Not too shabby of a wake-up today—if you call a 7:20 a.m. zodiac ride “sleeping in.” Our bodies are on Antarctic autopilot now: roll outta bed, chug coffee, scarf breakfast (unless we’re leaving early, then eat later), pile on three layers, and wait our turn. Twice a day, every day. But I wouldn’t trade these bone-chilling moments for all the hot chocolate in Texas. Worth every shiver.
Today’s high? A balmy 28°F. Somebody fetch the beach towels, time for a tan!
Mornin’: Mikkelsen Harbour
We cruised into Mikkelsen Harbour, a cozy bay once used by early 1900s Norwegian whalers (including Captain Klarius Mikkelsen). Thank goodness those days are gone. The water here is glacier-pure—some of the cleanest on the planet.
Wildlife was off the charts: chinstrap and Adélie penguins being their noisy selves, humpback whales swimming in the distance, snowy sheathbills acting like caffeinated seagulls, and even a sailboat of divers doing research (too cold for this old gal!). Weaving through stunning icebergs, hearing that soft crunch against the hull—pure joy.
Afternoon: Cierva Cove
After our routine nap (we earned it, don’t judge!), we headed to Cierva Cove—named after the Spanish inventor of the autogyro (early helicopter cousin) and home to Argentina’s Primavera summer base since the 1950s. Famous for massive hanging glaciers.
We spent most of the time watching penguins leap in and out of the water like little tuxedoed acrobats—too cute! Then drama: a rare leopard seal hunting penguin lunch. Those fast little penguins dodged like pros, but we had to leave, so I think the seal got supper later.
On the way back, we saw huge chunks of crystal-clear ice floating by—looked just like the cubes in my freezer back home, full of tiny bubbles. Turns out it’s marine ice: seawater that freezes onto the bottom of ice shelves under pressure, squeezing out all the salt and air bubbles. Super pure and transparent, almost glass-like. So unique and beautiful!
The whole place—glaciers, icebergs, mountains—was majestic. We just sat in awe.
After dinner, we tried watching the sunset. It took forever—we gave up at midnight! It should be up again around 2:24 a.m. if it will hurry up and set! All this daylight is something else.
Antarctica, you’re raising the bar every day. Lovin’ it!
May God bless you always!
Chuck &
WorldTravelReynolds 