Four more days have passed… plenty of adventure and even more wild
life. It’s a bit much to capture so I will just cover today. But know
that the other days of paddling were full of more amazing nature
bursting at the seams with whales, penguins and seals.
Today was our biggest day yet. It pushed many of us to the edge of, or
even beyond, our comfort zones. We learned a little about ourselves and
each other, and at the end of it all we are safely back on board the
Spirit of Sydney, around bowls of chips and guacamole and glasses of
wine, cocoa, tea and beer.
This morning we started anchored to a shipwreck in a protected cove in
Enterprise Island. We arrived at this spot yesterday afternoon and
explored the island by foot, resting our arms after four days of
paddling and giving ourselves a break before today.
This AM, boats and paddlers were in the water just before 9am and off we
went on our quest to circumnavigate Nansen Island, just adjacent to
Enterprise. The morning was lovely. Glassy water and calm winds allowed
us to take our time and take in the scenery. Mountains, glaciers and
icebergs everywhere. The sun seemed to strategically peak through the
clouds and spotlight different features every so often, making a
particular mountain or iceberg glow in contrast with the black and white
surrounding, and bringing new appreciation to the majesty around us.
A detour between two smaller islands to check out a metal box (man made
objects tend to stand out and peak curiosity due to their relatively
infrequent presence) led to the sighting of a whale that seemed to
lazily pace us off to the side for the next couple of miles. Nothing
quite like going for a paddle with a Humpback Whale.
We continued around the South side of Nansen, occasionally pausing to
watch fur seals or penguins as they went about their business, or as
they interrupted their business to watch us right back.
Lunch at the South end of the island was another opportunity to observe
penguins, who seemed to be holding a conference on a sand spit several
yards away waddling about and flapping their flightless wings. At that
point we were past returning the way we came, and had committed to fully
circumnavigating the island – all 17 nautical miles of it.
If the weather had held, it would have been a breeze, but the wind began
to pick up, just as we rounded to the more exposed, Western side of the
island. It was time to kick into high gear.
One thing I think most of us have found interesting in this new
landscape is that our natural kayaker instinct to stay close to shore to
stay out of the wind just doesn’t work. The sheer, often overhanging
faces of glaciers butt up to the shore almost everywhere, and there is a
very real possibility of large (the size of cars… trucks… buildings)
chunks of ice calving off and either crushing you or toppling you in the
ensuing wave of displaced water. We actually saw and heard the
thunderous calving multiple times today, which brought that particular
risk to life. So as the wind picks up, we shirk the protection of the
land and lean into crossing the open water, heads down, earning each bit
of distance.
Luckily, this is a very strong group of paddlers, and nothing we have
experienced yet has held us back. As the wind picked up, we crossed a
3.5 mile bay, working our way towards the black rocky spit we could just
make out in the distance. Not much talking or picture taking occurred,
lest we lose ground.
Finally we arrived, 12 miles into the paddle. We were greeted by a large
Elephant Seal that seemed a bit wary of us, but who reluctantly shared
the rocky cove as we regrouped and determined next steps.
Five miles remained, around the more exposed Northern end of the island
and then crossing back over to Enterprise. After some discussion and
snacks we took to the water again. It was time to make the last push
back to the boat. And we did so with great success – everyone staying
strong and focused. We set out into the waves and wind and actually made
great time around the next two points and then across the last bit of
open crossing to the more protected and calm water near Enterprise. A
short break to cheer ourselves on, and then one last push around
Enterprise to the Spirit of Sydney – a welcome sight as we entered the
small cove.
All told, today’s paddle was just over 9 hours and 17 nautical miles
(equivalent to 20 on land). We were always in the capable hands of our
guides, and I have no doubt that we were not at great actual risk, but
we definitely did get to test out the limits of our endurance, and
tolerance for chaos. And now it is time to sleep because chaos can be
quite exhausting.
Until next time…
Allison, Kim, Regina, Vivian, Lyle, Justine, JF, Calypso, Adrian