Grandidier Channel and Vernadsky Station
We all enjoyed a silent night. All was calm, with the ship’s engines quiet as we drifted among the ice floes. All was bright throughout the night just days from the winter solstice and less than 60 miles from the Antarctic Circle. On Christmas morning the captain provided us with a special gift by parking the ship alongside an expansive ice floe. Down went the gangway, and we all romped out across the flat pan ice to look at a nearby crabeater seal, and to build some festive snowmen. After a great many photos, laughter and posing with the snowmen, we clambered back aboard our ship and set off through the ice. Shaun Powell gave us an illustrated presentation on seals of the Antarctic, and as we cruised northward between the floes there was an abundance of crabeater seals, and an occasional Weddell seal hauled out on the ice passing the ship.
By midafternoon we arrived at Vernadsky Station, a Ukranian base that was formerly run by the British Antarctic Survey as Faraday Station. During our time here we were able to visit the station, as well as taking wonderful Zodiac cruises among the multitude of icebergs that dotted the nearby channel. This research station collects meteoric and ionospheric data, and was pivotal in collecting some of the initial data confirming the deterioration of the ozone hole over Antarctica. In addition to seeing the serious side of their work we also visited their lively bar complete with a billiards game, and magic tricks from resident Nicoli who was celebrating his birthday today.
The Zodiac cruises were quite sensational as the calm conditions reflected blue bergs around us. In the distance the massive peaks of the peninsula rose among low clouds. We enjoyed close up views of crabeater seals on the ice floes, penguins swimming, towering icebergs, and even a few brief sightings of a minke whale. All of this seemed like the most splendid gifts that any of us could have wished for on this special day.
After dinner we continued northward, back through the mountainous gates of Lemaire Channel.
We all enjoyed a silent night. All was calm, with the ship’s engines quiet as we drifted among the ice floes. All was bright throughout the night just days from the winter solstice and less than 60 miles from the Antarctic Circle. On Christmas morning the captain provided us with a special gift by parking the ship alongside an expansive ice floe. Down went the gangway, and we all romped out across the flat pan ice to look at a nearby crabeater seal, and to build some festive snowmen. After a great many photos, laughter and posing with the snowmen, we clambered back aboard our ship and set off through the ice. Shaun Powell gave us an illustrated presentation on seals of the Antarctic, and as we cruised northward between the floes there was an abundance of crabeater seals, and an occasional Weddell seal hauled out on the ice passing the ship.
By midafternoon we arrived at Vernadsky Station, a Ukranian base that was formerly run by the British Antarctic Survey as Faraday Station. During our time here we were able to visit the station, as well as taking wonderful Zodiac cruises among the multitude of icebergs that dotted the nearby channel. This research station collects meteoric and ionospheric data, and was pivotal in collecting some of the initial data confirming the deterioration of the ozone hole over Antarctica. In addition to seeing the serious side of their work we also visited their lively bar complete with a billiards game, and magic tricks from resident Nicoli who was celebrating his birthday today.
The Zodiac cruises were quite sensational as the calm conditions reflected blue bergs around us. In the distance the massive peaks of the peninsula rose among low clouds. We enjoyed close up views of crabeater seals on the ice floes, penguins swimming, towering icebergs, and even a few brief sightings of a minke whale. All of this seemed like the most splendid gifts that any of us could have wished for on this special day.
After dinner we continued northward, back through the mountainous gates of Lemaire Channel.
