Prospect Point
After spending an entire day within the Antarctic Circle, it was time to begin our journey north. We reached a very important goal yesterday by making it many miles past the Circle, but it would not be the last lifetime event of note. The milestone on today’s agenda? A landing on the Continent. All of our previous landings have been on islands, so today many guests were finally able to cross off number 7 at Prospect Point, Antarctica.
Bordered by a formidable glacial wall and with icebergs in no short supply, Prospect Point also turned out to be a great location for the second kayak operation of the voyage. Still air and slick water made for easy paddling amongst the abstract iceforms. Luckily we were able to find a suitable landing sight for our Zodiacs very near a former Falkland Islands Dependencies research hut. With careful footsteps, we climbed a nearby glacier and enjoyed the little visibility we had, passing the time with stories, snowballs and snowmen. We felt like we were on top of the world. As luck would have it, with only 10 minutes before the last boat, the previously shrouded peaks were exposed, bringing to light just how massive the scenery can be and how oblivious the low clouds had made us. The true top was now strikingly obvious.
If only there was a better way to transition into what happened next. Actually, this disjointed style fits quite nicely because it was very much like what happened today. Without being too stylish about it, one minute we are planning to cruise north, the next minute the Bridge spots some land-fast sea ice and before you know it the National Geographic Explorer is wedged in and secure for an ice walk. We started the day with the hopes of landing on the most difficult continent of them all. That was a great surprise for many, but I am fairly certain no one expected to walk on frozen ocean today.
