a dull white carpet the consistency of a blended pina colada. Upon anchoring near Booth Island (the western component of the acclaimed Lemaire channel) we sloshed our Zodiacs between ship and shore through an opaque sea. From the snow covered Zodiacs we planted our feet into the deep whiteness of Booth Island and, with the pace of the gently falling snow, meandered our way along the ridges and past colonies of gentoo, chinstrap and Adelie penguins alike. From these vantage points, through the flakes we could just make out the Zodiac cruise boats weaving their way through icebergs and along the ice rimmed coastlines, while tiny penguins porpoises their way through the blended cocktail below.
Apparently watching the penguins swim through the slurry wasn’t enough for those onboard the National Geographic Explorer as a “polar-plunge” was announced following morning activities. Before we knew it lines of crazed thrill seekers lined up for a chance to dive into the slurpee like mix and check that box of boxes — “I’ve swam in the Antarctic!”
With time to spare we spent the afternoon cruising south in search of for suitable landing spots and finally decided on a place named Pleneau Island. This small, low-lying island is due north of the morning’s stop at Booth and offered a larger gentoo population (maybe 500 breeding pairs), more Adelie penguins, south polar and brown skuas and an entire graveyard of icebergs, grounded around the north end of the island like massive tombstones that were polished from bone. Side by side they loomed as drivers maneuvered through the glass calm water separating their hulking forms. Being in the shelter of massive icebergs is a humbling experience and offered some quiet moments drifting amongst them — a chance to really take the pulse of this white continent.
