The scale and awesome power of the travel wonder of Antarctica is difficult to capture. Huge clumps of ice break off from this glacier dwarfing the zodiac load of travellers admiring this white wonderland. The zodiac maintains a safe distance (it is over 500 metres away) and seeks sanctuary behind a smaller berg as large waves from carving ice can easily up-turn a rubberised boat. Even in buoyancy vests, life expectancy in the near freezing water is only a few minutes.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Photo of the Week: Power of Carving Ice (Antarctica)
The scale and awesome power of the travel wonder of Antarctica is difficult to capture. Huge clumps of ice break off from this glacier dwarfing the zodiac load of travellers admiring this white wonderland. The zodiac maintains a safe distance (it is over 500 metres away) and seeks sanctuary behind a smaller berg as large waves from carving ice can easily up-turn a rubberised boat. Even in buoyancy vests, life expectancy in the near freezing water is only a few minutes.
Your 'safe distance' makes for a great photo of the raft at an unsafe distance! Really helps you see just how big the ice is!
ReplyDeleteThat's such a contrasting photo.... in colour and size both.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!
ReplyDeleteAntarctica is where my sis wants to go. I'll have to send this to her!
@sherry: They are staggering in size. Nature at its powerful best.
ReplyDelete@nisha: The greays, whites and blues are the colours of Antarctica.
@soultravelers3: Head off as soon as you can because I havea feeling that it will get more and more crowded.
Antarctica is not yet on my list, but the more I read about it the more I want to go. Love the shot of the dwarfed boat - made me shiver just to think about going in the water there.
ReplyDeleteThat raft does not look all that stable. I think I'd forget that though in light of the spectacle before me.
ReplyDelete@barbaraW: I went to Antarctica quite a few years ago now and it was one of my best choices. It was more than I've ever paid for a holiday but it is a truly extraordinary place with nature on a huge scale and stunning wildlife.
ReplyDelete@anil: The zodiacs are more stable than meets the eye but it is still only a small layer of plastic between you and near-freezing water!!
Yes, I'm with Barbara - I'd be sure to keep a safe distance in case those icebergs dropped on top of my boat
ReplyDelete@heather: When I saw a couple of these photos, I was wondering how close I got in one of these small rubber rafts. It always felt safe but then you start to wonder?
ReplyDeleteWow. I'm not sure I'd have the guts to go there, so I'm very happy to at least see in in picture!
ReplyDelete