Ice Tongues and the Ross Sea Riviera

One of the many stunning days during the Ross Sea Expedition was Ice Tongue day. We first cruised the beautiful Campbell Ice Tongue stretching out into Terra Nova Bay. The sun shone, the waters sparkled, the ice towered, creaking and groaning in the warm temperatures. Even the penguins popped up next to us, keen to take a look and squawk at each other about these funny looking visitors. The morning was magical – just hanging out with a glacier.
 



 
Through the afternoon, we cruised down to the enormous Drygalski Ice Tongue – extending more than 30 nautical miles in to the Ross Sea, this nearly 5 miles wide tongue of ice was huge and remarkable. Feathered along each small embayment, each peppered with beautiful ice caves meant the voyage was a constant adventure – “just looking around the next corner.” At the end of the tongue, a large piece of ice – about 500 meters long, calved off into the sea taking us all by surprise. Below the Drygalski Ice Tongue, the pack ice was solid – stretching off in to the distance. Far away, peaking over the horizon, we glimpsed the towering might of Mt Erebus, our own fata morgana and the ultimate landmark in the Ross Sea.