A desperate
crew seeking shelter two weeks after losing their ship on the dangerous waters
of the Weddell Sea are probably not in the appropriate mood to appreciate the
beauty of the scenery. But Captain Larsen and his men really hit the spot when
they overwintered at Paulet Island, off the south entrance of the Antarctic
Sound. Today, MV Fram has sailed the same waters named after Larsen’s ship, the
Antarctic, giving everyone onboard the chance to enjoy one of the most
beautiful landscapes of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Early on
the morning we landed at Brown Bluff, a volcanic and impressive outcrop on the western
shore of the Antarctic Sound, at Antarctica mainland. Fantasy shaped brown and
yellowish rocks fallen from the cliff and spread all over a long pebble beach
set amongst two glaciers house a large Adelie penguin rookery and few hundred
pairs of nesting Gentoos. Chicks of both Adelie and Gentoo became the preferred
target of all the photographers ashore. Some, though, after warming up climbing
the moraine for an aerial view of the area, opted to cool down on the icy
waters of Antarctica! 
Hundreds of
icebergs of all shapes, sizes and colors dotted the course of MV Fram on its
way to Paulet Island. Clear skies and ideal conditions for photography on the
approach to the island allowed everyone onboard to enjoy an impressive
panoramic view of the place where the Norwegian crew overwintered in 1903.
Swell was too big for a safe landing operation and the captain decided instead
to spend the rest of the afternoon cruising slowly between the ice choked waters
of the sound. As everyone on the outer decks agreed, the magnificent views of
such mighty icebergs so close to the MV Fram were exactly what they expected
Antarctica to be. 
Tonight we
will celebrate New Year’s Eve on the waters of the Bransfield Strait with the
satisfaction of having successfully landed on the coldest, windiest, driest and
most isolated continent on Earth. Antarctica, for us, is no longer terra incognita… 
