23 Jan 2023

The Monumental Majesty of the Ross Ice Shelf

Today we arrived at the legendary, but seldom-visited, Ross Ice Shelf.

Soon after arriving we encountered a pod of Orca travelling along the ice cliffs. At the same time, a break in the clouds offered a stunning view of the glaciated summit of Mount Terror, one of the volcanoes on nearby Ross Island.

Strong winds from the ice shelf were responsible for clearing the immediate area of sea ice, allowing Heritage Adventurer to sail dwarfed alongside the indomitable walls of ice.

Later, as we cruised along the icy coast of Ross Island, we encountered a variety of wildlife on ice floes including Emperor Penguins and Leopard Seals.

We also enjoyed an excellent view of the Adélie Penguin colony at Cape Crozier, one of the largest in Antarctica, from the many observations areas and refined comfort of our trusty expedition vessel.

Later, the blistering winds and subzero temperatures outside gave us occasion to consider the hardships of the early explorers like Sir James Clark Ross who first braved these elements in wooden vessels with rudimentary navigational equipment more than 180 years ago.

Image (c): A.Breniere