When a photographer's worst nightmare comes true.
Day 7 It's another stormy day in so many ways.
Zodiacs and brash ice on a stormy Antarctica day yet the scenery is still stunning.
It's another stormy day, however, our determined captain and crew persevere to find a calmer location for us to explore.
Orne Harbour is the day’s first planned landing away from rougher waters. It's on the northwest side of the Arctowski Peninsula near the entrance to Errera Channel.
Unfortunately, the landing site was closed off with brash ice, (the accumulation of floating ice).
We watched the scouting crew continue around the corner of a stunning island. The island ended with a tall peak that had such a strong powerful presence to it. The Zodiacs found a calmer location on the other side of this point, so the captain repositioned the ship.
The view straight on this point of Danco Island looks to me like the head of a breaching Humpback whale. While on the island, this seemed fitting as we were treated to repeated Humpback whale sightings.
One of many Humpback sitings
While touring the island, as if mother nature suddenly flipped a switch the winds start to gust and we are quickly called off the island. The zodiac rides to date have been bumpy, wet and fun but I still pulled my phone out for occasional pictures. I routinely put my camera gear into a dry bag, and then into a backpack that I hang onto around my feet in the zodiac.
Stormy shore on Danco Island
Today the crew works hard to steady the zodiac's for our entry so we hopped in quickly to help them out and get going. This time it's rough and wet enough that I know I'll need to keep my phone tucked in my coat pocket, and I leave my backpack on my back.
Heading back to the ship is the funest ride ever. Everyone is bouncing around, getting wet and laughing. It's really quite a blast.
We face backwards to keep the cold splashing water on our backs. Half way back I see a bright yellow dry bag floating behind us so I call to our driver someone has lost their bag. At that same moment my heart stops, it's MY dry bag! My back pack unzipped from all the bouncing and moving and my dry bag fell out.
John quickly turns the zodiac around and pulls up next to it so Norm can grab it. It's floating so my gear will be fine. Norm hands me my bag full of my camera gear.... And cold salt water.
I always say, no biggy, shit happens. But sometimes some shit hurts a little more than others.
Back on board I open up everything to dry out, but when the inside of your lenses look like half empy snow globes the situation looks grim.
I can salvage the photos on my memory cards, and this adventure is near the end, not the beginning, so that's the good news.
In conversation with a couple experienced crew members I learn a very important lesson to carry forward.
Always have a big enough dry bag to fold four times. I folded mine twice, which was not enough to keep the center of the bag closed on impact and in the rough water.
So if you use dry bags, remember four rolls minimum!
How do you like my new theme-based paperweights?
