The most beautiful day - not a doubt in my mind

Today was one of the most beautiful days ever. After getting back from camping, having a hot shower and some breakfast, I crashed. I was so tired. I was just going to lay down for a few minutes. I heard over the PA system "2 humpback whales port-side 10 o-clock". Translation - there are 2 whales on the left side of the boat closer to the front than the back. "Leopard seal starboard-side 1 o'clock." Translation - there is a leopard seal coming up on the right side of the boat, just off to the right of centre. I ignored both of these. I was just so tired. However, when the voice came over the PA system and said, "for those of you not on deck, you will greatly regret it. We are going through some of the most beautiful scenery anywhere in Antarctica." Well, that got me up. It got pretty much everybody up (there were a fair number of campers napping). And, whoever it was who announced that, he wasn't lying. I made my way up to the floating bridge (the deck on top of the bridge, where the captain drives the boat from), and I was greeted with this...

As we made our way down the Lemaire Channel, the views kept getting better and better. More and more icebergs, penguins porpoising alongside the ship. A few penguins on icebergs. Amazing.

I was up at the top of the ship with Ben and Tom. You know when you look up in the sky and can pick out shapes and such in the clouds? Well, let me tell you, that game is way more fun with icebergs. We saw all kinds of things. But I started to notice a pattern - I thought most of the icebergs looked like animals. Tom thought most of the icebergs looked like food. Ben thought most of the icebergs looked like babies. Interesting. My favourite of all the named icebergs was "Birth of a Walrus" 

Ben and Tom

This is Birth of a Walrus. Can you pick out the walrus? It's a side profile. Flippers back. Shooting out of the ice. 

I just had to put in a picture of Wendy and Alice. They had probably the neatest story of all the people traveling together on the boat. Wendy is from the States. Alice is from Australia. 17 years ago they met doing an overland trip in Africa. They have stayed in touch all these years and every few years they go on another adventure. When Alice was telling me about their friendship, it almost made me cry. It made me think of all the amazing people I have met while traveling and how much those people have meant in my life. 

As we made our way into Pleneau Bay, I was just so excited. This trip would only be a zodiac cruise, so they had to split us into two groups. I was in the second group. As the first group took off, I went back to the back deck of the boat, set up some chairs and basked in the sun. It was amazing. But, as it turns out, not nearly amazing as the zodiac ride I would be taking very soon. I am going to stop writing here, except for a few captions, and you can pretend you are on a zodiac cruise in Pleneau Bay too. 

Minke whale 

Leopard seal (serpent-like face)

Crab-eater seal (dog-like face)

Susanne and Me (beautiful human faces)

Dmitri - zodiac driver extraordinaire

I don't think these pictures actually grasp how beautiful this place was. I am in awe. This was Antarctica at its best (or what I imagine to be its best and what the expedition staff have told us is its best). This is one of my favourite things I have ever done. Ever.