RWSE Day 22: In Pack Ice Again

"Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” ~~ Albert Einstein ~~ (from the Daily Program)

EL Sara had mentioned yesterday that we would be back in the pack ice again today … density ranging from close to open to very open drift ice … aka orange to yellow to green on the ice charts. Thus, it came as no surprise that we woke up to ice scraping against Ortelius’s hull … and occasional shudders and bumps as the ship pushed some of the bigger floes out of the way.

No doubt that we have the bridge team and Ortelius’s strong hull to thank for today’s experiences … which consisted of two ship’s cruises, two zodiac cruises, an ice floe landing, and the largest group of emperor penguins of this voyage … all of which went a long ways towards making up for the four days it took us to get out of the deep south remote Weddell Sea and reach the western Weddell Sea. An excellent pick-me-up, if you will.

Mui and I were already on deck — enjoying the colorful sunrise — when EL Sara made an earlier than usual wake up call … warranted by the penguins, leopard and Weddell seals, and minke whales that were present in the vicinity of the ship. She also advised that the published plan for the day would be thrown out the window … lectures and workshops would be postponed; perhaps even canceled. The new plan would be a loose one depending on what Mother Nature had in store for us.

Mui and I remained on deck for a while yet after the announcement. I was intrigued by the ice through which Ortelius was cruising … some of which was obviously older and thicker. Other floes were newly formed pancake ice … some of it still clear. Thanks to dallying a bit on deck, we also caught sight of the lone crabeater seal basking in the sunshine.

Up first … our pre-breakfast ship’s cruise through the pack ice.Okumaya devam et