The Neumayer Channel is about 16 miles long in a NE-SW direction and about 1.5 miles wide. Because of it’s inverted “S” shape, it is said to be like a maze with no apparent way out. Both the entrance and exit have sharp bends, so it’s probably good that Captain Dennis has been here before!
Another early day as we passed through the channel at sunrise. This shot was taken at 4:24 a.m.
After our early start, we took to the zodiacs for a landing at the Argentine station Almirante Brown. A short hike up the hill behind the station gave great vistas of this whole bay area.
This view was taken with a 16mm fisheye lens and gives a 180 degree field of view …. although somewhat distorted. It gives you an idea of how vast everything is down there!
The real treat was getting back into the zodiacs and cruising Paradise Bay, named such by the whalers because of its protected anchorage. The views of the Petzval Glacier in Skontorp cove are stunning.
And sometimes while you’re focusing on all that splendor in front of you, it’s good to look behind every once in a while ……
…. you just might see something pretty spectacular there too!
Some thoughts on perspective!
I couldn’t let this go, so while still is Paradise Bay I thought I’d add this.
This image is a large crop from the one three above showing the two ice caves. Trying to give an idea of just how huge this glacier front is, look in the lower right of the above image. Be sure to click on it to make it bigger. That’s a zodiac with 10 people on board! Now go back to the original image above to see that perspective. It’s just amazing, makes you feel really small. Another footnote, while cruising around here, we kept hearing the glacier calving inside those caves. Never could see it but it made the most incredible echo.
The days travels, courtesy Antarctica XXI and Google Earth!