Today it was all about ice, ice, ice. We sailed around it, we walked on it, we photographed it, we sat on it, some of us slipped on it, we took Zodiac rides through it, we kayaked amongst it, we even jumped into it, we put it into our drinks, and we loved it. Our morning at Neko Harbor gave us another continental landing and another chance to remember how much we love penguins. It started with early morning glimpses of humpback whales as we approached our destination. A languid Weddell seal watched us disgorge onto the beach and thread our way around the gentoos, upslope for spectacular views over the bay. Sunlight sparkled on the snow slopes all around and distant avalanches drew our attention and our cameras. Everyone felt relaxed and happy in the unusually good weather and pleasant sunshine.
The excellent conditions inspired an afternoon in paradise at Paradise Bay, just around the corner. Flat, calm water at last allowed us our long-awaited moment to deploy the kayaks and take to our paddles, and there was so much to look at. A colony of Antarctic cormorants nested on the cliffs just above the water. The chicks were now big and ready to take to the water under a watchful parental eye, skeltering down the cliff and plopping into the sea with apparent delight. Amazing rock formations included great streaks of blue-green copper, and the nutrient-rich environment supported lush moss and lichen. Icebergs filled the bay, calved off from the huge glaciers debouching into Paradise Harbor, making fantastical shapes and beautiful colors and reflections. Great ice faces encircled the bay, but here and there were flat-topped ice floes which made ideal floating mattresses for resting crabeater seals, and we got some wonderful views and photographs of these obliging animals.
Back on board, it was time to celebrate a wonderful day with the Polar Plunge, and many hardy souls amongst us lined up to throw themselves into the frigid, ice-strewn water, the ultimate experience for travelers to Antarctica. But more excitement awaited us afterwards because, as we pulled out of the bay, a pod of about 20 killer whales (type B2) swam ahead of the ship, and gave us a dramatic finale to a fantastic day.
