Danco and Enterprise Island

14th January 2009

Last night we dropped the Palmer Station people off at their station, waved good bye and began our journey north to Danco Island. Danco is known to have a Gentoo colony.

This morning after breakfast, I had a choice between going ashore at Danco or kayaking the waters. I picked kayaking and what a good choice. The water was so clear I could see the bottom in the shallow ends. I was surrounded by ice bergs. As I paddled up to one I heard a crack and the next thing I know a part of the ice berg had broken off which made the ice berg unstable so the entire structure flipped itself in the water. Luckily I obeyed the rule of staying 2 X the height of the ice berg away. If I had been under it the break would have made my kayak flip with me it. A little scary but since I was safe I was able to appreciate it.

Almost immediately after that I heard a loud noise which sounded like thunder, it was the glacier calving, breaking off. It continue to happen for the hour and a half I was outside. Because the temperature is above freezing, the ice bergs and glaciers are constantly changing. I find these structures to be beautiful! The blue colors that shine in them is like no other blue. A guide told me that the blue on the glaciers show when chunks have been broken off.

***why is some of the ice blue and not white?***

Not only did I get to enjoy the ice bergs and glaciers in my kayak but penguins as well. They were swimming all around my feeding. With the clear water I could see them "fly" underwater. So, graceful in water and so clown like out of it. They did not seem to mind my presence so I just would sit there and watch them dive, swim and porpoise. It was a wonderful experience.

Once everyone returned to the boat the captain set the course to enterprise island. There was not a good spot to land on Enterprise so we went on an hour zodiac cruise. Here we got a glimpse of the old whaling boat Guvernoren which was burned in 1913 and now rest in the Sven Foyn Harbor. As we traveled around the wreck there was a sail boat that was corned in by ice bergs. So, one of our zodiacs helped push the ice berg out so the sail boat could move on.

On the open faced cliffs and the boat were nesting Antarctic terns. These birds look almost identical to Arctic terns, but these do not migrate from one pole to the next. There also was a colony of Blue Eyed Shags. But, te highlight was the ice bergs. I have had such a hard time taking pictures of the bergs. I just cannot capture the blue in the ice-it is like no other color I have ever seen.

After an hour of cruising around and taking photos we met up with a zodiac carrying hot chocolate and schnapps-yum that warmed us up right away.

Tomorrow is our last day for exploring. On Friday we will start our journey back cross the Drake Passage. The last weather report said 45 foot swells, so let's hope that changes:) In the morning we are going to Port Lockroy where a historic restored British station is manned by the Antarctic Heritage Trust. I will be able to mail my postcards from there since it has the only post office in Antarctica.

It is 10pm and I just got back from the deck where the views are breathtaking. It has been cloudy and rainy last couple of days but the sun has broke and is reflecting on the water, ice bergs and glaciers. And to top it off three Humpback whales had decided to put a show on for us. I am going to miss this place. the solitude and pure silence is something I have never experienced before and will certainly be hard to find again.