There's always something special about going a little further and making the extra effort to expand our horizons, and today was no different. Taking our fine ship, so well suited for exploring the ice strewn waters of the Antarctic to 67°10' South doesn't just happen without careful planning and loads of experience.
Having crossed the circle late last night we would find the ship even further south this morning situated in the breathtaking Crystal Sound. We had sailed right up to the edge of an expansive stretch of fast ice that had massive bergs frozen into it and all around glaciated peaks and valleys streaked with dramatic clouds made for a most impressive locale to spend the morning. Having a ship that is the highest rated ice class without being an actual icebreaker affords us some interesting means in which to experience this amazing place. Our captain had assessed the condition of the fast ice and deemed it sound enough and of a certain type that would allow us to steam the bow of the ship into the ice, wedging her into the 3-4 foot thick sheet of frozen sea. With nearly 2/3 of our length firmly planted in the ice it was time to test the surface and consistency on foot. Our staff and expedition leader set out, ski poles in hand, to probe the ice and establish a safe perimeter so that we could invite the remainder of our ship’s compliment to enjoy a morning out on the sea ice.
It's quite a moving and thrilling experience to find ones self strolling on the frozen surface of the ocean with over 500 meters of water below the ice. As we cavorted about on the ice a Weddell seal slumbered away the morning undisturbed by the red jacketed adventurers nearby. A lone Adélie penguin strolled into the perimeter we had established to investigate the goings on in its neighborhood. It was such a pleasant and rewarding time that when the call came to board the ship it was difficult to leave this surreal landscape of ice.
After extracting the ship from the ice it was our intention to cruise the edge of the fast ice looking for wildlife, either mammalian or avian utilizing this vital habitat. As fate would have it, just moments before the call to the dinning room came for lunch, one of our keen eyed naturalists, Elise Lockton, had spotted something on a small flow situated at the very edge of the fast ice ledge. It was a Ross Seal!!! That's right a Ross Seal. Quite possibly one of the rarest and least understood species of Phocid seal. This distinctive-looking animal with its squat body and apparently neck-less head remained on its frozen perch allowing the ship to approach right to the very edge of the ice. A call came out and soon the decks were filled with onlookers and the camera shutters were ablaze. This animal is so rarely seen that we can count on one hand the number of times they've been sighted from the ship in all of our Antarctic expeditions, this is a reward for the efforts to make it so far south.
We couldn’t linger any longer below the circle and the expedition had to press on back north. In doing so we navigated as far as we could in the protected and ice laden waters, steaming through pack ice and passing seals hauled out basking in the sun. As evening pressed on we entered the calm and open waters of the southern ocean. Massive icebergs littered the way and we were graced with the stunning views of Antarctica’s frozen sculptures.
