Opportunities to land on Antarctica in the Peninsula region are few and far between. Most of the Antarctic Peninsula is covered by enormous volumes of snow and glacial ice, which drape steep rocky cliffs. Where rock are exposed, they usually plummet at prohibitively steep angles into the water. There are very few places where the land is flat enough to permit a landing, and some of these areas are protected.

However, one is not going to sail all this way and be thwarted! There are two places commonly visited by the cruise ships where you can walk on the Antarctic Continent - Neko Harbour and Paradise Bay.

A splash of sun and snow
Arctowski Peninsula

The first thing that hits you when you cruise into the Palmer Archipelago and gaze at the Antarctic Peninsula is the snow! No trip to the Rockies or the Alps can prepare you for the volume of snow here! Although the snow in the Antarctic Peninsula probably rarely exceeds a 100m depth, it is mind-boggling to realise the snow can reach 5km in height over Eastern Antarctica!

Moody reflections
Neko Harbour

An inversion layer usually hovers down the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula. However, sunlight will creep under these clouds as the summer progresses and with calm conditions, the Antarctic Peninsula can reveal a mysterious and moody atmosphere.

Forbidden Plateau revealed
Neko Harbour

Quite often, clouds will shroud these mountains to about 100m above sea level. And then on some days, they lift! On this day in late February, 2002, the clouds lifted enough to reveal the Forbidden Plateau seperating eastern and western Antarctic Peninsula; next stop: Weddell Sea!

Icebergs
Neko Harbour

As the clouds lift, they fragment, letting in beams of sunlight, throwing luminescent pearly white light of snow and ice

Abandoned (but functional) Argentinean Survival Shack
Neko Harbour

At the start of 2002, the Argentineans were battling to save their savings and economy. All Antarctic operations ceased immediately. However, their legacy lives on in Antarctica, and this is a survival shack at Neko Harbour, still fully stocked and ready to offer shelter to anyone who becomes stranded in a bad storm.

View from Above
Paradise Bay

A hill above the landing site in Paradise Bay offers up spectacular views of Paradise Bay itself. Even if overcast, reflected sunlight on the edges of the cloud cover can cause the snow to a glow under its grey canopy.

Snow filled bay
Paradise Bay

...And if a sunbeam breaks through the clouds, the snow will glow in shadow and luminesce in sunlight!

View from the sea
Palmerland from Bellingshausen Sea

Heading further south, the inversion layer tended to break up late in the day (for us anyway!), revealing the magnificent steep mountains, completely blanketed in snow and glacial ice.