The first sighting of Antarctica was at the end of the second day after we came out of the Drake Passage. We had made good time on the passage. The expedition leader and the captain decided to push as far south as possible coming out of the Drake taking advantage of the weather and the currents. So our first view of Antarctica was likely near the Yalour Islands.
It was exciting to see Antarctica for the first time so I could be forgiven for devoting an entire post to it. We also had our first sighting of humpbacks between the ship and land. We were so excited we couldn't sleep and when we looked out the cabin window and saw the very late sunset (close to midnight), we put on our gears again and went back up on deck.
At first it looked like just a snow-covered plateau with huge icebergs around. Then the landscape became more interesting with some mountain peaks. And as the sun went down, the light became more intense and the clouds more dramatic. It was hard to put down our cameras.
We were lucky to be up and see this spectacle because it was hard to stay up again in the days that followed with the expedition rhythm in full force. Since we would just be in Antarctica for 4 days, the expedition had to pack everything in - so it's zodiac landings or zodiac cruises twice a day. By the end of the day, we were quite exhausted so were quite glad the skies were not clear enough most days for any more spectacular sunsets.
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| Snow-covered plateau |
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Light started to change |
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| The reflected light on the clouds created a whirlpool effect. What a great way to celebrate the arrival at this southern continent! |
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