Today was very much like yesterday, but we did not see as
much sea life. These first two days have been absolutely beautiful. Very calm
winds and lots of sunshine. The commentators are saying that we are able to go
places that they have not been to in years.
One of the places we spent time in today was Paradise
Harbor. It lies between the Antarctic mainland and Bryde and Lemaire Islands. The
bay was named by early twentieth century whalers who were not immune to its
charms. There are three channels into the bay, and when the tide is running the
currents are strong enough to more icebergs. In many parts, the water is hundreds
of meters deep, but there are a few spots for ships to anchor (not us). We came
in through one channel, did a 360 around the bay and went out through a different
very narrow channel. We were in this area yesterday, but did not come into this
bay.
Again, it is amazing. We saw humpback whales, fur seals and
penguins. We also saw some more beautiful glacier and ice flows. Steve said
today that if he had realized what we were going to see here, he would not have
taken so many pictures in the Beagle Canal.
In a few areas, the ice sheet pours down to the sea and does
not break off right at the coast. Instead, it continues to flow forward, often coalescing
with the other glaciers until an enormous tongue of ice advances across the surface
of the water. These ice shelves are unique to the polar regions. The difference
between and ice shelf and an ice sheet is that ice shelves are floating on the
sea. Because ice shelves sit on the level surface of the sea, the top of an ice
shelf is flat. The largest icebergs in the world (some the size of Belgium or
Connecticut) are those that break off from the leading edge of ice shelves.
These are tabular icebergs because of their flat, table top profile. You will
see some of these in the photos. You will also notice an iceberg that looks
green. This is the summer and that is algae that is in the water and reflecting
green.
We next went past a Chilean research station, that also was
home to many, many Gentoo penguins. Here are some pictures of both the station
and the penguins.
There is just so much you can photograph here. Here are some
more penguin pictures, as you can never have to many penguin pictures.
And you can never have enough seal or whale pictures either. Some of these whales were sleeping.
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