En route South Georgia, Southern Ocean - 07:52 am

08 Dec 2008

Our progress has been slow. We’ve been hit with a ridiculous low pressure system of 948 milibars and the ocean is showing the result with enormous waves which crash over the side of the ship frequently. The swell has been up to 9 or 10m and the wind is a force 7.

A slight tilt to the ship and bad visibility.

The weather is remarkably changeable and switches in seconds. From bright sunshine, we’re suddenly struck with a vicious snow squall which stings the face and leaves the decks iced and slippery. Filming is not easy.

Balmy weather!

We’re definitely out of Africa now. We saw our first iceberg looming out of the swell quite far away on the horizon. Excitement ensued! An enormous piece of frozen fresh water, formed over thousands of years on land somewhere near us, was now floating in the ocean only a few nautical miles away. Incredible. We are relatively near to South Georgia now and definitely well into the Antarctic Convergence!

No way! They do actually exist!

But finally, as the day wore on we spotted land - South Georgia at last! Huge rocky, snow covered mountains topped with ominous clouds, separated by glaciers loomed out of the sea and gradually came closer. There are not many places where land suddenly rises from the sea more than 2000m.

South Georgia at last!

But finally, we spotted land - South Georgia at last! Huge rocky, snow covered mountains topped with ominous clouds, separated by glaciers loomed out of the sea and gradually came closer. There are not many places where land suddenly rises from the sea more than 2000m. But the weather hadn’t finished with us and we had to change direction to find a more sheltered channel leading us past endless icebergs.

It only gets more beautiful

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