We made it! That is definitely the defining statement of the day. Today we landed on the Antarctic continent. We put our feet on the ground. We reached the continent at the end of the world and we landed at Neko Harbour. Penguins awaited our arrival and provided unending entertainment stealing rocks from the neighbor’s nest. Some penguins were in an amorous mood while others performed family duties keeping the eggs warm under their fluffy bodies.
The afternoon brought strong winds our way. We listened to a lecture on the history of whaling and sealing given by Marylou Blakeslee as we left Andvord Bay.
Onward we pressed toward Port Lockroy. The winds whipped over the mountains and the sun sparkled off of the shifting icebergs. Into Neumayer Channel we sailed. Winds had blown pack ice into the channel. Our sturdy ship, designed for exactly these conditions, pushed aside the ice floes. For the past three days, no other vessels had been able to visit Port Lockroy due to the concentration of ice in the channel. Once again we made it! Upon our arrival the gusts of wind blew too strongly for us to land. So onward we sailed towards the famous Lemaire Channel. The sunlight still shone after dinner so we had plenty of long light for our photographs. Again we entered the ice. This time the sea ice was mixed with tabular bergs and multi- year ice which allowed us only partial entry. This is a land and sea of constantly changing conditions. We were surrounded by ice of every shade of blue with pink light streaming in from lingering twilight. The scene outside our windows and over the railing is of a magic land, inhospitable and heartbreakingly beautiful. Regardless of planned destinations, we made it. The view we were saturated in brought us from excitement to reverence. The outer decks were full of people spontaneously whispering. The power and magic of the moment remained undisturbed by conversation. This is Antarctica.
