Antarctica Travel Blog Nov 27 thru Nov 30: Ross Ice Shelf and Kapitan Klebnikov Final Days in the Ross Sea

November 27, 2011
The Ross Ice Shelf came into view about noon. Size of France and is about 600 miles The vastness cannot be captured in with any lens. The icy cold winds coming off the shelf stirred my imagination about the explorers that had to tackle this massive piece of ice before beginning their journey to the south pole.

November 28th, 2011
Sadly, we continued to head north out of the ice. The day was mostly spent outdoors on the bow enjoying the ice and watching for wildlife on passing ice floes. Other passengers attended multiple lectures.

November 29, 2011
Another wonderful day was spent traveling through pack ice and among icebergs. The salmon colored evening sky made a stunning backdrop for the icebergs.

November 30, 2011
It was our last day in the ice. We celebrated Kapitan Khlebnikov's final farewell to the Ross Sea on the stern as we passed the last iceberg. Next destination is Macquarie Island. We intend to have two landings and one zodiac rides around the islands. Thousands of Royal Penguins, King Penguins and Seals await us but there are two more sea days before we arrive. But now, we prepare for swells of the open sea during the next 700 miles.

(This is Laurie's fourth visit to Antarctica. She is blogging her way through this epic month-long Antarctica cruise; the Kapitan Khlebnikov's Ross Sea Centennial Voyage. Tune in for daily updates from the field. Pictures from Laurie's past Antarctica travels are found on her website.)