In Antarctic Summer, beginning in Late November/Early December – the sun softens the coastal icepack , allowing sections of the continental ice sheet to break off into the water – in the this case the Pacific zone of the Southern Ocean. At the same time the salt water sea ice softens and breaks up, allowing ships to enter bays and for penguins to fish in more open waters.

We see here a mixture of land and sea ice.The whiter ice is remnants of broken and melting land ice. The flat grey ice is the frozen sea surface either breaking up or just freezing more slowly under the 24 hour summer sunshine. The seawater is -2 C or 28 F. Saltwater freezes at a lower temperature than fresh, which is Zero. Those icicles are natural art – from the broken off lip of a larger iceberg.

Our Zodiacs of the MV Hondius were able to plow slowly, though ice chunks often get caught in the propeller.

One advantage of the waterpoof GoPro, TotalAdventure shot lots of footage under the ice ! Watch the video above for extensive coverage ! Here the camera is upside down , seeing the bottom of the ice floes and the water surface.

TotalAdventure aboard the Zodiac with the GoPro.

On one of the colder days, around -3 C the surface turns slushy, as is the characteristic of salt water ice when forming.

Like clouds, every Iceberg is unique.And it’s true that what you see is only the tip – very large icebergs might be only 10% above water. They can also roll over. The Zodiacs steer clear of the larger ones.

From the deck of the Hondius. See the video for much more action !

All one iceberg. There is a cove inside. Extremely dangerous to approach as huge chunks of ice can crush you.

Closer , but not too close.

On top of an ice shelf, a Leopard Seal soaks up the summer sunshine.

Inside, the water looks almost tropical ,with swimming pool blue – but of course it’s not !

I might be cute, but I can rip your arm off ! And eat an entire Gentoo Penguin in 3 or 4 bites.

Inside the cove. Like an Antarctic resort. Just add beach chairs.

At The Bottom Of The Planet !

The weight of accumulated snow may flip this iceberg – a good reason to stay clear.

Ice piled along the shoreline. Our landing spots were limited.

At Latitude 65 South, Approaching The Antarctic Circle.

Hondius is the first-registered Polar Class 6 vessel in the world, meeting the latest and highest Lloyd’s Register standards for ice-strengthened cruise ships. Surpassing the requirements of the Polar Code adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Hondius represents the most flexible, advanced, innovative touring vessel in the polar regions, thoroughly optimized for exploratory voyages that provide you the utmost first-hand contact with the Arctic and Antarctica. ( Credit : Oceanwide Expeditions ) Length 107.6 Meters . Can Accommodate 170 Passengers In 80 Cabins. Only 4 years old – launched in 2019.

Observing Five Meter Waves From The Bridge,As We Cross The Drake Passage.

Top Of The Line Navigation – Ensures safe and speedy passage through the Drake and into ice filled Antarctic waters. Antarctic season is from November to April and Arctic season from May to September.

Hearty meals 3 times a day keep explorers energetic and alert for landings on the icy continent.

TotalAdventure’s Antarctic office. Satellite Wifi is extremely expensive and slow- even the ship staff suggest just unplugging. Some passengers used satellite phones and text devices to stay in touch with family. TotalAdventure used the MacBook Pro to review the day’s GoPro video and still photos. It was great to leave the rest of the world behind for 10 days – nothing much had changed by our return to Ushuaia.

Our extremely comfortable cabin on Deck 6. Housekeeping service daily, consistent hot water in shower and very quiet. Large screen with movies and constant update on navigation, daily schedule. The Hondius is an exploration ship, not a cruise ship. No casino ,no disco, though there is a bar in the lounge.

On this voyage we went within 100km of the Circle. The Antarctic Peninsula is the only part of the continent where one can embark upon the actual shoreline – the rest of the coast is surrounded by ice shelves extending many kilometers out.

The Midnight Sun From Deck 8.

On the bow after lunch, en route to the afternoon landing.

The Hondius Lounge – for lectures, a drink at the bar, card playing, and watching the icebergs float by.

For the most part we experienced great early summer weather. Temperatures from – 4 to +6 ,most of the time right around Zero . ( C) There were some light snow accumulations on the ship overnight twice.

Landings are by motorized Zodiac. We had a total of 8 landings in 4 days, with only one destination change due to ice conditions.

From the Stern- Return To Ushuaia – Base Port For The Southern Summer.

On July 7th TotalAdventure flew from Paris to Stockholm in order to meet son Martin, who was just finishing up a student adventure tour

About 2 hours from CDG to ARN.

Midnight In Stockholm. A Bergmanesque Scene.

We Boarded the Tallink Ship Isabelle for the 17 hour overnight trip across the Baltic Sea to Riga Latvia.

Moonrise and Midnight Sun In The Baltic. Taken At Midnight.

The ship also passes very near Estonia in the early morning.

Arrival Into Port In Riga,Latvia.