Weddell Sea / Devil Island / Brown Bluff
On the dawn of the Southern Hemispheres longest day of the year we found ourselves at the northeastern extreme of the Antarctic Peninsula. In a body of water named Antarctic Sound, which serves as a passage between the Weddell Sea to the south and the Bransfield Straight to the north, it funnels everything from large volumes of water, to feeding penguins, to massive, table-top shaped icebergs many, many times larger than our 350ft-long by 89ft-tall ship. Captain and his crew transited the sound early this morning through a band of heavy snow and low clouds on their way to a small island named for the prominent peaks it displays on its east and western extremities — appropriately named Devil Island. Pulling into anchorage just off its north shore the morning was spent meandering within a veritable sculpture garden of grounded icebergs, seemingly soldered to the sea by perfect reflections. Without a ripple in the water and a fresh couple inches of snow atop everything, Zodiac cruises were akin to coasting over a marshmallow peppered mirror (with really big marshmallows!). In addition to calm waters there were a number of birds flitting across the surface including the delicate Wilson’s storm petrel. Stirring up the water with their feet, about six individuals danced on the surface all around the lucky Zodiacs. Those going to shore were treated to the voyage’s first Adelie penguin colony, numbering in the thousands. With the summer season wearing on many parents were busy keeping their newly hatched chick (or in many cases, chicks) warm and fed. Through a sea of birds, guano, and chatter we visitors were able to stroll through the masses and witness the comings and goings of daily life in Antarctica.
Moving north from Devil Island we made our way through the calmest conditions the Weddell Sea has offered yet this year. Under blue skies and through hulking tabular icebergs we zigzagged north to a place that would put us on the continent proper, Brown Bluff. Here we were greeted by more Adelie penguins and a smaller yet equally captivating colony of Gentoo penguins. While these two species may breed next to each other this was a wonderful location to see how their personalities differ. The Adelies seem to be the New Yorkers of Brown Bluff, nesting in tight concentration while the gentoos were found in smaller satellite colonies, seeming to prefer the suburbs or even country living.
With one more transit of Antarctic Sound ahead we pulled anchor and headed north through its broad northern extent. Large tabulars of unearthly size loomed in the distance and even passed within humbling proximity at times. The evening light filtered through the clouds and as we turned west towards tomorrow’s destinations we were guided by the year’s most persistent sun. So long summer solstice, it has been nice!
