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Hi, I'm Jonathan Bird and welcome to my world!
Soon we head back to the ship and and pull anchor to move a few hours south. We're
making our way towards the polar circle, and passing some incredible scenery on the way!
The next day, back in the Zodiacs, we head towards a shipwreck. The Governor was a whaling
ship that caught fire in 1916, so the captain ran it aground to save the crew.
I drop into the water to explore the southernmost shipwreck of my life. Although the bow is
out of the water, the stern lies over 70 feet below. It's a long swim down the side of
the hull to get to the stern.
The hull is covered in patches of beautiful yellow finger sponges. I didn't realize
that sponges like this could be found in such cold water.
Looking closer at the sponges, I discover an Antarctic blenny resting there. Fish survive
in this water because they have antifreeze in their blood that keeps it from freezing,
even when the water is below 32 degrees.
Suddenly, a huge shape catches my eye!
It's the biggest jelly I have ever seen in my life, swimming through the water with
tentacles hanging down more than 50 feet!
I swim over to investigate this massive animal, and the bell of the jelly is more than two
feet across!
As I rise toward the surface at the end of my dive, I encounter a huge wall of ice. It's
an iceberg, that drifted into the bay.
The wall of the iceberg is covered in dimples, like the ones on a golf ball. This pattern
forms as the iceberg melts. Thousands of tiny bubbles are released from the melting ice
as well, making the water near the iceberg look like a fizzy drink!
The iceberg only rises a few feet above the surface, but its more than thirty feet deep.
When you see an iceberg floating by, there's not that much above water sometimes, but that's
because 90% of an iceberg is underwater. If I flip it over, you can see just how much
ice there is. That's why icebergs are really dangerous to ships, because you can't see
the part that's hidden underwater. Fun with ice!
Let me get my arm under it. Getting the gear out of the water and into the zodiac can be
quite a challenge because of all the weight I have to carry.
Heading back to the ship, we have a little time to unwind while we again change locations,
heading even further south.
We pass through the Lemaire Channel, filled with floating chunks of ice. I can hear them
bouncing off the bow, and I'm glad that this ship has an ice-strengthened hull!
The next morning we are at it again, launching the Zodiacs over the side and preparing for
another adventure.
I carry my camera down to the boat and we're off. Today we're hunting quietly for a very
special animal.
And sure enough, we found them. Leopard seals sleeping on an iceberg. These animals which
reach 12 feet long, are the apex predators of the Antarctic. There are no sharks in the
waters of Antarctica, but these seals fill that niche in the food chain.
Soon, the Leopard seals wake from their nap and come over to investigate us.
They have been known to bite and deflate Zodiacs when they are being territorial.
We watch carefully for a few minutes before we drop into the water with this animal. Leopard
seals are big, aggressive and have sharp teeth. But this one doesn't look aggressive at
all.
I must admit, I'm a little apprehensive as I prepare to roll into the water, but I'm
also excited. I have wanted to film a Leopard seal for a long time!
The seal makes a few passes to check me out, but he seems a lot more curious than aggressive.
I don't follow the seal at all, but hold my ground and keep the camera rolling. I let
him come to me.
Divers are not very common down here. This Leopard seal has probably never seen a diver,
or a video camera before.
Either he sees his reflection in the lens, or he's looking for a career in show business.
Either way, this animal sure doesn't seem to mind my presence.
The leopard seal is so curious, that he stays around for more than an hour. I even have
enough time to get my still camera and take a few pictures.
Look how big he is compared to me—it's a good thing he's in good mood.
( music )
Although Leopard seals can hold their breath for an hour while diving, this one lounging
with me near the surface regularly pops his nose above water for a breath.
That was such a great dive with that leopard seal! Man it was so friendly. It stayed with
me for over an hour, but I've been in this water for so long my face is frozen.
With the circulation returning to my face, we head back to the ship, while I think of
all the great things I saw in Antarctica, from the towering walls of a tremendous iceberg....to
a gigantic jelly. I saw incredible underwater acrobatics. And astonishingly beautiful scenery.
Penguins nesting among the ancient bones of whales. And Humpbacks feeding in some of the
most beautiful bays I have ever seen.
From the surprising color of the invertebrates living in the freezing water, to the stark
beauty of the frozen landscape, Antarctica is spectacular to behold.
Soon, we must turn north for our long journey back to Ushuaia.
As the sun sets on the passing ice, I have plenty of time to reminisce about my adventures.
As we leave the protection of the Antarctica Peninsula, we discover the Drake passage is
not as kind as it was on the way down!
But for that incredible hour I spent with a curious Leopard seal, it's worth it. Antarctica
might be cold, and the diving is hard work, but I'll never forget this magical place
way down at the bottom of the blue world.