Friday Day 10 November 3, 2017

Drygalski Fjord

It was a cold, rainy and windy day. We threw on some warm clothes and made our way to the bridge. We were in a cove of the southernmost fjord in South Georgia, Drygalski Fjord, at the very end of it, standing in front of huge glaciers. This fjord is 8.5 miles long and its scenery was exquisite. There were snow petrels flying everywhere, their white feathers often blending into the snow behind them. We learned that 60% of South Georgia is glacier, but most of the glaciers do not make it all the way to the water’s edge. This glacier descends down the mountain right into the bay. It was white, with crevices in blue, and then whole large areas that were a frosted blue (which means the ice is more dense). The glaciers are so strong that they carve the mountains, giving the fiord a dramatic look. And the mountains? They are 6000-7000 feet tall.

So as I stood on the bow of the ship, literally being blown away, not only by the strong winds coming down the glacier, but by the majestic beauty of the surrounding brown and green mountains dotted with white snow, white and blue glaciers, and water that alternated between light blue, dark blue and turquoise. We watched a lone whale dancing in and out of the water. We watched the movement of the water.  And we were awed.