Day 11 - Snow Hill Island and sea ice near the Ross island

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Morning: We woke up just a short distance from the shores of Snow Hill Island, one of several islands near the Antarctic Peninsula, in the region known as Graham Land. The island is mostly off-limits to tourists because it hosts a unique breeding colony of emperor penguins. However, to see them, you would need to visit much earlier in the Antarctic summer season. What can be visited, though, is the Historic Monument: a hut perched on a small plateau that we could already spot from the ship. This hut is where six men from the Nordenskjöld Swedish Antarctic Expedition were forced to spend two winters in 1902–1903. It’s incredible that this 120-year-old hut still stands, and even more remarkable that its interior remains almost untouched. Seeing it in person—and looking at historical photographs of the men when they were rescued—made it impossible to imagine the isolation and hardship they endured. After visiting the hut, we climbed a small hill above it. From the top, we were greeted with a spectacular view of the bay, filled with small growlers. The Cretaceous sedimentary rocks of the area were rich with fossils and cut by sharp basaltic dikes. I had never before seen such an abundance of large fossils, including ammonites, gastropods, and bivalves—it was fascinating.

Afternoon: We sailed through misty yet sunny weather across a sea filled with ice. While we couldn’t get closer to Ross Island, we had the extraordinary experience of a "landing" on sea ice. Even a short walk on the shining, reflective ice was awe-inspiring. During the excursion, we spotted a crabeater seal, identifiable by the distinctive white circle around its eye.