Antarctica: Hope & Admiralty bays

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[youtube=j0jOrVpLFjA][youtube=ii0b3TM2DHo]

Saturday morning as we were approaching Hope Bay there was a thick fog and you couldn't see much of anything. But when we got there at 7:30 A.M. the fog lifted and there was beautiful sunshine. This is the tip of the actual continent of Antarctica. Up until now we had been visiting islands. Hope Bay in the Antarctic Sound. The large research base is Esperanza Station. Built in 1975, the base houses 55 inhabitants in winter, including 10 families and 2 school teachers. There are 43 buildings in all. 4800 gallons of fuel are used annually by the 4 generators to produce electricity. Esperanza Base has some measure of fame because it is the birthplace of the first person to be born in Antarctica. Hope Bay on Trinity Peninsula, is 3 miles long and 2 miles wide,
indenting the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula and opening on Antarctic Sound. This area is also known as Iceberg Alley. The pictures below should explain that nickname. As soon as we started to leave the fog rolled back in and you couldn't see your hand in front of you.

Saturday afternoon around 3:00 P.M. we visited Admiralty Bay. Arctowski Station, a Polish base, is one of many on King George Island. Seven scientists from the station sailed out on their rubber zodiac and boarded our ship. As we were leaving a beautiful rainbow crossed the Bransfield Strait.

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