Cruising Dallmann Bay, Neumaya Channel, Paradise Bay, & Wilhemina Bay, Antarctica

Tuesday, 2 Jan 2024 – Marina’s ice pilot, Ulf-Peter, whose ability to analyze the current ice conditions, visibility and ice flow patterns would be invaluable during our tour of Antarctica.  Our tour would be narrated by Neil Gilbert’s Antarctic Expedition Team.

A little before 9:00 AM, the ship’s captain announced that we had entered Dallmann Bay, a bay lying between Brabant Island and Anvers Island, connected to Gerlache Strait by the Schollaert Channel, in the Palmer Archipelago.  There, we had spectacular views of snow-covered islands and icebergs.  

We went to our usual breakfast in the Terrace Café, and continued to watch the specular scenery through the windows.  When we returned to the cabin, Sally lay down for a nap and asked Jesse to waken her for any interesting sightings.  After a while, Jesse stopped snapping photos; there was just too much beautiful scenery! 

Later, the ship’s captain announced that due to extremely favorable weather and sea conditions, the ship will be able to transit the Neumaya Channel.  The channel is 16 miles long and about 1.5 miles wide, separating Anvers Island from Wiencke Island and Doumer Island, in the Palmer Archipelago.  Neumayer Channel is known for its majestic cliffs, an attraction for tourists who come to the region. It is said to be like a maze with no visible exits because of its inverted S-shape.  Its entrance and exits both have sharp bends.

It is very unusual for a ship of this size to be able to navigate the channel. 

We exited the channel at about 3:30 PM, and sailed past or to the entrance of Paradise Bay at about 4:45 PM.  Paradise Harbor, also known as Paradise Bay, is a wide embayment behind Lemaire and Bryde Islands in Antarctica, indenting the west coast of Graham Land between Duthiers and Lenix Points.  The name was first applied by whalers operating in the vicinity and was in use by 1920.  When it comes to Antarctic scenery, Paradise Bay is a longstanding favorite.  Enormous glaciers tower out of the steel-blue sea, shattered icebergs simmer along the shoreline, and there’s a fair chance you can spot whales, gentoo penguins, or crabeater seals as well.

The route/itinerary for Antarctica had been very confusing.  The original itinerary shows Half Moon Island on 2 Jan and Paradise Bay on 3 Jan; however, the Oceania Currents shows the itinerary for 2 Jan as Dallmann Bay, 9 AM; Paradise Bay, 1 PM, and Wilhemina Bay, 4:30 PM.  Of course, the itinerary does account for our unscheduled transit through the Neumaya Channel.  If we had been able to go online and get a better map of Antarctica, we may have been able to sort out the itinerary.  However, we have not been able to get online since the day before New Year’s Eve!

At about 6:00 PM, the ship’s captain announced that we would be reaching Wilhemina Bay before dark, at about 8:00 PM.

Before dinner, we went dancing to the 4 Corners Band in the Horizons again.  It had started raining and snowing, so we didn’t walk outside through the pool deck to get to the Terrace Café.  During dinner, we talked with Alicia.  She & Ed celebrated New Year’s Eve in the Martini’s Bar and danced to the music of the Marina Show Band. There was no dance floor in Martini’s, but they danced outside the door in the casino!  Several people there said that the Horizons was too crowded.  We also talked a little with Keith & Carol, who told us that Carol wasn’t feeling well.

Around midnight, Jesse noticed light shining through the draperies and thought that the balcony light might have been left on.  When he checked, he found that it was still light outside!  We had encountered a similar situation, previously, when cruising along the coast of northern Norway, the land of the Midnight Sun!