An easy walk on an actual trail to Bernal Glacier and a late afternoon passage through Kirke Narrows. The glacier has retreated about 3/4 of a mile since the mid 1970’s.
Kirke Narrows is so narrow that passage is regulated and timed and our “ice pilot” had to go out in a zodiac and communicate with the captain to let her know current tide and wind measurements.
From the International Hydrographic Review website:
The Kirke narrow has in its narrowest part about 130 meters between coast and coast; but, in reality its navigable width is approximately 40 meters. The land extends from its south coast to the center of the canal, where a shallow feature of about 5 meters stands out
The Kirke Canal is located in the Magellan and Chilean Antarctic Region, specifically in the province of Ultima Esperanza. Its importance is that it constitutes one of the only two maritime accesses to the capital of that province, the city of Puerto Natales which, according to the 2017 census, has a total of 21,477 inhabitants. In addition, this city is a great tourist attraction, since it is a must stop on the way to Torres del Paine National Park, which has, according to the statistics included in its website (www.parquetorresdelpaine.cl), an average of about 500,000 visitors a year from all over the world.
Note the zodiac in the middle of the narrow:
We were all invited up to the bridge but asked to be quiet!