February 24, 2024 The Weddell Sea

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The weather has been fantastic. Calm seas and sunny days. However, the crew noted that winds would pick up on the west of the Antarctic Peninsula making any exploration there untenable. However, much to the joy of the expedition leader, winds and seas to the east would be just right for exploration. The only trepidation is this would put us in the Weddell Sea. This is where, to the day, 109 years ago Shackleton’s ship the Endurance became ice bound and wound up spending the winter months stuck here until eventually the ship broke apart and

he and crew had to trek over 1,000 miles to safety. This is the sea of ice where few ever venture. Only a couple of our expedition crew have ever been to this area of the Antarctic, so we are “lucky” to have this chance to go where so few have gone before.

So, we were set for an early wakeup. We scheduled breakfast in the suite so we could save some time. At 8:15 we were called to the mud room to dress and get ready to board a zodiac for a cruise around Paulet Island.

In 1903 during the Swedish Antarctic Expedition led by Otto Nordenskiöld his ship Antarctic was crushed and sunk by the ice off the coast of the island. A stone hut built in February 1903 by shipwreck survivors, together with the grave of an expedition member, and the cairn built on the highest point of the island to draw the attention of rescuers, have been designated

a Historic Site or Monument, following a proposal by Argentina and the United Kingdom to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting. The shipwrecked crew of the Endurance original plan was to travel to the island and use stores there that were left by the above Swedish Expedition but the ice pack that they were stranded on eventually drifted too far east.

As noted, this is the sea of ice so lots of icebergs.

Sailing through a sea of ice.

Ice in its natural habitat.

Rather than the zodiac cruise, some people preferred to kayak.

The island is home to seals, Adelie penguins and cormorants. At first, we thought there was a huge colony of penguins up on the side of the mount, but as we got closer it was mainly birds nesting.

The seals were resting by the shore and occasionally they would get restless and show their authority over the smaller seals. At some point one or two would waddle down to the shore for a swim.

After about an hour on the water it was back to the ship. Relax, then lunch, then on to the Danger Islands for another zodiac cruise. The Danger Islands is a group of small islands near the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. They were discovered on 28 December 1842 by a British expedition under James Clark Ross, who so named them because, appearing among heavy fragments of ice, they were almost completely concealed until the ship was nearly upon them.

After lunch the ship was off Heroina Island, a small island, marking the northeast end of the Danger Islands. It was named by the Argentine Antarctic Expedition, 1948–49, after the expedition ship Heroína.

We did a zodiac cruise around the island, saw many, many, many Adelie Penguins, and lots of ice. Here is a sampling. Click on the images.

4 thoughts on “February 24, 2024 The Weddell Sea”

  2. Janet Simmons

    Thank you so much for sharing your adventure…..I’ve never known anyone that went to Antarctica!!!

  3. Francoise Legoues

    Looks wonderful and brings back great memories ! (Although I don’t think we went to exactly the same area).

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