Antarctica

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



A rugged white land of snow and ice encircled and defended by the world's roughest seas, Antarctica is truly a spectacular place - a world in hues of blue, black and white but bursting with life.  

After 2 days at sea we spent 5 days exploring the icy shores, mountains and islands. The weather can change at any moment and landings are frequently cancelled due to dangerous conditions, so we were very lucky to get off the ship for at least two excursions each day. I felt incredibly privileged to see Adelie, Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins, Weddell, Crab Eater, Antarctic Fur, Southern Elephant and Leopard Seals as well as many other types of birds and whales in such a pristine environment. It was fantastic to see the Gentoo penguins porpoising and swimming fast under the surface of the water; they really are incredible birds. Also amazing to think that tiny creatures as small as krill keep the whole ecosystem thriving in such a harsh environment.

The icebergs were floating sculptures, huge monuments carved in different shapes. Looking over the side of the zodiac through the crystal clear water I could see how huge the iceberg was under. Every so often we would cruise around looking at them and be surprised and delighted when we found seals resting on the ice. 

Absolutely awesome trip!

On the one hand, visiting the tiny sample of a few hundred kilometres of shorelines in this finger of Antarctica that reaches north as a sample of the whole continent is a bit like changing planes at JFK to see what life is like in Utah.  The vast majority of this highest and driest and coldest and windiest continent is just as unknown to me now as before.  Nevertheless, the "bananna belt" of the Antarctic Peninsula with its craggy mountains and jagged coastline is something pretty special in itself.  There's not a huge diversity of species here, but there is life - and lots of it.  Everything that lives here is so specialised and perfectly adapted to the the environment that it's just amazing to observe in awe how these rugged organisms get on.

Some info about our trip on the MV Ushuaia:
  
The journey down through the Drake Passage (up to 40 degrees of roll in 100kph winds in high seas!), a map of our course, and the expedition team's video compilation... Also check out the Expedition Leader's Log of the Voyage and the Wildlife Checklist.

Tierra del Fuego

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Everything all came together on one day when we booked our Antarctica trip and also got a great deal on a 5 day trip down to Cape Horn and up to Punta Arenas. The boat included three course meals, an open bar and two zodiac boat shore excursions every day- result! It was a fantastic boat and we felt very comfortable in our luxurious cabin where we had someone make our bed three times a day! It was brilliant to sail around Patagonia and see some stunning blue glaciers, flora and wildlife. We were lucky enough to see Cormorants with their chicks, Skuas, Vultures, Condors, Oyster Catchers and a huge colony of Magellan Penguins on the last morning. It was fascinating to watch: a baby Cormorant who had fallen from its nest whose fate was sealed, fluffy baby penguins moulting and the adults interacting and a Skua who was injured desperately trying to hunt for food around the Penguins' dens. I got pretty used to being greeted after an excursion by a man serving out hot chocolate and scotch. A nice little tipple when one has been out exploring in the cold!

 
Pretty awesome - especially with the great hikes, wildlife, awesome 4-course gourmet meals, and free bar.  And the HUGE last minute discount - we paid less than 1/4 the fare of some others in the same-sized cabins.  This trip plus our upcoming Antarctica trip still came in under our original budget.  And did we mention free bar?