Light fluffy flakes of snow hushed the landscape of the Danco Coast as we greeted the morning. During the time that was scheduled as night (it was light out) we had slowly progressed southward through the northern part of the Gerlache Straight. Temperatures at freezing dictated multiple layers would be the dress code for the morning’s activities.
Our location for the morning was Orne Harbour, a relatively small bifurcated bay along the northern shores of the mainland. Two options were planned: either a Zodiac cruise or a hike up to a ridge overlooking the landscape of the Gerlache Strait and a small chinstrap penguin nesting colony. Hikers were shuttled ashore first in order to have the longest possible time ashore. Zodiac cruisers went out for about an hour in each of two groups.
For the hikers a path up a steep slope was established by the staff. Switchbacks made for a somewhat less steep climb upwards of about 1000ft. As people made their way upwards it reminded many viewing from the ship or the Zodiacs cruising along the shore of the famous historic images of Chilkoot Pass during the gold rush days in Alaska. However, the climb did provide a spectacular view of the lower elevations of the surrounding mountains and islands as snow clouds cloaked the higher elevations.
Zodiac cruisers had a chance to see and closely photograph a nesting group of Antarctic shags and see the “penguin highway” used by the chinstraps coming and going from the nesting areas high on the ridge where the hikers had completed their climb. Also icebergs from glaciers entering the Gerlache Strait provided infinite ephemeral sculptures, which were captured for eternity in the many digital images taken. Soon these sculptures would be gone forever in reality but not in our minds and photographic images.
In the middle part of the day we crossed the Gerlache and soon after having consumed lunch we passed into the very picturesque Neumeyer Channel. Patches of lighter thin clouds allowed the sun to brighten the landscape—almost too bright. It was an awe-inspiring passage and many hundreds of images were made. In about an hour from the end of that scenery we then entered another more awesome passage called Lemaire Channel between Booth Island and the mainland. The captain nimbly weaved through some large and small ice patches. We were treated to perfect views of a number of leopard seals sleeping on flat pieces of ice. Then for the rest of the afternoon and evening we continued southward.
