This is pack-ice in the summer months around the
Antarctic peninsula. The ice looks fairly continuous, but has quite
a lot of open water between the pieces and so can be relatively
easily pushed aside by an ice-strengthened ship, in this case HMS
Endurance. Larger pieces such as this one that are hit by the bow
of the ship crack up into smaller pieces.
Proper Ice breakers have rounded hulls and rounded
bows rather than being sharp and pointed. When breaking through
very thick ice, the front of the ship rides up over the ice and
the weight of the ship breaks through.
Passage is slow though, and heavy on fuel. Most
of all, it takes an experienced and well informed ice-pilot to be
confident in entering such ice so as not to be locked into the pack
should the wind direction change and consolidate the ice.
Paul Ward - Pentax equipment,
50mm lens, 35mm film, K64.
This picture may not be copied
or used in any manner without prior written permission.
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