Our wake-up call came just in time to pull on a coat, head up on deck, and enjoy the scenery of Errera Chanel. We had a few minutes to squeeze in breakfast before getting our gear on to head ashore at Neko Harbour.
The conditions this morning altered between low cloud, sun, and light snow, which made for gorgeous light on Neko’s glaciers. We stepped onto the beach amidst a few gentoo penguins and made our way towards the colony. The chicks here are not quite big enough to be left on their own, but some are getting close. The healthiest ones have fat bellies, yet they still call out for food every chance they get.
The penguins are always fun to watch, but it was the lookout hike, and the trip back down, that became the highlight for many of us. By following a ridge, we could hike to a rock outcrop and overlook the main glacier. Cracks of glacial thunder punctuated the silence every hour or so: each avalanche drew oohs and aahs from the crowd. The crevasses revealed that unique glacial blue which seems to glow from within, and serracs leaned every which way. We stood up high with skuas overhead, surveying it all.
Most of us walked down the way we climbed up, but there were a few brave souls who took the quick exit route: sliding! One after another, we lay on our backs and slid down a chute of snow back to the main trail.
After lunch we got the great news that we would head for the Antarctic Circle. That gave us the afternoon to cruise and listen to presentations about both penguins and Shackleton. We also enjoyed a jaw dropping transit through the Lemaire Channel mid-afternoon.
When we wake tomorrow, the world will be even icier, and we plan to be below that famous line: 66.33 degrees south.
