Antarctic Peninsula and Polar Circle 2020 Feb 10 2020 -13

Day 5 - The White Continent
14 February 2020 – Neko Harbour and Paradise Bay
Morning wakeup call and we must some of the
luckiest people in the world. The sun is streaming
through the window and Neko Harbour is a
gorgeous mirror, speckled with ice. Waiting for the
zodiacs never felt so long as we went outside to
take picture’s that will never do this day justice.
Alternatively, a few of us ran downstairs to put on
dry suits for an Antarctic kayaking adventure
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Arriving on shore the expedition team have
already marked a route from the landing site right
up the side of the hill across the back of a gentoo
penguin colony to a high rocky viewpoint. On the
route up, members of the team were guarding
apparently empty areas with surprising vigour.
However, as they pointed out crevasses to the
side of our path and it all became clear.
Back down to the zodiacs for the smoothest cruise
we could imagine among icebergs of all shapes
and sizes, some adorned with the odd crabeater
and Weddell seal. So peaceful and calm, even the
whales are having a sunbathing snooze on the
surface.
Time for a short, but very scenic reposition to
Paradise Harbour through a narrow channel and
past the colourful painted Chilean base Gonzalez
Videla covered in Geotoos! It was at this point that
we heard we were going to witness some true
polar logistics in action. As the Argentinian supply
ship was making its way to service the summer
station of Base Brown while we were also making
our afternoon excursion in Paradise harbour.
Before it arrived we set out on the zodiacs for land
getting distracted by a pair of Humpback whales
who decided to hang out right on the route.
© Sandra Petrowitz
Landing on a spit of land just opposite the base,
the shore was littered with seals basking in the
sun. Once more the expedition team have found
us a route up to a stunning viewpoint on a tongue
of ice with lichens and ice algae to be observed.
After the landing we began a picturesque zodiac
cruise to see blue eyed shags, some of us found
the Humpback whales, Crabeater and Leopard
seals. The kayakers were off exploring Skontorp
cove and embracing the quiet and reflections of
the landscape.
Once everyone was back on-board, the outdoor
activities were not quite finished yet Polar plunge
began, and 52 of us having apparently lost our
minds in the sun, deciding to jump from our warm
ship into the icy water.
Dinner and straight to Rose’s Valentine’s Day
evening entertainment, where description will
never quite fully illuminate the hilarity of
activities. Happy Valentines day everyone.
© Sandra Petrowitz © Shannon Jensen
10-22 FEB 2020
Volume 2, Issue 13