Icebergs and Sea Ice
In the waters around Antarctica float an enormous number of icebergs and pieces of sea ice. The icebergs were formed on land and have broken off into the sea. They gleam white towering above the water and are blue below the surface. Sea ice is sea water that has frozen and generally appears as flat sheets cracked and broken into what seems like a million pieces, large and small.
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Icecap
The Antarctic continent is twice the size of Australia and its desolate and seemingly endless icecap extends to the horizon and beyond. The icecap features massive sheets of ice that end abruptly at the water's edge, crevasse-covered glaciers, and mountainous areas. Everywhere there is snow and ice, with only little bits of rocky terrain visible.
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French Research Station at Dumont d'Urville
Within the vast uninhabited and empty landscape, there are a few outposts where people live year round. We flew over the active French research station at Dumont d'Urville. Situated on a coastal rock outcropping near the foot of a glacier, the station is not far from floating icebergs and sea ice. It features an abandoned airstrip.
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New Year's Eve Flight
As you can imagine, a sightseeing flight on New Year's Eve is far from the normal air travel experience. There was quite a party atmosphere, starting before departure at the gate and throughout the flight. Here are some pictures of the event.
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