What an amazing first day in Antarctica! We crossed the Antarctic Circle last night and felt a bump, since that’s when we encountered lots and lots of sea ice. That meant that when I arrived on the bridge at 4am after being woken up by the ice, many more of us were up there taking in the beautiful early morning light. We visited Jenny Island and Porquois Pas Island at the northern end of Marguerite Bay on a stunningly calm day.
12/17/2024
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At Sea to the Fish Islands
Last night we bid fond farewell to Marguerite Bay and began our northward trek to the Fish Islands, crossing back over the Antarctic Circle just before breakfast. We saw Antarctic petrels and spotted our first chinstrap penguins on an ice floe! Jackie and Karson gave talks on penguins and seals, while some keen eyes were surprised to spot some floating marine debris: orange buoys. Upon arrival near the Fish Islands, we discovered the area was choked with ice, making our Zodiac plans doubtful. However, our captain, with his characteristic can-do attitude, created a path with the ship, while our Zodiac “ducklings” followed in his wake! We marveled at the variety of iceberg shapes, saw Weddell and crabeater seals, Adelie penguins, and even saw krill swimming near the sea ice edges. A fun surprise was discovering a special Zodiac offering hot chocolate! After our excursion, our ship made its way through dense pack ice, making the now-familiar grinding sounds as low clouds continued to build, creating a rather mysterious backdrop to the humpback whales we saw in an open patch of water. Indeed, after dinner, we were delighted to experience our first snowfall.
