Where We Be
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| Portal Point is a dramatic spot on the Antarctic Peninsula located within the Gerlache Strait |
| Antarctic Peninsula -- Arrival |
The South Shetland Islands are all well and
good, but what we really wanted was to set foot
on the mainland of Antarctica -- and today we
got to do that. Hooray for the seventh continent!
The land photos seen here are primarily from
Portal Point on the Antarctic peninsula. We
climbed a snow dome offering panoramic views
and got the chance to go snowshoeing and
freeze our tushies off at 10 pm at night (well,
day, actually). The at-sea photos are from the
Gerlache Strait, a narrow, iceberg-filled channel
that is on most people's list of places to see in
Antarctica. The weather was moody, misty, and
cold, but that didn't stop it from being beautiful.
Earlier in the day, on the way to the peninsula,
we visited Hydrurga Rocks (aka Two Hummocks
Island) where we saw Weddell seals, penguins
galore, and imperial shags -- along with a
mystical ice mountain that revealed itself as the
fog lifted. I must say, the days are so much more
exciting now that we've arrived in Antarctica
proper. We're more than making up for the dull
days at sea during the Drake.
good, but what we really wanted was to set foot
on the mainland of Antarctica -- and today we
got to do that. Hooray for the seventh continent!
The land photos seen here are primarily from
Portal Point on the Antarctic peninsula. We
climbed a snow dome offering panoramic views
and got the chance to go snowshoeing and
freeze our tushies off at 10 pm at night (well,
day, actually). The at-sea photos are from the
Gerlache Strait, a narrow, iceberg-filled channel
that is on most people's list of places to see in
Antarctica. The weather was moody, misty, and
cold, but that didn't stop it from being beautiful.
Earlier in the day, on the way to the peninsula,
we visited Hydrurga Rocks (aka Two Hummocks
Island) where we saw Weddell seals, penguins
galore, and imperial shags -- along with a
mystical ice mountain that revealed itself as the
fog lifted. I must say, the days are so much more
exciting now that we've arrived in Antarctica
proper. We're more than making up for the dull
days at sea during the Drake.
| It's official! We made it to Antarctica! |
| A quieter moment at Portal Point |
| Celebrating at Portal Point! This is a subset of our overall group. We're in the blue parkas near the middle. There were a lot of young, enthusiastic people on this cruise -- a fun benefit of choosing a less-expensive Antarctica trip. |
| Ten at night -- time to head home. What a terrific day in Antarctica! |
| This mist-filled cavern looks like something out of "Lord of the Rings" |
| Passing through the Gerlache Strait, the mountainous, misty scenery on both sides of the ship was out of this world |
| A penguin greets the day,,,or howls at the moon...take your pick |
| This isn't a black-and-white photo -- it's just a black-and-white environment |
| A zodiac arrives at Hydrurga Rocks |
| We were both surprised at just how gorgeous the Antarctic peninsula is |
| At the zodiac pickup point, rocks and ice mix together at my feet |
| Robin takes her turn around the block |
| At the top of the snow dome, ten people at a time donned snowshoes for a short excursion |
| This relaxed Weddell seal couldn't care less about us humans |
| Did I mention it was cold? You'd think we were in Antarctica or something. |
| A chinstrap preens for the camera |
| Same here -- it's all blacks, whites, and grays |
| Hey, not a penguin! But what is it? Our guide tells us it's a snowy sheathbill -- the only land bird native to Antarctica. |
| Two imperial shags see something interesting out there (not us) |
| Here we have an emperor shag bringing home a mossy surprise for his mate. In the background are a sheathbill and a kelp gull. |
| The icebergs keep getting more dramatic the further south we go |
| A rare attempt at a selfie |
| Heading for that misty gap between the mountains |
| Hydrurga Rocks |
| Gerlache Strait |
| This iceberg looks like a sinking submarine |
| Portal Point (Antarctic Peninsula) |
| Gobs of icebergs near Portal Point |
| Ready for some hot cocoa! |
