We made it through all thirty iceberg-strewn miles of the Antarctic Sound and into the Weddell Sea. I felt like a five year old on Christmas morning when we got into the Weddell Sea. After having read the book “South” about the 1914 Endurance exploration in the Weddell Sea, I was thrilled to be there. I can clearly state that the Weddell Sea did not let me down. It lived up to its billing.

We spent about four hours slowly cruising around the Weddell Sea. We were surrounded by icebergs and floating ice from the size of big cities to small brash. The sun came out and it was a glorious afternoon. I was almost overwhelmed at times by the whole scene.

I saw our lead expedition staff guy, who was German, and I asked him if this was normal for the Weddell Sea. He said, “Der iz no normal. It comes und it goes.” But several other expedition staff members said it was the best weather that they had ever experienced on any visit to the Weddell Sea. It was a floating cavalcade of ice for as far as the eye could see in every direction.

These pictures are just some general pictures in the Weddell Sea. The Sea looked like this for four hours. We did get much closer to the icebergs and I will be sending some of those photos. But in general, it was just a Sea of icebergs and ice. Mind you, we are in the far northern reaches of the Weddell Sea which means the warmest portion of that Sea with the least ice.