MS Fram had stayed overnight at Dorian Bay where passengers and some of the expedition team were camping.This meant that the rest of us had a really good night’s sleep with no ship’s movements or the noise of ice passing underneath the ship.
We did hear the ship’s thrusters every so often but not enough to disturb our sleep!
On the morning of the 28th February MS Fram sailed for Dorian Bay to our first landing of the day at Paradise Harbour.
Sun rise at Dorian bay
The sun had already risen when I went out on Deck 7. The sky was blue in complete contrast to the day before. Overnight snow had fallen and the decks were covered in snow and ice. I joined the other photographers out on deck capturing the views.
The Gentoo penguin colony and the snow field beyond looked very different without any grey skies and snow falling. We watched the group coming back from their overnight stay ashore. They were making their way back down to the shoreline below the two huts.
On the way to Paradise Harbour
Breakfast was relaxed as we would be sailing to our next landing. While we ate we watched as MS Fram pushed her way through a small ice field. Over the ship’s tannoy the expedition leader suggested we should all get outside to enjoy the views. I offered to take pictures of some of the other passengers and they reciprocated with me playing with their cameras.
As Fram sailed to Paradise Harbour , we were out on deck looking at the passing icebergs, the mountains and the occasional penguins swimming along.
Paradise Harbour
This is the view of Admiral Brown Station from MS Fram …
… and across Paradise Harbour.
The landing at Paradise Harbour was at the Argentinian base called Admiral Brown Station. This was mainland Antarctica again.
We landed onto steps that lead us up to the huts of the base. Gentoo penguins were everywhere around the huts.
These gentoo chicks were gathered in front of a wall that was reflecting the sun.
The walk up to the first viewing point on the rocks wasn’t too strenuous but it was very slippy as the snow was now ice after all the boots had passed over it.
Here’s MS Fram looking across Paradise Harbour with Brown Station in the foreground.
After passing through the huts the hill behind became clearer with passengers walking up the path to the top of the hill behind the station.
The higher viewing point
A number of us pressed on to the higher viewing point. This was quite steep and in places very slippy. This are the views looking back down and across the snow field.
Once by the rocks only five passengers at a time were allowed on the rocks at a time. Scrambling up this last bit wasn’t easy.
Esther, the expedition team photographer, was up there and took this image of me. Notice how far away from the edge I am!
The views were amazing.
The lower viewing point
Descending was as tricky as going up and I was grateful to be down at the first viewing point safely. To my left as I came down was the slide down the hill that some visitors to the station were able to use – sadly we were barred from sliding down this visit.
The views at the lower point were just as amazing and I saw my first cairn in Antarctica there.
Leaving Brown Station and Paradise Harbour
The expedition team’s emergency kit was alongside us as we queued. For example a crevasse rescue kit,
As we waited for our boat back to Fram, a young cormorant came alongside us on the pier.
As we queued to leave the winds had increased to such an extent that passengers were asked not to go up to the higher viewpoint.
Here’s the view back to Brown station and Paradise Harbour on our way back to MS Fram.
Back on the pontoon we were jet washed again to remove the penguin poo. I’d paddled in a rock pool while waiting to board the Polar Circle boat and this had made it easier to remove the mess.
Once Fram was underway and we’d changed out of our wet clothes we sat in the Observation Lounge on Deck 7 and watched the beautiful scenery glide by.