During the night it became clear that the ice conditions were impossible, and the ship was turned back to head north. We were both depressed by the news when we awoke this morning. It is a bitter disappointment after having come so far, that we will not get to the Antarctic Continent nor will we see any Emperor or Adelie colonies. We have resolved that we will, as soon as possible, take another trip and get to the continent - even if only a short trip to the Peninsula.
Not a lot happened during the day - nobody felt much like celebrating Christmas due to the bad news. Although it is exciting to be spending Christmas day in the ice in the Southern Ocean, it isn't what we had hoped for or expected.
There were a few lighter moments during the day; Pete was interviewed by the Japanese film crew (twice); once with the normal camera and again with the new HDTV system - they particularly liked the penguin sweatshirt (our hand painted one) and the fact (which surprised them) that I knew to talk to the camera! Christmas dinner was served at lunch time and was a fairly jolly affair interrupted by a call to come out to see a Minke whale (it was only just visible a good distance away and dived soon after I got to the bridge). Most people missed the sighting and it was generally believed it was a joke on the part of the Russians to get us out of the dining room so they could pinch all the food.
After lunch we passed by a particularly photogenic seal who decided to keep on posing for us as long as we stayed around. Beside this seal the only photographic opportunities today have been of types of ice. I took a goodly number for my ice cream lecture, but I fear I will still need to get some more - another reason to come again.
In the evening the weather was again closing in. We were getting into some thick 'bergy bits' and it started to snow. We thought 'perhaps we will get trapped and have to go back south'. If only.
