Antarctic Peninsula
Today was the kind of day you dream about on a photography expedition to Antarctica. It all started with magic light at sunrise. The Endeavour was sailing south in Gerlache Strait when Ralph made an early wake-up call and photo alert at 0239. That’s right, the day begins early here 65 degrees south of the equator. Amazingly, the colorful sunrise lasted more than an hour, first lighting up the leading edge of a dramatic cloud, then painting the ice-cloaked mountains on Anvers Island brilliant gold. A group of die-hard photographers stayed out on deck until the colors faded. One by one we disappeared for a short nap before breakfast, still hours away.
Following breakfast we went ashore at Port Lockroy to visit a small, historic British station. Established in 1944, the original hut, “Bransfield House,” is the oldest British structure in the Antarctic Peninsula and is now preserved as a Historic site and museum. Although we found deep snow on shore, conditions were down right balmy as we observed and photographed the industrious gentoo penguins around the hut and also the elegant blue-eyed shags in varying stages of courtship and nest construction across the bay at Jougla Point. Conditions were so good, in fact, that we launched our fleet of sea kayaks. What a treat to paddle among the ice floes for close looks at swimming penguins and lounging Weddell seals hauled out along the ice edge.
We barely had time for lunch as the ship left Port Lockroy and navigated the narrow Peltier Channel south to Lemaire Channel. This stretch along Antarctica’s mountainous coast is “cruising for composition” at its finest. By mid-afternoon we arrived at Peterman Island and went ashore in search of more adventure. Overdressed once again, we pealed off our parkas when the sun broke through the clouds splashing highlights across the jagged mountain backdrop. Peterman Island is an important research site for the Oceanites scientists camped on shore studying the nesting birds. The project founder and director, Ron Naveen, and his co-workers came aboard for dinner (and a shower) and to brief us about this important project.
This magnificent day came to a close as we sailed north back through the Lemeire Channel past sculpted icebergs and steep glacier-encrusted mountains rising from the sea.
Today was the kind of day you dream about on a photography expedition to Antarctica. It all started with magic light at sunrise. The Endeavour was sailing south in Gerlache Strait when Ralph made an early wake-up call and photo alert at 0239. That’s right, the day begins early here 65 degrees south of the equator. Amazingly, the colorful sunrise lasted more than an hour, first lighting up the leading edge of a dramatic cloud, then painting the ice-cloaked mountains on Anvers Island brilliant gold. A group of die-hard photographers stayed out on deck until the colors faded. One by one we disappeared for a short nap before breakfast, still hours away.
Following breakfast we went ashore at Port Lockroy to visit a small, historic British station. Established in 1944, the original hut, “Bransfield House,” is the oldest British structure in the Antarctic Peninsula and is now preserved as a Historic site and museum. Although we found deep snow on shore, conditions were down right balmy as we observed and photographed the industrious gentoo penguins around the hut and also the elegant blue-eyed shags in varying stages of courtship and nest construction across the bay at Jougla Point. Conditions were so good, in fact, that we launched our fleet of sea kayaks. What a treat to paddle among the ice floes for close looks at swimming penguins and lounging Weddell seals hauled out along the ice edge.
We barely had time for lunch as the ship left Port Lockroy and navigated the narrow Peltier Channel south to Lemaire Channel. This stretch along Antarctica’s mountainous coast is “cruising for composition” at its finest. By mid-afternoon we arrived at Peterman Island and went ashore in search of more adventure. Overdressed once again, we pealed off our parkas when the sun broke through the clouds splashing highlights across the jagged mountain backdrop. Peterman Island is an important research site for the Oceanites scientists camped on shore studying the nesting birds. The project founder and director, Ron Naveen, and his co-workers came aboard for dinner (and a shower) and to brief us about this important project.
This magnificent day came to a close as we sailed north back through the Lemeire Channel past sculpted icebergs and steep glacier-encrusted mountains rising from the sea.
