Marguerite Bay, Below the Antarctic Circle
Crossing the Antarctic Circle during the night and finally sighting land in the early dawn heralded our arrival in the land of ice and snow. Sheltered at last in the lee of ice-covered mountains we encounter our first sea ice and sight the first Adelie penguins at Bongrain Point. Conditions are unfavorable for a landing so we cruise the shore line in zodiacs sighting penguins on the shore and floating ice, a Leopard seal lurking around a grounded berg, and a Weddell seal sleeping peacefully on a growler at the foot of the glacier.
Afternoon finds us in the Bourgeois channel. We encounter first year ice floes dotted with penguins and Crabeater seals, and then ahead ice blink tells us of a solid platform of land-fast ice. The ship carves itself a solid berth into the edge of the ice, our crew checks its thickness and we become part of the world of penguins and seals that walk on the frozen sea. White upon white, surrounded by cloud fringed glaciers, we marvel at this special place, which is to us all a humbling but extraordinary moment in our lives.
Crossing the Antarctic Circle during the night and finally sighting land in the early dawn heralded our arrival in the land of ice and snow. Sheltered at last in the lee of ice-covered mountains we encounter our first sea ice and sight the first Adelie penguins at Bongrain Point. Conditions are unfavorable for a landing so we cruise the shore line in zodiacs sighting penguins on the shore and floating ice, a Leopard seal lurking around a grounded berg, and a Weddell seal sleeping peacefully on a growler at the foot of the glacier.
Afternoon finds us in the Bourgeois channel. We encounter first year ice floes dotted with penguins and Crabeater seals, and then ahead ice blink tells us of a solid platform of land-fast ice. The ship carves itself a solid berth into the edge of the ice, our crew checks its thickness and we become part of the world of penguins and seals that walk on the frozen sea. White upon white, surrounded by cloud fringed glaciers, we marvel at this special place, which is to us all a humbling but extraordinary moment in our lives.
