It is hard to find words to describe today; it was one of those days that will be burned into our hearts and souls forever. Shortly after breakfast, National Geographic Resolution crossed the Antarctic Circle! We cheered, toasted with champagne, blew the ship’s horn and marveled at the large tabular icebergs surrounding us. What a wild, wild place. As we continued to sail south, we encountered vast amounts of ice: tabular icebergs, bright blue glacial icebergs, brash ice and large floes. National Geographic Resolution showed her capabilities as we weaved and carved through the ice like butter.
Our final destination for the evening was Lallemand Fjord, and we were lucky enough to find fast ice! Fast ice is essentially frozen ocean that waxes and wanes seasonally with the changing temperatures. We didn’t know if we would find any this late into the austral summer, but our push to come this far south proved fruitful. Under the direction of Captain Martin and his expert bridge team, we pulled the ship onto the ice, dropped the gangway, and spent the afternoon walking on the frozen Southern Ocean. As clouds began to lift and the sun poked through, we could see the entirety of the stunning fjord surrounding us.
We spent the afternoon observing Weddell seals and taking in the spectacular sights with friends. We even had an engagement AND a wedding! Congrats to both happy couples! We celebrated with live music and a reception. We knew we would dream of this day forever. As we pulled out of the fast ice and headed north, the Antarctic sky bid us adieu with one of the most spectacular sunsets I have ever seen.
