Antarctica Galleries

Professor Molchanov : The Professor Molchanov is an old Soviet research / spy boat (depends on who you ask). It's now used for tourist expeditions. This trip was with Quark, with only 33 passengers, and it was beyond wonderful. This gallery has photos of the Professor in some of her different moods.

Professor Molchanov

The Professor Molchanov is an old Soviet research / spy boat (depends ...

Updated: Feb 02, 2006 7:27pm PST

Drake Passage - Birds : Drake Passage, from Argentina to the Antarctic Peninsula, took two days each way. I was sick the first day of each passage, but I took a lot of bird photos on my non-sick day. It's hard to get a scale, but many of these birds are immense - sometimes 2m and larger.

Drake Passage - Birds

Drake Passage, from Argentina to the Antarctic Peninsula, took two day ...

Updated: Feb 02, 2006 12:01pm PST

Drake Passage - Humpback Whales : Our first whale encounter was in the Drake Passage, with a few humpbacks.

Drake Passage - Humpback Whales

Our first whale encounter was in the Drake Passage, with a few humpbac ...

Updated: Feb 02, 2006 12:13pm PST

Half Moon Island : Our first Antarctic landfall. Some penguins, and we did our first kayak trip there.

Half Moon Island

Our first Antarctic landfall. Some penguins, and we did our first kay ...

Updated: Feb 03, 2006 7:38am PST

Deception Island - Bailey Head : Bailey Head is a HUGE chinstrap penguin rookery, with >100,000 nesting pairs. It's very unusual for Antarctica, because there's a lot of clear land, with not so much ice, so the penguins take advantage of it. It's also unusual to land there, because it's a very difficult landing in all but the calmest weather. We got very lucky.

Deception Island - Bailey Head

Bailey Head is a HUGE chinstrap penguin rookery, with >100,000 nesting ...

Updated: Feb 02, 2006 2:41pm PST

Deception Island - Whaler's Bay : Whaler's Bay is an old whaling station. Catch boats would bring whales here for "processing." Apparently they processed about 200,000. We're definitely not talking about "Moby Dick" - this was a factory. We kayaked in the shallow bay, and the water was so clear that we could see the entire bottom of the bay covered with whale bones. It's very eerie.

Deception Island - Whaler's Bay

Whaler's Bay is an old whaling station. Catch boats would bring whale ...

Updated: Feb 02, 2006 2:55pm PST

Cuverville Island Kayaking : Kayaking among icebergs, on a beautiful, sunny day.

Cuverville Island Kayaking

Kayaking among icebergs, on a beautiful, sunny day.

Updated: Feb 03, 2006 1:32pm PST

Paradise Bay - Petzval Glacier : We cruised Paradise Bay by Zodiac, on a serene, bright, sunny day. The water was often glassy. There would be many levels juxtaposed - the sky, the icebergs, ice floating on the water, the reflections of the bergs, and the bottom of the bergs through the crystal water. I was VERY glad to have a 10mm. lens.

Paradise Bay - Petzval Glacier

We cruised Paradise Bay by Zodiac, on a serene, bright, sunny day. Th ...

Updated: Feb 03, 2006 5:27pm PST

Paradise Bay - Almirante Brown : We took a Zodiac ride and saw these very cool blue-eyed shags. Some folks enjoyed sliding down a mountain. There were a couple of Swiss along, who yodeled. A few of us camped for a night here. The boat left, so we felt all alone. Of course, it was night in name only - it never got dark because this spot is very close to the Antarctic Circle.

Paradise Bay - Almirante Brown

We took a Zodiac ride and saw these very cool blue-eyed shags. Some f ...

Updated: Feb 02, 2006 4:12pm PST

Lemaire Channel : This channel is famously scenic, but it was very foggy. At first, I was dissapointed, but really the light was very beautiful. Almost monochromatic, but with the glowing blue in the bottome of the floating bergs.

Lemaire Channel

This channel is famously scenic, but it was very foggy. At first, I w ...

Updated: Feb 02, 2006 4:19pm PST

Petermann Island Kayaking : Kayaking in the snow, among fanciful icebergs. As you can see, the light is like nothing I'd ever seen before.

Petermann Island Kayaking

Kayaking in the snow, among fanciful icebergs. As you can see, the li ...

Updated: Feb 02, 2006 7:33pm PST

Pleneau Bay : We were out in a Zodiac to look at icebergs, but two curious and playful minke whales became the high point of the trip. They wanted to play with us, and hung around our Zodiac for about 30 minutes. They were close enough to reach out and touch. What a magical experience!

Pleneau Bay

We were out in a Zodiac to look at icebergs, but two curious and playf ...

Updated: Feb 02, 2006 8:00pm PST

Jugla Point : Walking around a penguin rookery in the snow.

Jugla Point

Walking around a penguin rookery in the snow.

Updated: Feb 02, 2006 8:07pm PST

Neko Harbor Kayaking : Kayaking in the snow, through pack ice and icebergs. So quiet that we could hear the snow fall, except for the distant thunder when an iceberg would calve off of the glacier. I felt like a truly aquatic creature, in a timeless world. I wanna go back and do it again!

Neko Harbor Kayaking

Kayaking in the snow, through pack ice and icebergs. So quiet that we ...

Updated: Feb 02, 2006 8:50pm PST

Errera Channel : As the snow gave way to sun, the light danced on the ice and sea.

Errera Channel

As the snow gave way to sun, the light danced on the ice and sea.

Updated: Feb 02, 2006 8:27pm PST

OCSC-Antarctica : High quality prints of all these images can be purchased, with the proceeds being donated to Call of the Sea (callofthesea.org). For details, contact Marianne Orstad, info@callofthesea.org.

OCSC-Antarctica

High quality prints of all these images can be purchased, with the pro ...

Updated: Jun 08, 2006 11:26am PST

Melchior Islands : Magnificent humpback whales. They were indifferent towards us, allowing us to get as close as we liked but moving around fairly quickly. When they sound, they lift their tail fluke in the air.

Melchior Islands

Magnificent humpback whales. They were indifferent towards us, allowi ...

Updated: Feb 02, 2006 9:11pm PST

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