Surrounded by Ice? Then Let's Go Play in the Zodiacs!

Endurance in the ice fields of Neko Harbor

Friday, November 17 -  Neko Harbor, Antarctic Peninsula

This morning we woke up to true Antarctica weather, about 24 degrees, grey and snowing, with snow and ice on the decks.  We are heading into Neko Harbor for a morning excursion to see a colony of gentoo penguins.  The harbor is deep in Andvord Bay and allows us to walk on the continent of Antarctica.  We arrived at the end of the harbor by about 7:30 AM, with the sun filtering weakly through the clouds.  The waters of the bay are mirror still, creating beautiful reflections of the surrounding mountains and glaciers.  And the bay is filled with ice of all shapes and forms, including some very thin coverings of ice which roll, but don’t break with the waves.  The glacier nearby the penguin colony is known for its frequent calving, so the ship is harboring on the more protected side of the peninsula hillside where the colony is located.  

As the Endurance enters Neko Harbor, it leaves a clear parting of the ice field in its wake

So still and pristine - mirror perfect reflections in Neko Harbor

From our daily briefing: “In the morning we plan to explore Neko Harbor in Andvord Bay. This area was first discovered by Belgian explorer Adrien de Gerlache during the early 20th century. It was named for a Scottish whaling boat, the Neko, which operated in the area between 1911 and 1924. Neko Harbor has been classified as an important bird and biodiversity area by BirdLife International because it supports a breeding colony of more than 250 breeding pairs of gentoo penguins that nest on the hill near the beach to avoid risk of being washed away by the large waves frequently generated from the calving of the nearby glacier. Southern giant petrels and south polar skuas also nest here. The area has been also used by Weddell seals, which occasionally haul out to rest.”

The gentoo penguin colony is on the small hill to the left of the ship - dangerous glacier beyond it

Starting the morning with a crazy cruise in the Zodiacs through the ice fields in the harbor

We began our morning’s excursion with a delightful zodiac ride through the ice fields.  We tumbled around all the growlers and bergy bits and brash ice, and whatever else we want to call it.  We spent about 45 minutes enjoying the fun of pushing through, with occasional stops to unclog the propellers, when they clogged with ice bits and balls.

Playing follow the leader through the ice bits

A cold and snowy morning - we were overdue for some Antarctic weather

Perfect mirror reflections 

Amazingly deep blue ice - maybe centuries old

Are we having fun yet?  You betcha!