Staggering, breathtaking, awe inspiring, unimaginably beautiful. Those words all apply, but don’t begin to describe the majesty of Paradise Bay in Antarctica. And I know it’s a cliche, but my photos don’t begin to do it justice. All I can say is that if you ever get the chance, come here.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me back up to when I last reported from the Serenade of the Seas, as we plowed through the Drake Passage on our way to Antarctica.
When we went to bed Thursday night the ship was still rocking and rolling, but Michele and I agreed that the worst seemed to be over. Sure enough, we woke up Friday to much calmer seas and occasional small chunks of ice floating by. The sky was gray and there was light fog, but as the morning went on it gradually dissipated, eliminating any concern that we might have to deal with reduced visibility when we reached Antarctica’s outer islands.
As we continued south the small chunks of ice were quickly replaced by icebergs, and around 9:30 am we neared one so impressive that the captain stopped the ship to allow us to get some great photographs. I don’t have a lot of experience with icebergs, but I’ve seen a lot of photos, and I can’t recall ever seeing one as fascinating as this one. It had five arches of increasing size, with the first four creating ice caves. The fifth one actually went completely through the iceberg and out the other side, and if you had a canoe you could have paddled through it. I got some nice photos, and posted a couple below.
Soon after, we started seeing snowy islands in the distance, our first sight of Antarctica. Even though they were pretty far away and nothing special to look at, it was nevertheless exciting because it brought home the reality that we really were sailing into the southern continent.
In short order we entered the Gerlache Strait, a channel between islands and the mainland, and we were getting much closer looks at the rugged coastlines, snowy and barren of any visible signs of life. There was plenty of life, though, in the water, and the captain began pointing out whale sightings with increasing frequency. We also saw many rafts of penguins swimming away from the ship, likely to get out of our way. A group of penguins in the water is called a raft. Bet you didn’t know that.
The scenery kept getting better and better, until we reached our destination, Paradise Bay, a little before 7:00 pm. This is the bucket list goal for visitors to Antarctica, and the moment you see it you understand why. When your ship stops, and ours did for at least an hour and a half, you are surrounded by views of such magnificence that you struggle to believe that it’s real. On all sides we were up close and personal with rugged, glaciated and snow covered mountains that drop directly into the sea.
As I mentioned earlier, this is the bucket list destination for Antarctic visitors, and summer (January is the equivalent of July in the northern hemisphere) is the only time Paradise Bay is accessible. So not surprisingly, a lot of cruise and expedition ships are visiting here now. We passed several on our way in and on our way back out, some from well known cruise lines and others that I’d never heard of.
Adding to the sensational views, there were several humpback whales in the bay, and it was fun to watch them surface and spray air and water out their blowholes. Everyone tried to photograph the whales, but the photos weren’t very good and didn’t show much because the whales weren’t breaching and weren’t that close to the ship.
However, for one brief moment that changed and I lucked into one of the best photos I’ve ever taken. I was on the helipad at the bow of the ship with a lot of other passengers, trying to get a decent photo of the whales, when one unexpectedly surfaced briefly right next to us on the starboard side. It happened so quickly and so unexpectedly that no one got a photo, but everyone rushed to the rail in hopes that the whale would surface there again. And here’s where luck and fate smiled on me. Along with one other gentleman I walked over to the other side of the helipad, on the off chance that the whale would swim under the ship and come up on the other side. Just when I was about to give up I heard a really loud whoosh, the distinctive sound of a whale’s blowhole, and there it was, directly at my feet. Without really aiming I started mashing the photo button on my iPhone, and got eleven shots before it dove out of sight.
As everyone on the helipad rushed over from the other side I stepped back, forced my heart back out of my throat, and looked to see what I got. As you can imagine, many of the eleven snaps weren’t great, but one, the one I really wanted, was wonderful. Check out my photo below and you’ll see why I think it’s one in a million.
While nothing can match the magnificence of Paradise Bay, the scenery for the next two hours as we worked our way back down the channel and out into more open water was amazing by any other standard. I’ve sailed through Alaska’s inside passage, and it’s beautiful, but this is more raw and more powerful, the stunning views more constant. As your ship wends its way through icebergs and untamed, snow covered mountains it’s hard to decide which side of the ship to be on to get the best views.
By 11:00, with still plenty of light in the sky, we were entering Schollaert Channel and Dalhan Bay, where the scenery is also supposed to be outstanding, but by this time Michele and I were too tired to stay with it any longer. I should mention that even in the dead of Antarctic summer it’s cold and raw down here. If you plan on coming someday, bring your winter clothes. I was wearing long underwear under my flannel lined jeans, two pairs of gloves a balaclava and earmuffs on a pretty nice day, if that gives you any idea. We were fine, but it does take something out of you after a long day, so we reluctantly abandoned the rail and headed back to our cabin for the night.
We’re not done with Antarctica, as we’re scheduled to visit Elephant Island on Saturday before heading to the Falklands. I’ll report back with another post in the next day or two to bring you up to date. Until then, adios from the southern ocean.
Incredible iceberg on our way to Paradise Bay. The captain made a full circle around it to give us a chance to admire it from every angle. A brave soul could actually kayak through the left hand arch. Amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it.
Closeup of the arch. Makes you wonder what forces of nature created such a marvel.
Of course we needed a selfie with the iceberg in the background. Almost forgot to mention that there was another good sized iceberg nearby.
Inside Paradise Bay. Can’t begin to describe how beautiful it was.
Turn around and this is the view. If I could post videos on the blog I’d show you a panoramic view of Paradise Bay. Wherever you look the view is spectacular.
Passengers admiring the view. That’s Michele in the middle in the bright yellow coat.
Michele and our friend Mary.
Shortly before we left we were joined by another cruise ship. Paradise Bay is a popular destination in the Antarctic summer.
One more photo of Michele. While you can dash in and out of the ship to warm up, you need to dress like this if you plan to spend any time on deck. And remember, this was a nice day.
Here it is, the photo I took of the whale directly under my feet. Lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. I’ve been sharing it with our fellow passengers. We saw a lot of whales, but I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who got a shot like this.
Thought this photo from the pool deck was fun. I think the view froze the swimmer.
The captain sent a zodiac out to photograph the ship and snag a small iceberg to bring back on board. I’ll show you a photo of me with the iceberg tomorrow.
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