As we moved further south, the weather did get chilly! Of course we took the polar plunge, along with only about 20% of those on board. Too bad we don’t get a medal for that! We were fascinated by the icebergs, floating by like abstract art. Large icebergs (identified as over 10 miles across) are geo-tagged. Every four days, a satellite photo is transmitted to captains to show the location. Captains then forecast the wind and current to see if the icebergs could be a navigational problem.
- We got pretty good at the daily zodiak landings.
- Just us and our smelly penguin friends.
- Once back on board, the first order of business was to wash off the penguin poop.
- A penguin takes a cool sip of fresh water. They drink salt water, too, but they have a gland that helps remove the salt from their blood.
- We had daily hikes, with naturalists along to explain every bird, fish or mammal question you could imagine.
- We were so warm after hiking we sat in the snow to cool off!
- An incredible vista was the reward for an hour’s uphill hike.
- A quiet walk near the Argentinian outpost. Twelve different flags fly in Antarctica, but a treaty signed in 1959 declares this a place for only peace and science.
- Antarctic Expedition medals are awarded for those brave souls in U.S. research outposts, including bronze, silver and gold bars for one, two or three times “overwintered”.
- An iceberg is a wonderful metaphor for the sea. Most of it is hidden from view.
- A little cold and blustery.
- A foursome of penguins looking incredibly clean following a swim.
- The penguin “highways” are well carved into the hill. The color of that snow? A result of layers of penguin poop.
- Nesting shorebirds.
- No matter how cold we were, we could always warm up with a spot of tea.
- Plunging through sheets of frozen sea ice at the Arctic Circle.
- Taken as I leaned over the bow, watching the ship break through icebergs!
- The captain maintained an open bridge, so all were welcome to observe navigation, ship operations and a birds eye view.
- Our polar plunge! We jumped into 29 degree salt water. Our reward was a shot of vanilla vodka with a hot blueberry soup chaser.
- Hanging out on a cliff with my favorite travel buddy.
- James Balog was our guest lecturer, and global warming alarmist. He’s a photographer who founded the Extreme Ice Survey, a long-term time-lapsed look at receding glaciers.
- CO2 emissions tell a chilling tale of a warming planet.
- A little tongue in cheek for a serious warning.
- Who says they don’t have polar bears in Antarctica?
- Our first close-up look at an iceberg. About 85% of icebergs are under the water.
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