Expedition cruising is a cascade, transitioning from Plan A to B to C, etc…. Expedition Leader Dan and Captain Martin prioritize chasing weather: in particular, finding holes in the cloud layer and avoiding wind. They succeeded again. It was another day of blue skies and glassy seas.
Our morning was spent kayaking in the heart of James Ross Island, accessing its volcanic core via a bay penetrating in from the north called Herbert Sound. Most of our group chose to paddle the glassy cerulean waters, skirting around small bergs as ice floes boomed, cascading into the bay from glaciers above. The non-paddling contingent had the option of a tranquil Zodiac cruise.
Our afternoon was adventurous and inquisitive, with landing options on two different islands. I was in the inquisitive group, landing on the northern part of James Ross Island, an important paleontological site where we found fossils of dinosaurs, plesiosaurs, ammonites, and many other Cretaceous critters. For those needing to burn energy, a steep uphill hike on nearby Vega Island was offered.
Over dinner, we had views of pastel skies reflecting on glassy seas cut by angular white bergs. Overnight we sail north, now to the west side of the peninsula.
