26 Feb 2016

2 Feb Voyage: Shokalskiy at Sabrina

Once again the weather gods were on our side providing sea conditions that allowed us a rare opportunity to get a close up view of Sabrina Island.  We steered through a thin belt of floating ice to reach a spectacular sheltered inlet where a thin veil of mist and light snowflakes created an erie atmosphere as we cruised the shoreline of this desolate island.  An imposing monolithic rock formation lay to the east like a surreal sentry with huge icicle formations hanging from the top of the rock face. Chinstrap and Adelie Penguins lined the shore and many leapt into the water to swim in front of the Zodiacs giving us an exhilarating start to our last day in Antarctica waters. One of the passengers felt it was the perfect gift as he celebrated his 60th birthday.

We travelled along the western side of the Ballenys past Borridale, Buckle and Young Islands and crossed the Antarctic convergence around 1400hrs. As we left Antarctic waters and headed out into the Southern Ocean we were treated to azure skies, playful whales, seals basking on pack ice and a colossal cobalt iceberg. It was a fitting finale to our Antarctic sojourn and now we begin the 800 nautical mile journey to Campbell Island. Here’s hoping the amazing weather and sea conditions we’ve experienced throughout our voyage will stay with us through the Screaming Sixties, Furious Fifties and Roaring Forties.