Icebergs, Ice Fields and Mountains – Antarctica Entry 6 by Cindy Goeddel
Cindy arrives at Neko Harbour, Antarctica on an epic photography expedition. Follow as she shares her experiences of seeing the immense, overwhelming and almost unbelievable landscape of Antarctica.
Awaking this morning we were confronted with huge icebergs, ice fields and craggy mountains ~ an immense, overwhelming and almost unbelievable landscape. Blue skies and calm winds combined for the best conditions we could have hoped for in Antarctica, but it is still early in the season so there was too much ice for the zodiacs to maneuver through. However, the ship is capable of idling in place while breaking up the ice. Once a path was made, we wove our way to the ice field and onto the Antarctica Continent at Neko Harbour.
Neko Harbour is named after the whale factory ship Neko, which operated along the Antarctic Peninsula in the first quarter of the 20th Century. It is home to Gentoo Penguins, skuas, Snowy Sheathbills and Kelp Gulls. Near the landing site there is an active glacier. We were greeted by Gentoo Penguins, with a calving glacier as a spectacular background. Spring is definitely in the air as Brown Skuas and Gentoo’s are breeding. I also saw my first Snowy and Antarctic Petrels.
From Neko Harbour, we travel through the Errera Channel to Orne Harbour, home to roughly 3,000 pairs of Chinstrap Penguins and few Antarctic Shag.