24 Jan 2023

Sunshine Cruising at Cape Bird

The day dawned with clear blue skies and sunshine making for spectacular scenery as Heritage Adventurer entered the sea ice heading to Cape Bird. Up north we could see Beaufort Island prominently while Mt Discovery was visible to the south as we approached the Transantarctic Mountains. Passing two Leopard Seals on ice floes allowed for excellent observations of these impressive creatures.

Our wildlife encounters continued with sightings of Crabeater Seals, while some occasional Emperor and Adélie Penguins also made appearances. Afterwards, several Skua and Snow Petrel were observed in the cold morning atmosphere where ice crystals were forming mid-air. 

Our steady progress through closely packed sea ice continued past Cape Bird and out into McMurdo Sound where we obtained a clear, partial view of Mt Erebus (3,794m). However, by mid-afternoon our Captain turned Heritage Adventurer northwards and moved back towards open water.

Over dinner the water cleared near the shore of Cape Bird. With close monitoring of the dynamic ice conditions, we launched the Zodiacs to cruise the beautiful ice structures enjoying both the calm conditions and stunning evening light.

Image (c): J.Mishina