After our landing we had the opportunity to go kayaking at Cuverville Island. I have always enjoyed kayaking, especially at Lake Rotoiti, being low to the water and moving quietly through the environment. The operation was extremely slick with easy access onto the kayaks via a platform outside the mud room and within moments we were quietly heading with synchronised paddle strokes toward a nearby iceberg. We stopped and Edin retrieved a chunk of clear glacial ice from the sea. This is freshwater ice that has fallen as snow on the continent and then been compressed under the weight of glaciers until all the air has been forced from it leaving solid clear ice which slowly melts after having calved from the glacier into the sea.

We had the exciting experience of a large Leopard Seal popping his head up from the water just meters from the kayak to look at us before diving and swimming under our kayak. It was one of those exhilarating moments when you weren’t quite sure whether you should be feeling excited or nervous. As we progressed it began to snow until the snow was falling quite heavily and we decided to head back to the ship. After paddling in the snow the hamburgers on the lunch buffet went down a treat!

Photos with the Fuji X100s. This was the perfect camera for the job being small and light with a fixed 23mm lens (equivalent to 35mm on a full frame body) and fantastic image quality. It fitted easily inside the front of a parka and was with me on every Zodiac trip and landing.