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Antarctica ©2008– by J. David Levy

Edited by James Morrissey

Another Gentoo takes the plunge for a swim. © 2008 J. David Levy

Our ship, which carried 110 passengers, was a medium sized ship but small enough to get to many places that the huge cruise lines that carry hundreds of passengers just cannot get to. We had been very careful to find the right sized ship, one that had two off-ship cruises/landing a day and that could also handle the debarking and boarding process quickly and efficiently. We did see several private yachts in these waters, too. One of them, in the “graveyard” gives a little perspective as to the size of these icebergs.

© 2008 J. David Levy

The incredible blue color of the bergs is a result of the compression of the ice as part of the massive glaciers that cover the continent. They can run several miles thick, and when a “small” piece of the glacier calves off from the shore into the sea to form an iceberg, that compressed ice retains the color characteristic of absorbing all but the blue light waves.

Just beautiful, eh? © 2008 J. David Levy © 2008 J. David Levy

That evening, after a BBQ dinner on the stern deck (yep, it was that warm – OK we wore our coats) we sailed through the Lemaire Channel, a narrow strip of water between two massive, mountainous island chains.

The Lemaire Channel. © 2008 J. David Levy © 2008 J. David Levy

Lemaire Channel reflection. About 10:30 pm. © 2008 J. David Levy

The next morning we awoke in Paradise Harbour and explored the area by Zodiac and also landed on the continent at an Argentinean research station. During our cruise around the bay we got a chance to see Minke whales close up and to motor right to the edge of a glacier (well, close enough to get some good photos but not close enough to be swamped if the glacier calved – which it did not).

Paradise Harbour. © 2008 J. David Levy

A Minke Whale dives right in front of us! © 2008 J. David Levy

Glacial reflection. © 2008 J. David Levy

The next morning we sailed into Neko harbour and, after landing on the nearby shore, climbed up a slope to get a truly magnificent view of the Neko glacier. This was one of the most breathtaking views of the trip. Later that day, after returning from our afternoon cruise we were treated to a frolicking display by two Humpback whales swimming just in front of the ship.

Morning glory. Another gorgeous day. © 2008 J. David Levy

Neko glacier. © 2008 J. David Levy

Humpback fluke. © 2008 J. David Levy

On our next to last day we had two more wonderful Zodiac cruises that were filled mostly with incredible landscapes, and, on that day, some of the most wonderful cloud formations seen on the whole trip.

Glacier “pours” into Wilhelmina Bay. © 2008 J. David Levy

Clouds, mountains and snow.© 2008 J. David Levy

Iceberg off Enterprise Island. © 2008 J. David Levy

On our final day before sailing north, back to Argentina through the Drake Passage, we visited the South Shetland Islands. Our first stop was in Whalers Bay, a protected inlet of Deception Island. Next we sailed to Half Moon Island and our final encounter with our friends, the penguins. Half Moon Island is home to thousands of Chinstrap penguins and one lonely (probably lost) Macaroni penguin. A wonderful end to our cruise.

Whalers Bay, Deception Island. © 2008 J. David Levy

Chinstrap penguins with their chicks. Half Moon Island. © 2008 J. David Levy

Macaroni penguin. Half Moon Island. © 2008 J. David Levy

Fur seal and friend. Half Moon Island. © 2008 J. David Levy

In this final image we asked the question: “So, who is watching who?”

Tourists. Half Moon Island. © 2008 J. David Levy

In all we had a great time on this trip. We were lucky enough to have had the best weather of the season. Six of our seven days were in bright sunlight, a very rare occurrence (we were told). The crew, staff and fellow passengers were all a delight to be with. And the landscape was just beyond belief. I have been lucky enough to see some really cool places (no pun intended). Antarctica ranks among the greatest due to its grandeur and uniqueness. And the wildlife is wonderful.

I have created a book on our adventure using the Blurb software and publishing site.

You can find it at: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/190904

Please feel free to email me with any questions.

If you would like to learn more about J. David Levy, you can visit his website at www.jdavidlevy.com

If you have a story about your own photographic journeys and would like to share please contact us.