Booth Island is often referred to as a place where icebergs go to die. A frozen graveyard where drifting ice, burdened by its own weight, grinds to a halt in the shallow waters surrounding the island. Once at rest, the icebergs are gradually eroded at their waterline by waves, leaving behind sapphire cantilevers that skirt towering wind-carved spires and knife-edge ridges. We explored this icy labyrinth by Zodiac and found crabeater seals hauled-out on the pack ice. Abundant scars on these seals provided testament to past encounters with leopard seals, which were also scattered among the frozen platforms. And of course, penguins, the dapper denizens of the Antarctic shores, could be seen nearly everywhere: in the water, high up on windswept nest colonies, and in transit along well-worn trails in between.
In the afternoon, we made our way to Peterman Island where the calm seas and sunny skies provided wonderful conditions for our first kayaking experience in Antarctica. Once in our boats, we dipped our paddles into the frigid waters and glided past icebergs and porpoising penguins. The mainland mountains offered a sublime backdrop that was reflected in the mirror-pond seas. Many of us chose to hike on shore as well. Here, all three brush-tailed penguins— Adélie, chinstrap and Gentoo—could be found, and each species’ unique personality was on display. The gentoos, which would throw their heads back and raucously call out to their mates, appeared indifferent to the hikers who walked past them, while the few chinstraps that were there seemed comparatively less tolerant, but were far more dignified in their sleek feathered suits and namesake chin adornments. The Adélies, however, stole the show. At once both comical and inquisitive, they would stretch their necks out and adopt a myriad of poses all the while flapping their flipper-wings and hopping about on the snow. It was hard to resist their charm, and surely a few photos were taken.
When it was finally time to return to the ship at the end of the day it came as quite a surprise to everyone that we had remained out for far longer than planned (dinner was even pushed back to 7:30). It would seem that once again we were lost in the fun and excitement of another incredible day on the White Continent.
