Day 10 - Paulet Island and the way to Snow Hill Island (icebergs and whales!!!)

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

In the morning we arrived to the shores of the Paulet island, located off the north-eastern end of the Antarctic Peninsula. The weather was sunny and nice and we were in front of a nice pebble beach. Paulet island is 350 m high and 1.5 km diameter and has a very nice conic shape.  The island is composed of lava flows and at the top is a cinder cone with a small summit crater. It is part of the James Ross Island Volcanic group characterized by the alkali basalts with the activity starting from Miocene.  We went with zodiacs to the shore. We first stop at the stone hut built in February 1903, by survivors of the wrecked vessel Antarctic under Captain Carl A. Larsen, members of the Swedish South Polar Expedition led by Otto Nordenskjöld. From there we walk up to to a lake in a small crater and shortly above it we split in two groups. One descends to other lake close to the beach and walks back along the beach to the point where we have started. Most of the areas of the island is protected and it is allowed to walk only on limited paths as on the beach. My group continues up to the summit. Coming more to the top, the rocks start to be more loose and the slope quite steep and it gets little tricky, especially during the descent. On the top is a small crater, the rock cairn built by the survivors to draw the attention of rescue expeditions,  and an excellent view for which we have only little time. Once down, we hang around on the beach watching Antarctic cormorants having white and black color. From the grave of the 22 years old guy who died here I see only a stick from distance on the beach. We go back to the boat and we start to cruise towards the Snow Hill Island. After lunch I go to the deck where I spend all the time until the late evening with dinner brought to the deck. We get more and more icebergs, at some point we find the way completely blocked. Captain Eric is taking over the helm and is doing an incredible job how of moving the boat through “open water”.  We see many humpback whales, a couple is playing around the ship for some time. Then we get a set of tails on the spectacular background full of ice. At the sunset incredible colours reflect in the mirror-like flat water. As it were not enough, a huge moon on the horizon appeared. I finished all that overwhelming beauty with a glass of old Dutch gin and then spend some time in library. Right now the noise of ice touching the ship gets little rough but seems all is under control. I finish here and go to my bunk.