No Way Through

23rd January 2016 Part 1
Up early this morning for the navigation of the Lemaire Channel. As we entered the channel we lost the sun and it started to snow. The channel has spectacular views on either side of high peaks covered in snow and ice with some rock faces showing through. In the channel there was the odd penguin porpoising and seals on the ice floes. When we have a brief in the evening about the next days activities we are always told this is plan A, but we must be ready to change to plan B, C, D etc. This is the Antarctic and there are no local weather forecasts, just general ones. Well today was the first time that the plan had to change. We got quite a bit down the channel when we found we could not go any further due to it being blocked by ice. So the captain was forced to turn the ship around. On the way back up the channel the sun came out and this gave us a whole new perspective on the scenery. This u-turn means our expedition leader now needs to come up with a plan B.
So while plan B is being formulated we sailed north along the peninsula with truly spectacular views. We saw a couple of whale plumes off in the distance.
Now that the ice has blocked our path I think that's the farthest south we will go. It's a shame we will not get to the Ukrainian station, but now we have been beaten back by ice we are now true polar explorers.