A Sublime Zodiac Trip Through the Ice

Sublime, stupendous, amazing, ethereal, fantastic, other worldly, incredible, awe-inspiring, majestic, magnificent, glorious, superb, wonderful, marvelous, supreme, and astonishing.

Those are some of the words that can describe our post-dinner expedition through Hidden Bay.  Like it has been the whole trip, the cloud cover was close – we couldn’t see the tops of the mountains as we zodiac’d through the newly formed ice fields as the snow fell, and then cruised through a narrow channel with steep, steep ice walls on either side of us.

I’m afraid my photos won’t do it justice.  We didn’t go out till about 9:30 (or later), and with the cloud cover/low ceiling the pictures are dark.  Let me promise you this – if you ever have the chance to go between Cape Renaud and Aguda Point on a zodiac, take it – don’t worry about checking my pictures first.

Shaun had hinted before dinner that we weren’t done for the day (we had already been to Palmer Station and an island with thousands of Adelie penguins – those posts will be written later.)

Every expedition so far has been amazing.  It’s hard to rate one above the other because each one is unique and jaw-dropping in its own way.

Carol and I were in the first zodiac, with our expedition leader Shaun captaining the boat.  First we headed toward the high ice walls, and then made a left turn, cutting through the newly forming ice chunks.  I had no idea the zodiacs could go through ice.

(By the way, somehow both last night and this morning, photos have been loading much more rapidly, so I’ve posted a bunch.  At some point it will slow down.)

Whilst on the zodiac, we had some Crabeater Seals swim right past us, as though it was a two lane highway.

The ice/snow walls rising sharply above the passage way, as the zodiacs carved through the ice, bouncing of bergy bits (small icebergs), was some of the most dramatic scenery ever.  Google “Hidden Bay Antarctica” and click on the photo link – whilst those pictures are mostly in sunshine, the moody greys mixed with a summer snow storm was also a visual treat.

After we came through the passage (with no huge chunks of ice calving off and threatening our safety), we were met by a zodiac boat with some of the catering staff – they offered us all warm glugwine.  We toasted to the expedition, warmed by the vino.