Home»Antarctica 2006: Views from the End of the Earth»Bergs

Click. "Good morning everyone, good morning. It's 6am and we're in the South Orkneys surrounded by icebergs bathed in beautiful sunrise light. Breakfast will be delayed". Rinnie Van Meurs, our expedition leader, woke us every day with his soft, friendly Dutch accent and those first five words. But on this day, instead of a leisurely roll from bed, cup of coffee in the lounge and breakfast – awaiting news of our adventure of the day – we reacted with careful urgency. A thin film of frost coated the very top deck above the bridge of the Vavilov. We stepped cautiously, tripods on our shoulders, avoiding the communications domes bearing radiation warnings. Timestamp on my first image, 6:09am. Captain Beluga and his crew wove a skillful course among icebergs of indescribable size, shape and color until after noon. We did pause for breakfast, and would have happily stayed past dinner, but by 1pm the Southern Ocean revealed its plans for our evening with an ominous black sky to the west, framing our beautiful bergs still lit by the mid-day sun. Hatches sealed, access to the main deck closed, gear secured, we turned into the weather … and, finally, toward the Antarctic Peninsula …