What an exciting day!
Our ship crossed the Antarctic circle sometime after
midnight last night, and we entered the sheltered waters of Crystal Sound. How
wonderful to feel healthy again! I rediscovered my appetite and had a huge
breakfast.
It felt great to finally venture off the ship. Our
first trip was a zodiac cruise to see the nearby icebergs and glacial cliffs.
It was miserable weather by Sydney standards; overcast, wet and cold, but it
was also how I imagined Antarctica to be. Against the stormy sky and the dark
ocean, the icebergs stood out like blue neon sculptures. I never imagined ice
could be so blue, it was amazing. We also saw frizzle ice, which is a thin
layer of ice just frozen on top of the water, turning it to speckled silk.
Wildlife was aplenty too! There were lots of fur seals
napping on the bergs, and many birds (kelp gulls, Antarctic terns and Southern
fulmars). If you were quiet you could cruise right up to the napping seals. I
got a few good close-up shots.
After lunch we landed on Detaille Island, which was a
British base built in 1956 but abandoned only three years later. Due to the remote
location and the cold weather, the hut has been remarkably preserved. Clothing,
pyjamas, papers and food items seem to have been untouched since 1959. As we
left the island we saw a magnificent silvery crab-eater seal lounging on a
nearby iceberg.
On Jason’s advice I underexposed all my images by one
third of a stop. I’m liking the results as the darker exposures ensures some
detail on the snow and ice, as well as captures the feel of overcast weather
and coldness.
We
reached the most southern point on our journey today, below the Antarctic circle
at 67°06' S.
