Our 2015 visit to the southernmost land on earth
The last two times we visited Antarctica on Holland America ships I wrote codas on the experience. One entitled “You Can’t Let Nature Run Wild” quoted the late Alaskan Governor Wally Hickel. Of course, in Antarctica nature does run wild … Continue reading Antarctic Coda, Artifacts
When I went to bed it was still foggy, the forecast predicted more of the same. When I walked out onto my icy balcony at 7:30 it was snowing and the fog was still there, although less dense than the … Continue reading “…Pray for Shackleton.”
After the experience of day 2 in Antarctica I set the alarm for 6:45. The weather forecast was for more of the same. When I got up, we were in a dense fog. Not only could I not see the … Continue reading Day 3, A Different Day
As I edit pictures I have to make decisions. On the first round I delete obviously bad pictures. On the second round I pick the best from among near duplicates. Often I bracket shots at different exposures or with slightly … Continue reading If I Had More Time I Would Have Written A Shorter Letter.
Day two in Antarctica is the type of day you cruise for, live for. I’ve already written about the critters, but the amazing part of it was the clouds that lifted showing the mountain peaks and providing a textured sky … Continue reading The Type of Day You Live For
Based on the sunset the day ahead looked promising. I set the alarm for 6:45. At 7 AM, as we were getting ready, the Captain came on the horn telling us that there was a pod of Orc (killer whales) … Continue reading Antarctica Day 2, Critters.
We set the alarm for 6:45 to make sure we didn’t miss anything. It was an overcast day with lifting fog. On day one we couldn’t see the mountaintops until just before sunset. We started the day sailing by Palmer … Continue reading Antarctica, Day One.
There may be no time in life more exciting than beginning college. We encounter new ideas, new friends, new challenges – ADVENTURE! Perhaps we are on our own for the first time. We work harder and play harder than ever … Continue reading Recapture (Thoughts on travel to the Antarctic.)
This week in Antarctica we encountered weather ranging from moody mist, to brilliant high contrast sunshine to down to the deck fog. Temperatures ranged from the mid-20s to the mid-30s and photographic conditions varied widely. I posted a lot of … Continue reading Black and White Antarctic
We’re now steaming away from Antarctica. I use that term intentionally. We are in a motor ship and not a steamer but motoring sounds like we are in a car. Using the earlier term, sail, does not make sense to … Continue reading Antarctica on the Grayscale
February 2, 2020, Cruising Northward from Antarctica. “You can’t let nature run wild.” Wally Hickel “Oh yeah?” Mother Nature. This morning we got up early to catch the scenic cruising and commentary as we entered Antarctic Sound. There was nothing … Continue reading “You Can’t Let Nature Run Wild.” (Walter J. Hickel)
February 2, 2020, in a fog bank off of Antarctic Sound. Someone cried out. “A cruise ship! What’s cruise ship doing here?” Of course, we all laughed because we’re ON a cruise ship, it’s just that you don’t expect to … Continue reading A Wonderful Deception
February 1, 2020, Off the Antarctic Peninsula Actually, it’s called brack, it’s the slushy remains of sea ice melting with bits of glacier ice, growlers, thrown in. As the ship passes through it makes a sound like “slush”. Growlers are … Continue reading Driving Through Slush, Blocked by Ice
January 30, 2020, Niemeyer Channel, Antarctica We’re back to high summer with the sun coming up sometime around 4:30 in the morning and setting around 10:30 in the evening. This morning we woke up at about 6 pulled open the … Continue reading Niemeyer Channel
It’s a day at sea after the Falklands and the Captain, the Expedition Leader (A professor from New Zealand), the Ice Pilot (a retired USCG admiral with 16 years’ experience on heavy icebreakers) and the Chief Engineering Officer are giving … Continue reading Antarctic Coda
February 3, 2015 King George Island, Antarctica. I was startled when I got an SMS message sailing into Admiralty Bay on King George Island. King George is the largest of the South Shetland Islands off the coast of Antarctica and … Continue reading Antarctic Metropolis and Teflon Rocks
February 3, 2015 Antarctic Sound, Antarctica. Dear Friends, Antarctic Sound, at the very northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, is packed with history and ice. The ice is the reason for the history. It’s named for a whaler turned research … Continue reading Ice Bergs, History and Politics
February 2, 2008 Andvord Bay, Paradise Harbor and Wilhelmina Bay, Antarctica, During the Alaska summer I get little sleep. I don’t sleep with curtains drawn so generally wake up early and go to bed late. I figure I will make … Continue reading Paradise to a Whaling Captain
February 2, 2008 Wilhelmina Bay, Antarctica I am used to photographing whales, but not this way. I am either in a small boat at sea level or on the second deck of a two deck Allen Marine catamaran. But on … Continue reading …To Teach Them Whales to Dance
February 2, 2008 Paradise Harbor, Antarctica. They look like dolphins swimming alongside the boat, but very small dolphins. But looking closely they are penguins, Gentoo Penguins. They move quickly thought the water, up for breath, down to swim. These penguins … Continue reading Feathered Dolphins.
February 1 Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica At our Unitarian Fellowship Kathy quoted a theologian saying there are three prayers, “Help,” “Thanks,” and “Wow.” There was a lot of praying on the deck of the Prinsendam as we cruised out of Palmer … Continue reading Two Prayers