February 7 - Melchior Harbour

We’re drifting today in Melchior Harbour, a sheltered bay on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula in what’s known as the Palmer Archipelago.  Aren’t you glad to know that?  I found it funny that the little islands providing us shelter are named Alpha, Beta, Delta, Kappa and Gamma.  Whoever named them perhaps didn’t have a very creative imagination, or perhaps he just liked Greek.  

It’s very calm and at the moment it’s clear, but down here that can change in a heartbeat.  Today there are no landings, just zodiac tours of about an hour in length. My group is scheduled for 2 PM and I’m going to suit up again and try to actually board this time.

We are surrounded on every side by what I think can best be described as sculptures of ice. They aren’t bergs; they are the islands themselves but the ice and snow on them have been sculpted by the wind and water to all sorts of fantastic shapes.  I truly think that even the best photos can’t convey the splendor of the place. I consider myself so fortunate to finally be able to see it up close and personal.

I forgot to mention yesterday that down here we aren’t allowed to anchor; that’s part of the Antarctic protocols I think so that nothing, including the sea floor, is disturbed.  So the captain has been using the thrusters to keep our position. Yesterday he had to move us several times because we had some very large icebergs drifting around and he didn’t want to have a close encounter with one of those.

Drum roll !!!  I went on the zodiac tour today and it was absolutely fantastic!  We cruised around the bay for close to an hour and a half.  Our first stop was an Argentine weather station which is currently unoccupied by people. The seals have taken over the place.  They were mainly fur seals but there were a few Weddell seals too which are a lighter color.  Harry, the entertainer I dined with the other night, was sitting next to me and he took a great video of a Weddell which he shared with me.  I’ll try to upload it.  (Harry was my moral support getting on and off the zodiac.)  It was at that first stop that we saw our one and only penguin of the day sitting on a rock.

The Argentine station, a pretty desolate place if you ask me

That black spot on the rock near the center is one lonely penguin.

All the black forms you see along the rocks and up in the snow are seals chilling out.

                              This guy looked to me like he was trying to scratch an itch. (I'm not having much luck with videos. I'll have to try and get help from one of the technical guys.)

Next we went to a sheltered cove where there were all kinds of seals.  We had to be quiet because they can be very territorial and we didn’t want to disturb them.  The ice formations around were incredible to see.  Robin, the geologist I’ve heard lecture a few times, told us the layers we could see  are from possibly as many as 1000 years as snow has been compacted.  Nearby there was  a big chunk which had probably broken off fairly recently.  We stayed well away from one area that looked like it might be ready to lose a piece.

This guy must have been the sentinel for the rest of his buddies.

The gang at the cove

Don't laugh at this picture. It's pretty awful, but it's proof I was there.

A tabular berg that looked like it fell recently

I know I sound like a broken record, but it’s really not possible to describe in words or show in a few pictures the majesty of this place.  This afternoon when we returned to the ship they had a polar plunge.  Forty-five passengers, who depending on your point of view are either brave or crazy, jumped in in their swimsuits.  I was not one of them.  I’m so glad I got up my courage to take the ride.

Isn't this just a glorious scene?

Tomorrow’s stop will afford another opportunity to go ashore, but when the captain just gave his report he was talking about possible precipitation and winds in the morning of 25 knots increasing during the day to 40 or 50 knots.  If that’s the case, landings may not be possible.  Everything here is subject to change at a moment’s notice.