Viking Cruises

28 | Antarctica Destination Guide To have a swim after spending time outside on the ice feels refreshing and just what your body is asking for. The thermal spa is an open- air hot tub that allows you to relax while enjoying the moving outdoor view. I realise no matter what window I'm standing at I am constantly looking at the changing landscape while seeing if there is any sign of wildlife. We are told to be aware of our surroundings when leaving the ship. We should never run or shout near wildlife and should maintain a distance of at least 5m from birds and mammals, as well as walk slowly and quietly and give animals the right of way. ICEBERGS LIKE MARSHMALLOWS The ship comes to a halt before we head into Fournier Bay on the Antarctica Peninsula as Irish Coffees are served on the bow. As a crowd grows we enjoy the sight of a giant tabular iceberg that has broken off from an ice shelf. Many shades of blue, it is 200m high and apparently at least 1,000m below sea level, with nearly perfect vertical sides and a flat top, resembling something like a giant floating marshmallow. Waves crash into the bottom of it, scouring cloister-like shapes down one side. It is spectacular. Blue is the colour of pure glacier ice, compact with few air bubbles, since the air is squeezed out from the weight of the ice, and they may also appear blue due to light refraction and age. Older icebergs reveal a range of blue hues resulting from a high concentration of colour, microorganisms and compacted ice. A snowy sheathbill bird, a cute white ball of feather fluff which breeds in Antarctica, walks slowly along the railing of the bow. It seems very tame, leaning into the wind ready for its photography session. Against the giant icebergs in the distance it could be a film set the bird has flown into as it walks up and down ready for its close-up. WHALE ENCOUNTERS That evening before dinner we are sitting in the Explorers' Lounge having a drink when there is a whale blowhole spray spotted just out from the port side of the ship. A humpback whale surfaces to breathe, then another whale and another. Before we know it they are breaching up into the air and are putting on quite a show for us. The larger of the whales flaps its fin as though waving to us. As the Viking Polaris sails past, the whales slowly disappear and before you know it another set of whales appears, this time showing us their tails and again looking to be waving to us before slapping their fins and tails back into the ocean. This is quite a spectacular welcome to Antarctica. We overnight in the Melchior Islands. The ship has dynamic positioning technology allowing the ship to port without dropping anchor. Controlled by a button in the bridge, the system uses global dynamic positioning to operate the movement of the forward thrusters and stern Azipods. Such technology means the ship is one of the most agile in the industry. It reduces the SNOWY SHEATHBILL BIRDS, ANTARCTICA

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