Antarctica - December 4th

Antiarctica – Monday, December 4th

We have successfully navigated the Drake Passage.  We have arrived at Antarctica.  More specifically we are at the base of Mount Francais.  One can really get a sense of awe simply by being here.  The landscape is both beautiful and rugged.  Icebergs are plentiful.  The taller coastal mountains are shrouded in a misty cloud.  Even though the slopes are covered in snow you can see crevasse of all sizes.  It is hopeful that this will clear on one of our days here so that the tops of the mountains can also be viewed





We have seen marine birds such as gulls, terns, and albatross.  A pod of hump back whales were right off our starboard beam.  One was even kind enough to wave at us using its fluke (tail).



It has gotten colder.  The outside temperature today is a balmy 31 degrees Fahrenheit.  It has been lightly snowing off and on.  Icicles are beginning to form along some of the overhangs.  This makes us glad we packed our winter gear.  The parkas that Viking is providing fit quite well now that I have swapped the size XS for the size 2X that actually fits.  Add to this a base layer (or two) and some weatherproof pants and we should be set for any of our excursions.


We took our first zodiac ride today.  The zodiac is an inflatable rubber boat.  It will seat eight to ten people along the sides.  The young woman that piloted the zodiac was a marine biologist whose specialty was whales.  She was able to point out when and where the hump back whales were going to surface.  We saw many whales.  Unfortunately they were all at a fair distance away so any photograph showed not much more than a dot.  There were a few, however that we did manage to capture.  We also were able to spot a Weddle Seal that was basking in the fog, drizzle, and snow.  We were also able to observe quite a number of ice bergs and even managed to see one that was rolling over.  All in all it was a good outing.


Tomorrow we have a zodiac ride that will take us to a landing.  At that point we will be able to exit the zodiac and actually set foot on the continent.  We also have a ride on the Special Operations Boat, which is simply a boat with 15 to 20 seats.


In any event tomorrow will be another adventure

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