Antarctica has this mythic weight. It resides in the collective unconscious of so many people, and it makes this huge impact, just like outer space. It’s like going to the moon. ― Jon Krakauer
Even though my Antarctica journey ended over a week ago, I still find myself struggling to sum up my experience into a few words or a couple of sentences. On the one hand, I know I’m very fortunate to experience something so unique and magical. I realized this as soon as I first laid eyes on Danco Island. It’s an amazing feeling and something that I can only describe as supremely breath-taking.
On the other hand, I think the reason why I find it so hard to describe Antarctica is because there is no other place on planet Earth like it. Nothing in movies, National Geographic magazines, trips to the picturesque places, or photos on the Internet prepared me for what I experienced.
It truly is a place that can only be described as extraterrestrial, yet somewhat still earthly simply because it is surrounded by water and contains life. One of the first things that ran through my mind (and I am sure ran through others’ as well) was “am I on another planet?”
Maybe one day I’ll figure out what it all meant, but until then, here are some pictures and videos from my adventures On the Ice , including the Polar Plunge pics. Enjoy!
Note: I cannot take credit for all these wonderful photos and videos. Some of the credit deservedly goes to friends and intrepid travelers I met on my journey. Thanks all!
Danco Island (Evening – Wednesday, December 12, 2018)
Danco Island will always have a special place in my heart, simply because it was the first for many things. Getting to ride on a Zodiac boat, setting foot on Antarctica, and seeing penguins – all in one stop. During this stop we saw lots of Gentoo penguins and experienced firsthand what penguin guano smells like. Hint: it’s not great 🙂
My first landing on Antarctica via Zodiac!
Gentoo penguin waddle (pack of penguins) and tobogganing…
While I was waiting to set foot on Danco, I caught the tail end of an avalanche!
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Lemaire Channel (Morning of Thursday, December 13, 2018)
This spectacular channel, which is just 1,600 meters wide at its narrowest point, is an unmissable stop. You can expect to see an iceberg-filled passage, surrounded by towering ice cliffs.
One of the best times of day to sail through the Lemaire is at sunset, when the sun dips below the horizon for just an hour before returning for another 23 hours of daylight during the months of December and January. Unfortunately, we cruised through the Lemaire Channel during the morning hours, so the sunset view will have to wait for another time.
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Petermann Island (Afternoon of Thursday, December 13, 2018)
Petermann Island was discovered by the Dallman expedition of 1873-4 and named after August Petermann, a German geographer and supporter of polar exploration.
During this stop, we got some more fantastic shots of Gentoo penguins and were introduced to both Adélie penguins and crabeater seals. I quickly learned that crabeater seals are truly fascinating mammals, as they have a unique adaptation for feeding. They evolved a sieve-like tooth structure that filter krill, somewhat like Baleen whales. When eating. they suck in water containing krill, close their jaws, and then force the water back out between their specialized teeth, trapping the krill inside. Amazing stuff!
Note: Special shout out to my man, Sasha! Great job navigating those icebergs.
Pléneau Bay (Evening of Thursday, December 13, 2018)
Pléneau Bay is home to an incredible collection of icebergs in an area known as Iceberg Graveyard. It is a highlight of any visit to the Antarctic Peninsula. Fortunately, I was able to enjoy some extremely candid views of icebergs, seals, and penguins all on a paddle kayak.
For those of you who dislike kayaking, but are looking for an uninterrupted view of sea creatures, this is the way to go. Most trips offer this as a one-time excursion. Personally, I think it’s a better option than committing large sums of money and time for regular kayak excursions.
Note: Shout-out to Kirsten for narrating!
Camping at Leith Cove (Evening of Thursday December 13, 2018)
For those of you who know me, I’ve camped out in a lot of places around the world. The list includes places like Denali (Alaska), West Coast Trail (Canada), New Zealand, Pictured Rocks (Michigan), Potomac River (Maryland/DC) and who can forget the wild and treacherous campgrounds of Wisconsin. 🙂 While my sleeping bag and bivy sack were really comfortable , nothing prepared me for the single-digit temps and negative degree wind chill at our 5am wake-up call. Brrrrrrrr!
Aside from the brutal morning conditions, I highly recommend camping if you get the chance. It’s an experience you’ll never forget. Just be mentally prepared to handle cold temps and strong wind gusts in the morning.
Note: We were fortunate enough to have some company on our trip. Felt good to know we weren’t alone out there.
Paradise Bay (Morning of Friday, December 14, 2018)
Paradise Harbor is a deep and glaciated bay – it is is a favorite for Zodiac cruising, particularly around the glaciers of Skontorp Cove where calving occurs often. This region has birds, penguins, and Antarctic terns on the nearby cliffs. It is also home to the Argentine station Almirante Brown.
The most exciting part of this trip was following a pod of humpback whales. It’s amazing to hear them come up for air as you can’t help but notice how hypnotic the sound is. You’ll be surprised how quiet everyone becomes as soon as the main attraction shows up.
Fast Ice/Wilhelmina Bay (Afternoon of Friday, December 14, 2018)
Wilhelmina Bay was discovered by Adrien de Gerlache during the Belgian Antarctic Expedition of 1897-99. It is named after Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, who was 18 years old at the time.
This was probably the most memorable, and best, part of the trip. Not only did we park ourselves in to a sheet of fast ice (sea ice that is “fastened” to the coastline), but we also got to enjoy a quick drink on it.
Soon after we started drinking and having the world’s most southern snowball fight, we were told to get back on the Zodiacs and evacuate. An iceberg started heading straight for our landing area, I don’t think I’ve seen anything that big move so quickly before. I point it out in the video below (apologies for the bad footage – I was trying my best to hustle and get off the ice sheet).
Polar Plunge (Evening of Friday, December 14, 2018)
The polar plunge in Antarctica is almost a rite of passage. Brave participants are invited one-by-one onto a landing beside the ship, where they’re clipped to a safety line. From there, it’s just a short leap into the icy waters of the Southern Ocean!
Personally, I would do it all over again. Although at the time of the plunge that was the last thing on my mind. Surprisingly, the water feels quite comfortable for a while, until you stick your head out and get a gust of Antarctic wind. Then it’s a rush to get back up the stairs and into something warm.
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Great Wall Station – China research station (Afternoon of Saturday, December 15, 2018)
The Great Wall Station is located on the Fildes Peninsula on the southwestern point of King George Island in the South Shetland Islands. Opened February 20, 1985, the Great Wall Station is the first Chinese research station in Antarctica. Research done at the base includes studies in meteorology, tide measurements, geomagnetism, upper-atmosphere physics, and satellite imagery.
This stop was probably the least physically demanding part of the trip. It was a nice break from all the hustle and bustle that occurred the previous three days. We got a cool stamp in our passports and I got to partake in an art class aboard the Ocean Diamond afterwards. Awesome stuff!
After enjoying a low-key jaunt at Great Wall, we quickly shifted our focus to eating. The crew aboard the Ocean Diamond prepared a world-class outdoor BBQ. The food was great and the drinks were flowing!
Turret Point (Evening of Saturday, December 15, 2018)
On the eastern end of King George Island, Turret Point sits on a cobbled beach with gentle slopes that extend to a heavily crevassed glacier. It is home to breeding chinstrap and Gentoo penguins and a variety of seal species. This memorable spot is where I was first introduced to the elephant seal and Antarctic petrels.
If there’s one thing that will always stand out to me about the elephant seals is there loud, belch-sounding calls. I’ve never heard anything so funny, yet at the same time, so intimidating.
Elephant Point (Morning of Sunday, December 16, 2018)
Elephant Point is a small, peninsula, a little over 1 km long on the south coast of Livingston Island. Elephant Point offers a wide range of Antarctic wildlife, with a possibility of seeing giant petrels, skuas, Gentoo and chinstrap penguins, and elephant and leopard seals.
This location was extra special to all of us as it’s rarely visited by expeditions. In fact, most of our tour guides, who have visited Antarctica many times, had never been to Elephant Island until our trip!
I also had the luxury of being chased by a few elephant seals. Not sure if they were attracted to my bright yellow jacket or wanted to get to know me a bit more; either way they did get a little to close for comfort.
Baily Head (Afternoon of Sunday, December 16th, 2018)
Baily Head lies on the southeastern extremity of Deception Island. Baily Head is home to one of the largest chinstrap penguin colonies on the Antarctic Peninsula. It is notoriously difficult to land at Baily Head due to the topography of the beach and typically has very large swells. Here’s a video of how we got on shore via Zodiac.
Never seen so many penguins in one place! Estimates were nearing 30-40 thousand!
Deception Island (Afternoon of Sunday, December 16, 2018)
Deception Island is an island in the South Shetland Islands archipelago, and has one of the safest harbors in Antarctica. The island previously held a whaling station, but now is a tourist destination and scientific outpost, with Argentine and Spanish research bases. It was also the last stop on our trip before turning around and heading back to Ushuaia. Next up…the dreaded Drake Passage.
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Drake Passage (Monday, December 17th through Wednesday, December 19th)
This was probably the toughest part of the trip. Enduring over 24 straight hours of 18+ ft swells wasn’t exactly my idea of a memorable closing. I didn’t get much sleep on the ride back, as I’m sure you can imagine, and I could have done without the mind-altering Dramamine and motion-sickness patch. Here’s a 30 second snippet of what our journey was like on the way back (yes, people on the ship vomited – fortunately I was not one of them).
As bittersweet as it was to leave the ship on Wednesday morning, I’ve never been happier to set foot on land.
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All good things must come to an end…
…and this trip was no different. As we said our final goodbyes to Antarctica, I couldn’t help but think “goodbye for now, I’ll see you again someday.”
That kind of sums it up for now. I hope to have another post out soon with some final thoughts on my trip – including my thoughts on the future of tourism in Antarctica. Maybe I’ll be in a better position to explain how I feel about the trip too. In the meantime, if you have any questions or would like to discuss the content I shared – please let me know! Until next time…
Worldly Musings 