Dec 30th: Neko Harbour

 I took over 1000 pictures today.

It was my lucky day. One of the best of my life I'd say. And if you are as half into this Antarctic adventure as I am, it's your lucky day too. Standby for a TON of pictures!

First... from the ship and around the ship as we cruised into Neko Harbor.

Neko Harbor was icy but the land was more choked with heavy snow and ice. There were NO landing sites to be found after the scout team investigated and so for today, the adventures were to be had from a Zodiac only. We went out twice! 

Turns out the best views and the most magnificent encounters could only have been had by Zodiac. The universe unfolded a beautiful plan for us and we lapped up every minute. 

3 penguins on an ice berg! I had a bucket list of things I wanted to see in Antarctica and this was on the top of it!

The "adelie brothers" worked it for our cameras for a good 40 minutes, making sure we captured their 'good side', their personalities and all their dance moves!

This Weddell seal is a little on the homely side. Perhaps resembling a jack-o-lantern more than I would have expected, but he grew on me and besides, I already had a few hundred pics of cute (penguins) and I thoroughly enjoyed the wild-side of Antarctica - animals that work hard to survive and the scars that life leaves on them.

Parts of Neko Harbor were filled with brash ice and it was AMAZING to push through it. Hear it. Feel it. Become part of it. 

Jonathan had this great idea that we'd launch our Zodiac onto a piece of the sea ice and actually get out and stand on it. No-one had ever, or would ever again step foot on this frozen sea water atop of unfrozen sea water!

More penguins on ice... 

These two little chinstrap penguins had no issues posing for us from every angle too.

 

And finally, the whales. Just as we were making our way back to the Ocean Endeavour, we were informed that Minke whales were in the neighborhood and our outstanding Jason made the call to delay our return - miss our "bridge approved", return time slot - if you will, so we could partake in what can only be described as a breathtaking and privileged encounter.

Now you know why my day was so very special. Why this post lacks the words to describe the way I felt and how Antarctica won a place in my heart that will never be replaced. 

Dec 29th: Fish Islands and Barilari Bay

 While camping itself was serene, if not cold, the same could not be said for our pickup and transfer back to the Ocean Endeavor! Rough seas and high winds made for a wet and bumpy ride... fondly later to be known as the Polar Shower. Our Zodiac driver (Chris Crown) prepared us for the 15 minute journey out into the bay by saying "Some of you will get hit in the back with waves. The other half of you will get hit in the face with waves. Hang on tightly, it's going to be rough." I think he nailed it. 

I was seated mid-boat, facing the onslaught of waves! At times I bounced into the center-floor of the boat. At other times I had flash backs of learning to water-ski. You know... when you can't quite stand yet and your mouth is at the same level at the wake?! Salty!

We were told that conditions such as these would normally cancel all operations, but that since we were out there, we had to come back. All credit goes to the intrepid team of Zodiac drivers and gangway crew who braved the elements and took responsibility for getting cold, wet and shaken up passengers safety back on board. It was NOT easy! No passengers ended up in the fjord but the fjord for sure ended up in the boats! We were all still smiling after this adventure and that says a LOT about the both the passengers and the crew.

One of the Zodiac drivers, Blaise, took this video. He was clearly having tooooo much fun!

There is nothing quite like a steaming hot shower and breakfast buffet to warm the cockles of ones' soul.

Behind the scenes a LOT of clean up was underway. Bivvy bags, sleeping bags and the like were all spread out in the Aurora Lounge, sopping wet. The mud room was cranking out some heat and I'm guessing dehumidifying too, in an effort to dry boots, gill jackets and other layers we shed there before high-tailing it up stairs for that hot shower. Tomorrow, when we returned to the scene of the crime, we'd find dry gear... and that is only because the Ocean Endeavour elves were hard at work as we napped and got warmed up!

 We had a day at sea to recover some sleep and/or take in some science-y lectures about the wildlife, geology,  and history of this magical place. I did all of the above as the ship cruised around the Fish Islands in the  morning and Barilari Bay later that day.

It was another blue-sky day in Antarctica and behind the scenes, Capt. Alexi and his team were navigating us northeast... away from the storm that was responsible for our post-camping adventure. The wind and rough waters of Neny Fjord were quickly forgotten as we enjoyed a "boatload" of quality time with fellow passengers and crew. 

... And if you know me, you know I just LOVE to take pictures of clouds and sky. So, while there were no penguin chicks or whale tails today, I was still in my happy place. On deck. Camera poised.