Antarctica - Beautiful Neko Harbour & Cuverville Island

While we were on the trip, we celebrated Andy's birthday. My brother-in-law, Andy and my sister, Marcia were with us on our trip.  Marcia and Andy live in Fort Wayne, IN, so we don't see them as often as we would like. We had a great time together and can't wait for the next trip we can enjoy together.

 

Neko Harbour is beautiful. The morning we landed, there was no wind and the reflection of the mountains and glaciers on the water was incredible.

 Chris, one of the biologists is a former accountant who turned his avocation of photography into a vocation. He spends every winter (summer in Antarctica) as a guide in Antarctica. As you can see, Marcia has a fancy plastic Ziploc bag over her camera.

Jim with his red hat and Andy with his green safari hat are receiving instruction along with the others in the Zodiac. Iggy is the guide in yellow and he is explaining what they should see and where to go....and not go.

 

This male Gentoo doesn't know the mating season is over.

The glacier, which is about to calve,  is in the background below. The glacier is taller than the sailboat! Movement of glaciers in the Transantarctic Mountains have been measured in the range of 2 to 6 feet of movement per day.  The crevasses vary in color, but are often a brilliant blue. As with water, the color is caused by the absorption of both red and yellow light.  This leaves light at the blue end of the visible light spectrum. From the surface, snow and ice appear uniformly white. This is because almost all of the visible light, striking the snow or ice surface is reflected back.  Ice or snow layers act as a filter.  If it is thin, all the light makes it through.  If the snow or ice is thicker, mostly blue light makes it through.

After seeing this sailboat, Jim knows what his next trip should be.Bea