Closer

Thursday, November 23
2:00 PM

Land in sight! Land in sight! We're officially in Antarctic waters, passing through the South Shetland Islands en route to the Peninsula. (I think we just cut between Snow and Smith Islands.)

Water and sky are melting into a continuous palette of gray with only the white surf cast off from the ship breaking the monochromaticism. Lumps of snow-drenched rock can be seen in the far distance, and yet already, after only two days at sea, the sight of land seems strange. We're pressing further south, in what feels to me like an epic quest... Shackleton and Scott and Amundsen-esque. (Granted, they didn't have breakfast buffets and a gift shop on board.)

This morning we were treated to a watershow by a few humpback whales, with an accompanying airshow by several Antarctic birds, some quite rare as we were told. The tiniest taste of what is yet to come...