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| Endurance moving into position to park along the fast ice |
Tuesday, November 14 - Morning at Snow Hill, Fast Ice
We had crossed the Weddell Sea and had parked overnight near the fast ice surrounding Snow Hill island. Fast ice is the name for the ice sheet that is attached to land - and it extends out furthest in the winter months. Our expedition leaders had chosen Snow Hill, because it offers the best chance to see the magnificent Emperor penguins.
From our daily briefing: “Snow Hill Island is 20-mile-long and 6-mile-wide and southeast of James Ross Island. The small island was discovered by James Ross in 1843. He named it Snow Hill because of its snowy contrast to nearby Seymour Island. The fast ice off the Southwest tip of Snow Hill Island is a winter breeding site of the Antarctica's most northerly colony of Emperor penguins. This morning we plan to explore Snow Hill Island. We will be looking for wildlife, enjoying the landscape and searching for potential locations to land or get on an ice walk.”
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| Moving into position near the fast ice shelf |
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| So still! Reflections of a tabular glacier in the morning light |
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| One of our naturalists checking the ice safety and marking our perimeter |
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| Emperor penguins out on the edge of the fast ice |
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| Penguin prints |
When we woke up at 7, the ship was repositioning a bit to an area where the fast ice was smooth and potentially would make for a good ice walk. The ship was pulled up and parked right next to the ice edge. There was no wind and the sea was as calm as a glass mirror. Mike went to exercise. I had breakfast outside today, because it’s so warm with the sun, with no wind. I ordered my usual oatmeal and earl grey tea from Jimmy. Mike and Shari joined me, and then Michael came along after his exercise and some time in the hot tub. He was wearing shirt sleeves outside! What a glorious day!
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