Neko Harbour
Today was a full one with three outings in the Zodiacs and two landings. Our hope for the morning was a combination of kayaking and Zodiac cruises, unfortunately Mother Nature wasn’t ready to give us calm enough conditions to go kayaking. After moving the ship from a windy part of Paradise Bay to a calmer portion, the Zodiacs were put in the water and then we cruised amongst the icebergs and bergy bits. Seals and penguins made their way along the bay and two nationalistic bases could be seen. Almirante Brown, the Argentinean base was abandoned, while the Chilean base Gonzalez Videla had occupants.
The afternoon was spent either in the Zodiacs or on the continent of Antarctica! Our only continental landing of the trip was at Neko Harbour. The bay is ringed with glaciers cascading out of the peninsular mountain range and down to the sea. A large snow avalanche was witnessed and heard just as the first hikers made their way to the overlook. Many walked back down but some decided to let gravity do the work and slid down a steep path to the trail below.
The weather this season has been challenging in Antarctica and so it would be in a few days when we were to cross the Drake Passage. So the Expedition Leader and Captain put together a plan where we would visit the only post office in this part of Antarctica after dinner, Port Lockroy. This gave those who wanted to shop a quick look at the wares and fortunately there was some shore fast ice connected to a glacier. We quickly checked the thickness and could offer an ice walk, something we missed in the Weddell Sea earlier in the voyage. It was a full and satisfying day exploring different parts of the Antarctic Peninsula.
