A pitcher will throw in the order of 90 to 140 pitches during his time on the mound during any given Major League Baseball game. Those pitches are rifled into the mitt of his catcher (hopefully), and gently tossed back to him time and time again. This morning we visited an area called Cierva Cove and had the chance to follow the trajectory of many large icebergs, which get sucked into the cove via the prevailing southward flowing current and caught in this spectacular catcher’s mitt of ice. Massive, overwhelming, glistening battleships of ice were peppered throughout this north facing amphitheater, evenly spaced between the liquid perfection of yet another calm day in Antarctica. Between the glistening, frozen white vagrants an occasional column of whale breath could be seen, backlit by this trip’s persistent sun. Zodiac cruises in Cierva Cove don’t get much better than this. For over an hour we cavorted with hungry whales, circumnavigated frozen versions of the Taj Mahal and examined unexpectedly large jellyfish, which seem to thrive in these cold waters.
After begrudgingly pulling away from our friendly whales we headed further south down the west Antarctic Peninsula to a location known as the Enterprise Islands. Hopeful to get out into kayaks the weather cooperated yet again, allowing us to deploy our yellow fleet of boats. Slowly disintegrating, in the corner of a small bay, the remains of a former whaling vessel drew the attention of not only our kayakers but a small French yacht which was anchored alongside the 120-year-old vessel’s rusting hulk. Floating over crystal clear water amongst snow stacked islands and drowsy Weddell seals our Enterprise Islands experience became yet another “pinch me” moment.
Then, just when we thought the day couldn’t get any better, we set course for Danco Island and an after dinner hike. With a sky bruised with pinks, purples and lavenders this late night landing gave us a rare opportunity to take in the Antarctic’s evening light from the stability of shore. Until 11:45 p.m. we strolled this tiny island in the middle of the Errera Channel, taking in a 360 degree view of ice, water, and sky. Back at water level, gentoo penguins dashed in and out of sight, coming and going from the icy shoreline before rejoining their colony further uphill.
Few times have three such perfectly orchestrated activities been accomplished in one day—just another indicator that we seem to be on a charmed expedition.
