Day 16 - Nov 23 - Neko Harbour & Paradise Bay, Antarctica

"They are extraordinarily like children, these little people of the Antarctic world, either like children, or like old men, full of their own importance and late for dinner, in their black tailcoats and white shirt fronts — and rather portly withal." - Apsley Cherry-Garrard. The Worst Tourney in the World

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The Gerlache Strait is named for Adrien de Gerlache, who led the Belgian Antarctic Expedition of 1897-99 on board the vessel Belgica. This expedition charted much of the Antarctic Peninsula region, and ultimately was beset in the pack ice near Peter I Island, becoming the first exploring vessel to ever over- winter in the Antarctic and south of the Antarctic Circle. Gerlache was joined by an international roster of notable polar personalities - his chief officer was a Norwegian named Roald Amundsen, making his first trip to the Antarctic; the ship's doctor was an American explorer and con-man named Frederic Cook, and the geologist and meteorologist of the expedition was a Polish scientist named Henryk Arctowski. 

Neko Harbour, our landing spot this morning, was named after the whale factory ship Neko which operated along the Antarctic Peninsula in 1911-12 and again in 1923-24. An unmanned Argentine refuge marks the landing spot which is surrounded by Gentoo Penguins, Skuas, Snowy Sheathbills and Kelp Gulls. There was a great walk to a viewpoint above the landing beach, and a glacier near the landing site. 

After departing Neko Harbour, we sailed a little ways and entered into a very scenic region known as Paradise Bay. This bay is aptly named because the surrounding mountains look as though they rise straight up to heaven. The Argentine scientific base, Almirante Brown Base is located on the banks of Paradise Bay, as is the Chilean scientific base, Gonzalez Videla. It has several colonies of penguins scattered on the surrounding slopes, as well as a colony of blue-eyed shags. Seals regularly haul out on the ice here. 

The most exciting thing I did was to Kayak in these waters. Yes, I kayaked in Antarctica! It was short lived because the current pushed and surrounded us with ice and we had to be taken back to shore by a zodiac. It was adventurous and exciting. I didn't take my camera so no pictures but am hoping that someone took my picture on a kayak!