19-12-19: Brown Bluff

Today we started the attempt to land on the mainland. We are incredibly lucky again. No sea ice in the bay. The water is calm, the wind a bit chilly. We can disembark and set foot on the mainland.

We will encounter a colony of Adelie penguins, some Gentoo penguins, and geological formations that were formed by volcanic eruptions at a depth of 1,000 meters.

One highlight after another. The Adelie penguins already have their offspring. Most pairs even have two chicks. It is incredible to observe these little animals. It's great to see how the offspring is fed and kept warm.

The experiences and impressions one gains here cannot be compared to anything else. It is indescribable.

The path the ship takes through the ice and past the icebergs takes your breath away. Occasionally, a small iceberg is pushed aside. On the way to the next destination in the late afternoon, our path is blocked by icebergs and the captain is forced to find a new route. It is unclear whether this will succeed. I hope it works because we can see Emperor penguins at the next location.

However, our route takes us past the second largest and largest iceberg. The largest iceberg actually measures a length of 160 km (!) and is twice the size of Luxembourg. The captain then navigates to the second largest iceberg and stops right in front of it.

Further on, the ice becomes denser and it is unclear whether we can get through. I will report on that tomorrow.