Land Ho!

Since booking my trip almost 11 months, my time of stepping foot in Antarctica has come today. While we all were anxious to walk on actual land, our first exursion off the ship was a zodiac tour of the Melchior Islands. The weather resembled an average Seattle winter day. Grey and drizzle. I felt like I was home.

On the tour, our driver drove us in the nimble zodiacs for nearly an hour around the waters that surrounded the ship. The boat tours were a good way to see the area -- icebergs were abundant, birds in flight, and seals were lounging about. We saw our first penguins (chinstraps) and seal. (The seal lounged in the center of a bowl shaped iceberg, as a person would lie in their own backyard pool.)

During this time, we also came into close proximity with the magical colorings of blue ice. They seemed to radiate coolness, as if the typical clear translucence of icewas not chilling enough. I wish I could tell you why they're blue, but I don't have an answer for you right now. The geologist on board gave an explanation, something having to do with blue-eyed ice worms. I think it was the twinkle in his eyes, because I don't put much stock into his answer. ;-)

After taking our morning cruise, we returned to the ship for lunch and to prepare for our first landing. The touchdown was on Danco Island where we saw our first penguin rookery. There are 17 species of penguins in the world, and a high majority live in the southern ocean. Specifically on Danco Island, the Gentoo variety has taken residence upon the rocks. (On this trip we only saw 3 types. But of the 3 we must have seen hundeds, if not thousands of the little flightless birds.)

Watching penguins is both hypnotic and humorous. In water, they fly through the water like tuxedoed torpedos. On land, however, the pipsqueaks waddle, hop, belly slide, faceplant, and do whaterver they can to get from point to point. It's a combination of grace and clumsiness mixed up in a black and white package.

If you're reading this blog, you will see many photographs of penguins, However, one aspect that I cannot convey in my posts is the assault on the senses when visiting a penguin rookery. Aside from the multitude of birds themselves, the snowy scene is painted pink with guano, brown from mud, and/or lime green algea. (When I say painted, I really mean COVERED.) Pardon my language, but the definition of rookery is a really large, muddy sh*t hole. Seriously. The smell of the poo can be smothering, and the screeching and trumpting of the penguin calls shatters what would be an otherwise peaceful scene. Nonetheless, as a visitor, you accept all of it, understanding that it is a integral part of the Antarctic landscape.

So there you have it. My first impressions of Antarctica. It was a fantastic introduction to the great, white, south, and I am looking forward to what the next three day holds.