During our voyage around the Antarctic peninsula, we used zodiac boats to get from the ship to beaches and landing sites to visit islands and continental Antarctica. But landings were not always possible due to ice conditions or lack of suitable landing sites. In those cases, we went on 60-90min zodiac cruises which allowed us to see the animals, icebergs and islands from the water.
While those were usually quite cold because we sitting and not walking in the freezing temperatures and strong winds but they offered a marvelous “big picture” view of everything nature had to offer. The Melchior Islands archipelago boasted narrow passages with no shortage of beautiful snow covered sceneries and ice sculptures floating around us.
The tall icy mountains beside us were majestic and peaceful. Looking up these walls of polished ice brought nothing but awe and wonder. Blue ice shimmered through the many cracks revealing thousands of years of history of this place. We were gliding through a gigantic museum of perfectly preserved ancient ice. What a privilege!
Soon we turned a corner and headed straight towards another snow covered glacier. It had a more rugged look with deep crevasses and something that looked like a large opening. Above it, the glacier’s shape revealed the gentle face of a person with calmly closed eyes, a pronounced nose, and a pointy hat. It almost looked like she (or he?) was watching over this opening and welcoming us to this magical place.
Another day, we were passing through the Gerlache Strait, a beautiful channel that had us surrounded with mountainous landscapes on either side of the ship. One evening, the evening sun brought on a beautiful light show over the water. I was walking around the ship for some fresh air and to soak up the beautiful yellow, blue and purple colors when I spotted what looked like a reindeer swimming in the water. The iceberg behind it looked like a flat-roofed warehouse or depot. Christmas was not far off — maybe I had caught Santa on his way from the South Pole to children around the world?
Whether you see what I saw in those icebergs — it doesn’t matter. What I’ve learned is that icebergs have all the shapes and as you pass by them you’ll get to see even more versions of them. They never are what they seem to be, and that isn’t even counting what’s under the surface. A good reminder for us all to not judge too quickly, and that moving on one’s position can easily open up a whole new view. And possibly one with a good laugh.
So go and explore nature, wherever you are. There will always be clouds in the sky to help you let your mind wonder for a minute. Just watch for things that resonates with you. Because there is always something to discover, always a new way to look at things. You may be surprised what you find and how the faces in things will change things for you.