Through the Lemaire we go…or not…or go…

The day we passed through Lemaire Channel & the French Passage was one of ups and downs. The weather, often unpredictable in Antarctica, had reached conditions the previous night that made passing through both areas only a dream. High winds had affected our route and had also pushed ice into a crowded and likely impassable choke in the narrow strait that has always been a quintessential part of traveling by ship in Antarctica.  Additionally, we would be missing out on our stop at the Vernadsky Research Base where we had hoped to have our passports stamped after sharing a drink with the Ukrainians at their station bar.  While we never made it to the station, we did manage to make it through Lemaire and through the French Passage.  Throughout the day we heard yes and no about three different times and finally we got the official word that we would be making our passage at dusk. As we cruised the Lemaire we were told we would not be passing all the way through due to ice, but the captain pushed ahead and through the ice. The original itinerary said we would pass at sunrise, and this delay resulted in one of the most amazing afternoons I've ever experienced in my life.  I chose a few photos to illustrate part one of this amazing afternoon, our journey through the Lemaire Channel.

The Lemaire Channel was filled with icebergs floating in glassy water and was flanked by mountains & glaciers covered in pure white snow.  This is a real picture and I'm proud to say that I took it with my small but mighty Olympus T2 (may it rest in peace with the whales!).  There is no filter other than the 'enhance' function in iPhoto.   That is in fact a seal on the smaller iceberg in the lower left quadrant of the photo!

By the time we reached Lemaire, most passengers' sea sickness had passed and our moods and willingness to interact improved.  As we cruised by Lemaire we were greeted by several whales, propusing penguins and a couple seals.  Suddenly the skies began to clear, making way for a beautiful and sometimes fuzzy dusk.

Another photo that I took as we continued through Lemaire.  Snow-capped glaciers, mountains, and glassy reflective water was filled with wildlife.

As the sun moved across the sky and the clouds cleared away, the colors around us changed.  Blue ice deepened in color and the skies slowly took on a mellow orangey glow that was reflected in the water and in the snowcaps.

Our first of many whales spotted; they seemed to playfully circle the ship during our passage through Lemaire.  I'll share some of the other passengers' amazing photos of whales in a later post.

As we squeezed through the channel filled with stunning blue ice and wildlife, we had no idea what would await us on the other side.  I mean, how could it get any more amazing than this?