Antarctica chapter eight
Neko Harbor: Penguins & reflections (and seals).
Leaving Danco Island behind, we cruise south and west towards the channel. It’s smooth sailing, and we’re lucky to be able to pass.
Emma and Carl make use of the hot tub, and I catch them as they finish their soak. It reminds me that I haven’t made quite as much use of it as I could.
A slight wind ripples the water as we approach Neko Harbor. There’s more ice in the water, in bits and pieces, and it gives us a landscape unique to us to observe. Seals lay on various ice floes, and we catch a few close to the ship as we pass.
There’s some concern about the ice. One guide mentions how sometimes the wind will blow all the ice towards the shore, making passage easier, but the icebergs tend towards the smaller end of the scale and we push easily through the waters.
It’s amazing to see so much ice in the sea and see it shift as our ship slips through. The color of the water seems deeper in contrast to the bright white of the snow and I gain a new appreciation for the beauty of Antarctica.
By the time we come to a stop, the wind has abated. The sun shines through wispy clouds and we’re rewarded with an incredible view: the mountains and ice reflected in almost perfectly still waters, the see a deep blue green against the chiseled white.
With the sun out, people collect on Deck 8 aft, making use of the tables and chairs to sit and admire the view, or catch some rays. It’s the clearest afternoon we’ve had, sky blue colors reflected in the water.
When groups are called we’re to embark on split excursions. Half of us will be cruising the bay while the other half go ashore. Our group takes first to the sea.
The landscape is unreal, the light like nothing we’ve seen. I can’t believe our fortune.
As we cruise amongst the ice we spot seals. The harbor has them in abundance and we motor from one sighting to another. Later, we’ll learn that they’re there for the penguin chicks. On our landing, we’ll see what would amount to a buffet for these seals waiting patiently on the ice.
As we come back around for our landing, we spot penguins porpoising out of the water. I learn that they do that because it’s net less energy for them to propel themselves through the air as there’s less resistance. It becomes one of my favorite things to see and I get excited every time we get the chance.
On land we are given two ways to go. The path is a loop that hugs the shore before climbing up to a penguin rookery on the hill. To the left you walk along the beach first; to the right you head right into the ice. Most of the people head left; I turn to the right.
I am soon confronted with a deeply grooved penguin highway. Vide stands on the other side and bids me wait as a penguin crosses, making its way up the hill. Once the penguin has passed he has me come forward.
I love them most when they’re standing in the highway as if uncertain whether to continue, just their heads and part of their torso visible above the ridge.
On the other side I run into Starie and Craig. They look the consummate explorers in their matching parkas and pants, cameras at the ready. They’ve chosen the clockwise route and I tell them I’ll see them back on the ship as we pass.
Eilidh is at the top by the rookery watching over us as we shuffle up the hill and the penguins as they waddle to and fro. The chicks chase their parents for food; the adults sometimes indulge them. The scene plays out over and over and I can’t stop watching it unfold no matter how often it does. Behind them, a glacier reaches into the sea. There’s been a lot of calving, and I keep an eye out in hopes of catching an event.
My time grows short and I make my way down the hill towards the beach. There, I stop to gaze at the glacier, hoping once again to see it calve. Towers lean over the water and calving looks imminent, but the ice stays put.
Looking at the clock I see it’s time to go. Just before I turn I look up again and it happens. A large chunk crumbles slowly into the ocean. I raise my camera but my card is full. I set it down and enjoy the show: the splash, the waves rolling towards the shore. It’s as if the universe said I’ll show you calving but you won’t capture it anywhere but in your heart.
Walking along the beach I see a penuin or two and the foundations of what was once a hut. The waves haven’t reached the area marked for our exploration. On board we had been shown a video of a large calving event in the past at this very spot. People hurried away from the shore as it flooded; kayakers stayed calm and pointed their noses towards the event, riding out the waves.
Dilini, Ellie, and I have dinner with Thanh and her partner Andreas. We invite Laura and Szymon, two of our expedition guides, to join us. They work both the Artic and Antarctic (Szymon has a company that runs tours in search of polar bears in the season). I ask them which they like better.
Szymon tells me the Arctic because it’s more of a thrill when you spot a polar bear. In Antarctica you know the landing sites and you more or less know what you’ll see. In the Arctic, you spend your days outside on the decks of a ship cruising through the pack ice, scanning the landscape in hopes of spotting something white on white. It’s sometimes long hours and difficult, but the thrill of finally seeing a polar bear is unmatched.
That said, working the Arctic is more difficult. When you drop off one set of passengers you pick up another and are immediately back in the thick of it. With the Drake Passage, there’s built-it rest days as the ship makes the crossing.
On my way back from the restroom I see dumplings on the table of a Chinese group. I ask them where they got them. Are they secretly eating Peking Duck? I ask one of the Chinese servers and he says that there are two Chinese chefs who make one or two additional items for dinner that are off the menu. I ask him what they have tonight. The dumplings and mapo tofu.
He drops off dumplings at our table and tells me there’s only a little mapo tofu left, which he also offers to us. It’s delicious. My cousin makes it regularly and sends me photos of hers; it’s a dish I miss when traveling, and I’m beyond excited to be able to have it here, in Antarctica.
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After dinner I play Monopoly Deal with Dilini, Kris, and Heidi. Heidi is responsible for all of the acitivites on the ship; as a result she hasn’t had the time to play, though she’ll look longingly at us if she happens to pass us mid-game. I mention the dumplings we had at dinner and she tells us that sometimes they plan dumpling wrapping as an activity on board. She asks if we’d be interested. The answer is a definite yes.
We learn that she’s actually spent a few months living in Antarctica at a historical base station. We start to pepper her with questions; she defers. She tells us that she’ll be giving a talk in due time. And then we get back to focusing on the game.
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Back in my room I reflect on the day. Outside, it’s snowing. I put on my parka and step out onto the balcony to take in the night-time air and feel the snow on my face. I listen to the sounds made by our passage through the sea. 🇦🇶
24 February 2024
