This morning we awoke to find an ethereal Antarctic day outside our cabin windows, with low clouds and a light snow falling on the surrounding sea. After a hearty breakfast we arrived at our morning destination of Neko Harbour and immediately the weather began to improve. We could finally see the spectacular mountains and glaciers that surrounded us on all sides in this picturesque location.
We quickly donned our winter attire and Captain Martin parked the ship right on the beach for an easy Zodiac transfer to shore. Once ashore we hiked up to the top of a ridge, followed inquisitively by many gentoo penguins to acquire an astonishing view of the surrounding harbor just as the sun begun to shine through the thick clouds.
As we began our descent we found there was a much easier way down the mountain: on our bums! Screams of joy could be heard across the harbor as many of us choose the easy way down and slid on the soft snow all the way back down to the shore.
After another delicious lunch from Executive Chef Lothar and his amazing galley team we arrived outside our afternoon destination of Antarctic Base A at Port Lockroy. We went ashore to do some shopping at the best gift shop in Antarctica and also look at the historic museum and its extensive collection of historic artifacts. With our shopping bags full and our dose of retail therapy complete we boarded the Zodiacs one last time for our transfer back to the ship as the Antarctic sun slowly slipped behind the surrounding mountains.
What an exciting time in Antarctica we have had so far. We can’t wait for what surprises lay in store for us tomorrow on this great white continent.
