Port Lockroy
HO HO HO and MEEEEEERRRRRRRY CHRISTMAS!!
Well, here we are, Christmas in Antarctica. This morning we awoke to sunny blue skies and stunning scenery along the Antarctic Peninsula. We passed by Mount Williams jutting straight out of the sea at over 4900 feet, and further inland we could also see Mount Francais, which is over 9300 feet. Absolutely amazing! Soon after breakfast we were approaching Port Lockroy, a small island anchorage just below Weinke Island. Here Captain Skog parked the MS Endeavour in fast ice (ice held fast to shore) in the harbor. Pictured here are four of our “young Antarctic explorers” pushing on the hull of the ship wedged in the ice (we eventually backed out of the ice instead of staying here all winter!).
Most of us walked ashore across the sea ice (which is over six feet thick!) to the historic base which is now a museum, and we managed to do some last minute Christmas shopping at the small gift shop. gentoo penguins, blue-eyed shags (cormorants), brown and south polar skuas, as well as a crabeater seal and several Weddell seals were ambling about on the ice until the snow started to come down and we headed for the safety of the ship. All of a sudden we experienced a true “White Christmas” as the winds increased and the snow began to blow. Once we were all back on board, the Captain backed the ship out of the ice, and we sailed northward towards our next adventure at Deception Island.
Reflecting back to what one of our “young Antarctic explorers” said: “My favorite thing in Antarctica is the ice and the icebergs. The icicles drip, and when you look at icebergs, they can be big, small, round, square, triangular and all kinds of different shapes.” We definitely experienced ice and bergs of various shapes and sizes, and we expect to find many more on our way to Deception Island!
HO HO HO and MEEEEEERRRRRRRY CHRISTMAS!!
Well, here we are, Christmas in Antarctica. This morning we awoke to sunny blue skies and stunning scenery along the Antarctic Peninsula. We passed by Mount Williams jutting straight out of the sea at over 4900 feet, and further inland we could also see Mount Francais, which is over 9300 feet. Absolutely amazing! Soon after breakfast we were approaching Port Lockroy, a small island anchorage just below Weinke Island. Here Captain Skog parked the MS Endeavour in fast ice (ice held fast to shore) in the harbor. Pictured here are four of our “young Antarctic explorers” pushing on the hull of the ship wedged in the ice (we eventually backed out of the ice instead of staying here all winter!).
Most of us walked ashore across the sea ice (which is over six feet thick!) to the historic base which is now a museum, and we managed to do some last minute Christmas shopping at the small gift shop. gentoo penguins, blue-eyed shags (cormorants), brown and south polar skuas, as well as a crabeater seal and several Weddell seals were ambling about on the ice until the snow started to come down and we headed for the safety of the ship. All of a sudden we experienced a true “White Christmas” as the winds increased and the snow began to blow. Once we were all back on board, the Captain backed the ship out of the ice, and we sailed northward towards our next adventure at Deception Island.
Reflecting back to what one of our “young Antarctic explorers” said: “My favorite thing in Antarctica is the ice and the icebergs. The icicles drip, and when you look at icebergs, they can be big, small, round, square, triangular and all kinds of different shapes.” We definitely experienced ice and bergs of various shapes and sizes, and we expect to find many more on our way to Deception Island!
