Crystal Sound/Antarctic Circle
Tonight, at 67¢ª 26’ south latitude, the sun will not set. Each Crab-eater and Leopard seal we cruised by today, every Minke whale we heard (but could not see) while hiking the ridgeline of Webb Island and every glistening, aquamarine mass of ice we drifted by in our Zodiacs will be witness to one of earth’s great yet geographically rare events – 24 hours of continuous daylight (weather permitting of course)! The Antarctic (and Arctic) Circle(s) represent the latitudes at which everything southward (or northward) encounter at least one day of continuous sunlight or darkness. We crossed that invisible yet significant line today (66¢ª 33’S) via a narrow channel known as the Gullet.
Hemmed in by Adelaide Island to the west and the coast of Graham Land to the east, the Gullet is known more for its tendency to funnel ice and wind than for safe passage between Crystal Sound and Marguerite Bay. At the Gullet’s northern end, under a steady snowfall, we shared breakfast with a pair of lunge-feeding humpback whales. Working as a team they were busy corralling what we assumed to be Krill into tight bait-balls for easier consumption. By blowing bubbles around their prey (which gave us a good idea where they would surface next) Humpbacks will surround their food in pretty much the same way a team of cowboys will wrangle up a herd of cattle, using a curtain of bubbles instead of horses. After an unsuccessful attempt at recording any potential vocalizations made by the whales while feeding (by use of a hydrophone dropped over the side of one of our zodiacs) we continued south.
At the Gullet’s southern end we came upon Webb Island and our southernmost anchorage of the Antarctic season! Though heavy snowfall and low clouds dominated the morning, a break in the weather lured us into the shallow, calm waters around the island and facilitated a number of options. Despite the rapid return of large, gently falling snowflakes, the wind stayed at bay throughout the landing and allowed for not only a ridgeline hike and zodiac cruises but another chance to kayak amongst the icebergs of the Antarctic Peninsula.
I cannot remember a more calm or peaceful day as snowflake after snowflake was absorbed by the glassy grey/green waters of Marguerite Bay and quietly pilled up on the shoulders of our 29 hikers. Other than the occasional whale breath, the distant rumble of calving glaciers was the only other sound to accompany the soft patter of fresh snow on our parkas. Snowfall and icefall – an apt soundtrack to the life cycle of Antarctic glaciers!
