Mr Russ, who returned to Dunedin yesterday after leading an expedition of 50 mainly British birdwatching tourists aboard Spirit of Enderby, said encountering icebergs in subantarctic waters was an "unusual experience".
The owner/operator of Christchurch ecotourism company Heritage Expeditions has made more than 80 trips to the area, but was surprised to discover icebergs off the Auckland Islands last month.
The discovery meant the Russian crew of 22 aboard the former polar vessel remained on constant iceberg watch, as the dangerous hazards were not always detected by radar.
"These guys are from Vladivostok. They are ice masters."
It was unusual to encounter icebergs so far north, he said.
"From a navigational point of view, we had to be very careful."
Radar often confused icebergs with the tops of waves, so they remained a significant threat to shipping.
"I wouldn't want to be down there in a large cruise ship. That is why we don't have a tourist ship - we have a work-horse."
During the voyage, the ice-strengthened Spirit of Enderby was able to pull up alongside one of the icebergs, where the birdwatchers, much to their delight, were able to view prions, a small petrel.
During summer, the vessel will sail around the Antarctic and subantarctic before heading north through the Pacific and the Russian Far East for the remainder of the year.
The vessel, which normally operates from Bluff, berthed at Dunedin yesterday after arriving from the Chatham Islands.
It is due to depart this morning with its new contingent of mainly Swedish passengers.
The icebergs seen three weeks ago off Macquarie Island, about halfway between Stewart Island and the Antarctic, will not reach New Zealand, NZPA reported yesterday.
"It seems that all the westerlies we had at the end of last week have pushed them away from the coast.
