Evening Light in Hughes Bay

Tuesday November 7th 2023
West of Antarctic Peninsula - Cruise Expedition Day 16  - Antarctic Peninsula, Bransfield Strait, Hughes Bay, Brialmont Bay 

am:  Talk by John entitled 'Life Underfoot' on the micro fauna and flora of Antarctica
Only two vascular plants here in Antarctica - the Antarctic Hairgrass and the Antarctic Pearlwort.

pm:  Too much ice at our preferred anchorage so moved further south to Brialmont Bay off Hughes Bay where we managed a Zodiac only (no landing) sortie for 90 minutes. Air temperature 2 degrees C, wind 20 knots, reduced swell because of sheltered position.  Fantastic experience of boating just off the ice.  Photography really difficult because of constant spray and bouncing about.  Didn't even risk taking my good camera on the Zodiac.  Saw pintado petrels, snow petrels, (ant)arctic terns, sheathbills, dominican gulls, chinstrap penguins and humpback whales.

Evening:  Unfortunately, the sun disappeared behind a bank of cloud before setting but gave fantastic light on snow, ice, bergs and mountains before that.

Images:  Evening Light in Hughes Bay