Day 12 - False Island Point (Vega Island)  and Naze Point (James Ross Island)

Thursday, March 5, 2020

We reached False Island Point of Vega Island with zodiacs, crossing quite some ice blocks. Water was full of krill visible by naked eye. On the shore we found a skull of crab eater seal that has very specialized teeth to filter water and get krill. The name is misleading - crab eater seal does not really feed on crabs :-) We climbed up a hill, from where we had great views of the panorama of bays surrounding us. The name “false island” is quite understandable now. Descending we found a water stream, along which was growing green moss - quite unexpected. It is important not to step on any super-rare Antarctic vegetation. We also found lichens and permafrost with typical hexagons of stones created when the upper parts de-freeze.

A short cruise brought us to Naze Point of the James Ross island, where a dinosaur fossil was found. We hiked along the beach rich in stones of many different types. We found shells, algae, and again crab eater seal skull. We started to slightly climb on a strange mix of sediments and basalts that had spectacular shapes up to canyon-like structures. The wind  then started  to gain on power and we had to return  back to the ship. Dinner and short stay in library, before I went rather tired to bed.

False Island point at Vega Island

Approaching Ross Island and walking on sea ice