Hope Bay, Antarctic Peninsula, January 12, 2013

It is late in the morning and we are headed to Hope Bay on the Antarctic Peninsula finally!  Landfall is anticipated shortly (around 11am).  Many of the passengers are up on the bridge scanning the bergs for Emperor Penguins. 

Scanning for penguins.

A sign-up sheet was posted and the person correctly guessing the time of the first viewing wins a prize. It turned out that, unfortunately, we never did get to see an Emperor Penguin. These are the tallest of the penguins and heaviest of the penguins at nearly 4 feet and up to 90 pounds. Contrast that with their near cousins the King Penguins which are about 3 feet high and only about 40 pounds.

The ship is headed through a maze of icebergs and ice chunks.  Some of them are beautiful with aquamarine coloring and interesting shapes.

Icebergs. The staining on the one to the
 lower left is probably algae. 

Close-up of berg with icicles hanging from it. 

Ho, hum. Another glacier descending to the sea!

We have finally reached an anchorage near the Argentine base and I am taking this opportunity to get a few photos of the stunning landscape. The dark rocks contrasted against the white snow and white-blue of the glaciers is stunning. Pictures don't do it justice.

On the beach at Hope Bay.

Just returned from my first visit to the mainland of the Antarctic Continent.  Visited two sites near the Argentine base (Esperanza). The exposed rocks are Triassic-age turbidites.  However, on the beach I found some Jurassic- to Cretaceous-age terrestrial and volcanic rocks.  These were carried to the shoreline by the glaciers that overrode these rocks miles away. I did get a couple of samples…shh! We are not supposed to remove rocks from the continent. As a geologist how am I supposed to go to Antarctica and not come back with a rock or two?

During my hike across the exposed rocky beach I noticed some amazing jellyfish and other life in the tide pools. There were copepods (small crustaceans), worms, jellyfish, and algae.

Also on view in Hope Bay was a colony of Adelie Penguins.  The colony numbered in excess of 50,000 and stretched for nearly ½ mile in a band a couple of hundred yards wide. They clambered about on "Penguin Highways" or paths worn smooth in the snow by their marching feet.

Note the penguins on the top of the hill, too.

A grounded berg showing the amazing shapes they get
as they weather and erode at sea.

The Adelies were comical to watch as they marched single file across the snowfields to get to a place where they could access the beach.  I was able to get some video. Unfortunately, Google is not letting me upload the file.

The Adelies are so unafraid of us.  I stood still at one point and they got within inches of me.

Later we cruised along the peninsula and were treated to an incredibly stunning sunset. Of course, being so far south it went on and on for hours. One of the Russian crew on the ship thought it was the most beautiful she had ever seen. I would definitely rate it in my top ten. Of course, no photo could do it justice but here are a couple that show some of the highlights.

Sun setting over the Antarctic Peninsula.

Penguins on a berg in the foreground.