Our next zodiac excursion was a most magical cruise through Bancroft Bay where the waters were speckled with ice sheets and topped with icebergs. The icebergs of Antarctica deserve their own post entirely and so I will get to their magnificence in more detail later.
This excursion was both a visual and auditory gift, a trance even. The overcast skies reflected in the mirrors of ice sheets, separated only by goliath glacial mountains, was something out of a fantasy novel. It was so unbelievably quiet, the only manufactured sound was the low rumble of the zodiac engine, and the occasional whine of an iceberg shifting in the water.
It was a meditative state.
To add to the mystique of the ride, we were given a spectacular surprise display of a pod of humpback whales as they fed using the bubble net strategy.
In this maneuver, whales that have found several krill start swimming aggressively in circles to form a ring of agitated water bubbles. Next they dive deep down, make a thundering loud call which stuns the group of krill right into the center of the bubble ring. Once this is achieved, the pod of whales then all dive deep down and open their mouths wide enough to gulp entire krill masses.
To accidentally get a chance to watch such a well crafted daily meal maneuver was yet another of many Antarctic surprises for us.
I was so mesmerized by the scene in front of me I did not get any photos of the whales despite how close to the zodiacs they came, but I did manage to snag a short video. Prakash however got some great shots of whale tails as they dove.
Alas, even the most mystifying experiences must come to an end, but not without plenty more beauty and furry friends to bid us hello and goodbye as we made our way back on board the ship.
That’s stunningly beautiful and magical! Thank you for sharing. I just learned so much too!!