Blue and white icebergs passed our windows as we awoke this morning. Some looked out of portholes and saw the evasive and discrete dorsal fins of minke whales glide through their silver world. We were surrounded by glaciers. These rivers of ice dropped huge cascades of ice particles of all sizes into the sea around us. The world was blue and white. Even the dark rock mountainside that peaked through the ice from time to time had a trace of blue. Pack ice guarded the shoreline but our nimble Zodiacs made it to a site named Neko Harbour after a factory whaling ship that worked these waters 100 years ago - this bay was extraordinary. We watched Gentoo penguins go about their nesting duties and deliberations. “That is MY pebble. Don’t take it,” they seemed to say - yet the thievery went on throughout the colony. Conditions were perfect for a hike to the summit of a nearby hill and the chance to slide down a truly steep decline. Screams of delight and a touch of terror sprang from the throats of the daring few. The ride lasted moments but the memories are timeless.
After lunch we traversed the waters of “Paradise Harbour” in Zodiacs: a perfect name for a perfect place. The sunlight broke through in only a few places, highlighting the glaciers and snow-capped peaks that rose from the sea at alarmingly straight angles. Ice relinquished its tenuous grasp on the land and burst into an avalanche of small ice crystals that looked like snow falling down a slope. Weddell seals and crabeater seals rested on icebergs above the water but our brilliant dive team dropped our underwater microphone, the hydrophone, and recorded many Weddell seal calls in a seemingly tranquil environment. The ice popped and hissed as ancient air bubbles escaped their long confinement in the glacial ice. The icebergs, both blue and white, turned, bumped and hissed as the currents moved them about in this windless day.
Back on board, there was yet another surprise: today was the day for the polar plunge. 54 guests, a record set on this trip, donned bathing suits and jumped from the back platform of the ship into the icy waters of Paradise Harbour. Some, too numb to speak, made a mad dash for the ladder. All agreed “It was cold!” Warm drinks were handed to the courageous group after towels adorned their shivering bodies. Red noses and toes made their way back to their cabins to ready for dinner.
Our younger travelers had a special dinner in the observation lounge of pizza, hot dogs, and other “kid friendly” fare.
With the daylight hours endless, we continued this day with a post dinner sail through the magnificent Lemaire Channel. One of the most spectacular vistas along the peninsula was decorated in the long evening light of a summer solstice sun. Our endless day’s activities matched perfectly the endless sun of summer.
