On 27 January, now deep into the Weddell Sea, came the first intimation of land; seabed samples produced blue clay, remnants of glacial deposits that would not be found far from shore. On 28 January a wide stretch of water appeared, extending southward to the horizon: "No one had expected an open Weddell Sea behind a pack ice girdle of roughly 1,100 nautical miles", wrote Filchner.
On January 27, deep in the Weddell Sea, the first sign of land appeared; seabed samples yielded blue clay, remnants of glacial deposits that would not be found far from shore. On January 28, a vast expanse of water emerged, stretching southward to the horizon: "No one had anticipated an open Weddell Sea behind a pack ice ring approximately 1,100 nautical miles wide," wrote Filchner.