The Edge Of The Antarctic Ice Pack | Ross Sea, Antarctica

Tuesday to Thursday, 5-7 December 2023
Day 13-15 of 110ish

On 5 December, we found the edge of the Antarctic ice pack. Oooooo my was that exciting!

The cameras came out and soon we were spotting seals, penguins, and icebergs. The wheelhouse boys were also seeing whales. I saw one spout at a distance…so that’s still on my list to see one closer than that. 

Fishing Vessel Or Cruise Ship

These were some of my favourite days. Everyone was hanging out and getting excited about the ice and the animals. Stories were being told and it was very lively.

I’m getting very excited for East Antarctica too. Sounds like that’s going to be more whales and huge icebergs where the Ross Sea is more of these ice pads and the occasional berg and lots of penguins to entertain us. 

The first ice we encountered is called ‘First Year Ice’. It’s young and thin…fragile. As we push deeper, you can see the ice thicken. There are patches where the ice pads are huge and, if the ice is thicker, we can’t break through.

So the guys on the bridge are busy all day (there’s no night to speak of) picking our way through the ice pads. They say that you can see where the ice is by looking at the sky. If the sky is dark, that’s water. If the sky is white, that’s ice. Who knew? Fisherman I guess.

The Future Is Bright

It was incredible how bright the ice was. We had a couple bluebird days and it was blinding. We were wearing our shades just to cook meals. How cool is that?!?! It was also cool that the ice pads on the water means there’s no fetch, no wind waves, and no swell. It’s like fishing in a lake! This is REALLY pleasant!

Oh and the further south we get, the longer the days have gotten…rapidly. In fact, the sun just dips in the horizon and pops right back out. So the blackout curtain is a godsend but the cracks around the edges leave much to be desired and let heaps of light in anyway.

Getting To Know The Locals

We were all marveling at the penguins and being thoroughly entertained by their inquisitive nature. We got to see both Adelie and Emperor penguins. The size difference between the two was significant. The Adelie penguins, seemingly quite social, move around in groups and love to come up to the boat and give it a good inspection. The Emperors, seeming solitary creatures, fancy keeping their distance but still come close for a peek. 

One day I googled the Adélie penguin and had a giggle! This historic explorer put it perfectly. These creatures have a ‘pig headed disregard for their own safety’. Hilarious! And it seems to be absolutely true! They seem fearless to a fault unless you’re a seal!

Wikipedia – Adelie Penguin

But these halcyon days were short lived. Though the ice pack was still thick and we couldn’t fish, Tangi, the skipper,  put the crew on shifts. Gutting!