Neko Harbor and Paradise Bay
Antarctica is a continent set apart from the rest of the world by the coldest sea on earth, the Southern Ocean. And what a sea it is! Cold, stormy, fog-shrouded and defended by great mountains of ice, the Southern Ocean itself was the first great obstacle to the discovery of Antarctica and the exploration of the great icecaps.
Today, we made that polar sea our friend. In constantly changing weather and in boats of all sorts, we came as close a possible to these frigid waters and found them to be full of beauty and fascination. Our day on the freezing sea began early, as National Geographic Explorer cruised through the narrow Errara Channel, between the ice-covered peaks of the mainland of the Antarctic Peninsula and Rongé Island. Muted by a low ceiling of grey clouds that just touched the highest peaks around us, it was a quiet and beautiful place to enjoy a cup of coffee before breakfast.
As we had our first meal of the day, our ship cruised into Anvord Bay and found her anchorage at Neko Harbor. Captain Kreuss put the ship’s bow almost on the beach, so the ride to shore in the Zodiacs was a matter of only a few seconds. Once there we stopped to admire a colony of gentoo penguins before climbing a steep snowy slope to a higher colony, which gave spectacular views over the huge bay beyond. At the same time, many of us set out in the kayaks, slipping between small pieces of icebergs and around big ones, just inches above the dark, glassy smooth waters.
After lunch, on our way to another planned stop, the cold Antarctic sea gave us another wonderful gift: several groups of humpback whales. As our officers carefully maneuvered the ship, we gathered on deck to watch as the whales surfaced and dove again and again. Before we moved on, our patient attention was well rewarded as one huge animal came to the surface several times, so close to our bow that we were able to look straight down onto its back!
Finally, our day concluded in the perfectly named Paradise Bay, this time out in the Zodiacs for wide ranging cruises in search of wildlife and big ice. We had great luck with both of our quests, motoring slowly past gorgeous crystal-blue bergs, watching more humpbacks patrol the bay in search of krill and stopping to photograph seals, both relaxing on the ice and swimming graceful loops in the clear water beneath our boats.
The Southern Ocean can be ferocious indeed, but today, in kayaks, in Zodiacs and on National Geographic Explorer, we had the rare privilege of seeing the gentle, rich and beautiful side of this polar ocean.
