31 Jan 2016

Bergs in Perspective

I never tire of gazing at the Transantarctic Mountains and the various glaciers pushing out to sea. We spent the day cruising close in shore as we made our way north towards Cape Adare and gained a Minke Whale escort as we approached in glass calm conditions right after dinner. There was no wind and huge icebergs of all shapes and hues towered around us as the sun hovered low on the horizon. Some floating bergs charged through the surrounding pack ice at up to 2 knots, pushed along by the currents deep below. As we looked out at Ridley Beach and the hut we all hoped to visit, there was a spike of disappointment. The beach was completely blocked by heavy pack which meant we could not land. Such is the nature of Antarctic adventuring – there are no guarantees. Not to be deterred, we embarked on another Zodiac cruise in the midnight sun to gain a better appreciation of the huge floating blocks of ice, each with its own character and ability to reflect the blues and whites of Antarctica. It was an awesome and unique experience to see these monoliths gliding by as we listened to them crackle and pop and the pack ice bubble as we sat in our Zodiacs low in the water. These bergs are big! The hut disappointment was soon forgotten as we watched the Adelies going about their business and reflected on our days in the great white.