Lemaire Channel, Antarctica......................

January 26, 2013 - Lemaire Channel, Antarctica Peninsula
Good visibility, overcast
Wind: S 2; Sea: smooth; Air Temp: 7C (44F)

The Antarctic dawn.

Antarctica at the crack of dawn. 
Full of stunning beauty......
cold and clear......
mountains and icebergs......
silver and gold.

Ahead, the opening through the 7 mile long Lemaire Channel 

which separates Booth Island from the Antarctic continent's mainland. 

Renowned for spectacular scenery with near-vertical peaks 

rising close on both sides, including Wandel Peak which 

reaches 3,215 feet. 

First navigated in 1874 by the German whaler and sealer Eduard Dallmann, but named by Belgian Adrien de Gerlache in 1898 in honor of Charles Lemaire, Belgium's famed African explorer. At its narrowest, the channel is less than 800 metres (0.5 miles) wide, with towering peaks overhead. The channel is often full of icebergs and sea ice which makes maneuvering difficult. Fortunately sailing conditions for ship cruising were good on this day with flat mirror-like water.............

..............and brought just about every passenger up on deck by 6 AM to view such stunning scenery, and encourage our captain as he slowly navigated what was a narrow passage for our large ship. These views obviously are not accessible to folk who travel to Antarctica on huge cruise ships.

Several humpback whales came up to the ship - one pair 
was a mother and calf.......

pic via Paula

It was very cold that day - extra hats and gloves required 
if staying out on deck for any length of time.

.......Crabeater and Leopard seals were visible 

where they had hauled out onto ice floes.

We slowly made our way through, very close to 

the mountains lining the channel...........

......with great opportunities to get good shots with 

amazing reflections in the flat water......

...........including plenty of blue icebergs 

drifting silently by.

We were surprised by a sailboat - I counted ten passengers on deck.

 I wouldn't enjoy a cruise to Antarctica on a large cruise 

ship with no chance to go ashore, but.........

........I'm thinking that sailing all that way south 

through often rough seas, and so far from anywhere 

inhabited for much of the voyage, that this sailboat 

would not be in the cards either!

They looked like they were having a good time though, waved 

and sailed on..........

........and I did see a small Zodiac boat on the deck which 

could be utilized for wet landings.........

...........on through the sea ice, I did think them 

extremely brave to be adventuring that way in 

such a remote part of the planet. 

Leaving this incredible rock and ice scenery, we too sailed 

on, passing these icebergs, heading for Petermann Island.

A morning Zodiac cruise, followed by a shore landing on 

Petermann Island scheduled for the afternoon - 

an incredible, very busy time had by all.  

More on this soon, and thanks for taking such an interest

in my Antarctic tale.