We have passed into the Antarctic Circle – 65 degrees latitude – the furthest south I have ever been. I celebrated this auspicious occasion with champagne up on Deck 6, with Scott D, and with Alla and Scott S! A special moment indeed watching the first icebergs float past as we toast them with bubbles.
For the first time in years, the ice shelf guarding the entrance to the Ross Sea is (temporarily) gone, and we have the best opportunity to make several landings which normally would be impossible – Cape Adare, Cape Royds, and others along the coast, following a schedule which is entirely flexible and we won’t know what we can do or when we can do it until almost the last minute! We know we will be visiting Davis Station (the NZ station), hopefully McMurdo itself (we have to drive through it to get to Scott Station), Scott’s Hut, Shackleton’s Hut, but when and which order is still to be determined.
I am looking forward to seeing my first ever colony of Emperor penguins, although after Lloyd Davis’ lecture today, I will be looking at them from a different point of view! Whoever would have thought penguins were such sexual deviants!!
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