Antarctic Photos 9 – Palmer Station

Palmer Station is one of the three US scientific bases in Antarctica

As we approached Palmer the brash ice was incredibly thick – we doubted whether we would get there, but we were determined to do so

Things weren’t helped by the big berg that blocked entrance to the creek

The dinghy went ahead to recce the final approaches

Eventually we give up to anchor elsewhere and dinghy in

Our chosen anchorage with two very long lines ashore – one of them came loose during the storm that night

The station had hoisted the Union Flag as a courtesy for our visit

Group shot in front of the decorated oil storage tank

The dinghy returns to Mina2 after our visit to the station

Our first sighting of the little Adelie penguins in Antarctica. They are cold loving  and Palmer is the northernmost rookery – but shrinking every year. The scientists believe that there will be none left here by 2014