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.
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
This morning my mobile phone, which had remained silent for more than two days let out a ding and I got an SMS message that my ATT roaming was working and that I should enjoy use of full data and … Continue reading Antarctica’s Urban Core
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 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