Tue 31 Jan 2017: Mr Iceberg and the Whales

From about 6am we've been sailing south through pack ice. Hoping to find a way through to clear water above Ninnis (or Mertz?) Glacier. (I'm still wishing I had brought a real GPS. One that could tell me where I am.)

Eating a leisurely breakfast. There's an announcement: We'll stop for a zodiac trip to an iceberg. Finish breakfast in a hurry, get dressed for outdoors.

Previous outing, I wore two thick wool socks in wellies. By the time we finished, my feet were very cold. This time I'll try one pair thick socks, one a bit thinner, to leave room for insulating air in the boots. Plus, I'll try not be put my feet flat on the floor of the zodiac. My theory is, the floor is very, very cold.

Later: Sort of worked... My feet stayed warmer for longer. But were very cold by the time we returned. As well as multiple socks:

Today I wear two pairs of long johns. Thermal, shirt, thick wool jumper, puffy jacket, over-jacket. Plus the usual wool beanie, neck warmer, gloves and auto-inflating life vest. When we're moving I raise the puffy hood and am all over warm (except for the feet). At slow speeds I lower the hood -- so I can see -- and my ears get a bit cold. Gloves are good but light so I can operate the camera. Hands are very cool but not cold.

All this goes on in our cabin. Then we rush -- or waddle -- outside, before we boil.

There's a big rectangular iceberg on the horizon. Pack ice between the ship and the berg. We sail through the ice, looking for wildlife. There's an adelie penguin looking -- of course ! -- very cute :-) It moves towards us, up a small rise. Flaps his wings a lot.

Then there's a crabeater seal. We watch it for a while. It slides over to watch us. Or, possibly, to make sure we don't pinch the crabs that it buried in the snow. (For the fussy reader: It did dig round in the snow. I'm told that the name does not reflect what they eat.)

After some more circling amongst the ice, we head towards the berg.

It's a very big berg ! Compared to our rubber duckies, anyway. One estimate is almost 30m high. Lots longer and wider. A great lump of blue ice shading to white ice topped with pure white snow. Waves crashing into hollows below. A long narrow vertical split near one edge, looking ready to crack and fall, which convinces us that we do not want to approach too close.

We circle the berg. There's a wide area of clear water all round. Just small ice crumbs, no floes. Perhaps the berg melts and the melt-water keeps the area clear? Or the little floes are afraid to approach the big berg? I'll accept either answer.

As we round the berg... There's a large column of ice poking out the side. Attached at the top, a bit of a curve away from the berg, down to the water. Well, says a woman on the zodiac, At least we know that it's a male iceberg.

Back on the Shokalskiy and it's time for the "polar plunge": fifteen hardy souls walk down the gangway and -- deliberately jump into the sea ! Wow ! I'm happy to just watch. And I am most impressed :-)

We've been stopped for the zodiac trip and the plunge. (Oh, btw, the plungers did climb back onto the ship. In case you were wondering.) Now we start moving again -- back to the north. The ice is just too thick, no sign of an opening towards Antarctica.

Instead, we sail north then east then south, towards the Balleny Islands. No chance of landing on Antarctica. If (when ! ) we reach Balleny we will be at the Antarctic Circle. I'm sorry for the people who really wanted to get to Mawson's hut. This year's ice just did not cooperate. Pity :-(  For us, though, it's just the Antarctic landing that we miss.

A couple of people would have liked to stay amongst the pack ice. Lots of chances to see penguins, seals and other birds... for those with the patience to wait for hours on deck. For me, I'll be glad to stop circling.

Deb goes to a third (final?) talk on Mawson. I read, pace a bit, sleep. At dinner I sit at the end of the table, letting the conversation wash over me. I've reached my daily (possibly weekly) limit of dealing with people...

9pm: All hands on deck ! Hundreds of shearwaters feeding on the surface. And a few whales... I get the longer lens, stand on the rather chilly -- and exposed -- poop deck. There are more people on the lower front deck, but I'm not alone up top. Deb stands on the bridge. In the warmth.

There are whales, spouting in the distance ! I may have a photo of several spouts of mist, unless I missed. Then there are fins and bits of backs, closer. Fin and humpback whales, I'm told.

One humpback(?) does the dive and flip the tail in the air trick ! I manage to catch it in a photo. He does it a few times... More times than I need for photos, thanks :-)

Deb and I go back to our cabin. A humpback rests right outside our port window -- within range of the long lens -- and rolls, waving a fin at us ! I give up... get dressed again, get the long lens on the camera, get outside. Of course, he's gone by then.

All good fun, all very impressive :-) Just as well we left the pack ice.

Now (10:30pm) we're back on track, heading east. Open water all round.

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Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
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"Before your dreams can come true, you have to have those dreams" … Dr Joyce Brothers

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