Highlights of Antarctica

I could write so much about the days I spent in Antarctica, but here are the highlights. 

Neumayer Channel, Damoy Point, Goudier Island (Port Lockroy) and Jougla Point 


It was amazing standing on deck before breakfast as we sailed along the peninsula, I started to see penguins swimming in groups and a Weddell seal lying on a block of ice.  Was struck by how blue parts of the ice was. We navigated into the Neumayer channel and made our way to the first landing. 



The weather was truly Antarctic! Horizontal snow, wet and cold. We made our way around Damoy Point some people were camping on the island whilst they renovated the expedition hut - I didn't envy them.


In the afternoon we went to Port Lockroy We first visited the shop and Post Office and the museum and saw how the early scientists lived. Then we board a zodiac to go to another part of the island. On the way there our guide spotted a leopard seal right up next to one of the zodiacs. We watched the seal swim and occasional surface in the distance. As we went along 2 women at the back of the boat gasped as the leopard seal came right up to our boat and put its head up! A real close encounter!


We then spent the next hours watching the penguins as they made their way up and down the beach, repairing their nest with pebbles. Whale bones were arranged on the shore. This had been a whaling station and after a major iceberg calving there was a small tsunami and many bones washed up on the beach. The noise of the penguins came in waves as they called to each other, and then the smell was ever present.


Lemaire Channel, Pleneau Bay and Port Charcot


Got up early this morning to experience the ship navigating its way through the Lemaire Channel. The mountains on each side had many glaciers that had parts broken away and could have calved at any time. We saw humpback and minke whales in the distance as we came to the bay we anchored in. During breakfast, suddenly someone said whales! I rushed to the side wishing I had brought my binoculars, but no need, 2 humpback whales were swimming right next to the ship.


In the morning we explored Pleneau Bay on a zodiac. We started making our way through the icebergs, watching the penguins porpoising, a leopard seal, a weddell seal and several elephant seals.



In the afternoon we walked around Port Charcot. Just by the beach I spent time watching Gentoo penguins washing and preening themselves before going off hunting. The birds would wash themselves off in the water and then preen their fur with a wax substance they secrete from a gland on their back and put on their beak. I also saw Chinstrap and Adelie penguins.


Danco Island and Paradise Harbour

Woke around 6am and was first on deck to see an amazing view as we entered Paradise bay.




We boarded the zodiac and went onshore where and started the walk up the hill, passing several penguin colonies and the penguin highways were so deep that you sometimes lost sight of the penguins. The view from the hill was amazing, the water in the bay was like a mirror. After the walk we spent some more time in the zodiac and saw several whales that were doing a lot of tail slapping. 


After lunch it was back on the zodiacs and this time for the first time I took my camera with me. So pleased that I did. We saw so many whales and at one point 2 whales just got really close, swimming around the zodiac. Apparently it was a normal behaviour as they came to have a look and check us out.



Later that afternoon many of us queued up to do our Polar Plunge. There was a bit of a delay as they tried to clear the ice away from the walkway. The plan for most people was to jump in and quickly get I, but I had asked to swim so I climbed down the ladder and swam for a little and then got out - it was -2 degrees! Most people thought I was mad. But I swim all year at home and am quite used to it. 



Neko and Orne Harbour

As we arrived in Neko Harbour, the ship reduced speed because of the whales and yes after a while I saw several Minke whales swimming and turning in the water and showing their belly.


Then we boarded the zodiacs to land on the actual Antarctic continent, as all our other landings were on islands, I made the long trek up the hill through deep snow for this picture.



In the afternoon I joined my group for my last trip on a zodiac. We saw Chinstrap Penguins and groups of humpback whales.


This was certainly a trip of a lifetime and I felt privileged to see Antarctica and was so pleased to have sailed with Quark with such a great team. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Preparing for the trip of a lifetime

Image
    This is the first of a number of posts I will be writing about my trip to Argentina and Antarctica. For anyone else thinking about a trip like this I have included links to the products I chose after much research, am happy to answer any questions.  When I decided to retire slightly early, I knew my pension would give me a cash sum. But what to do with it? A slightly better car? Put it away for a rainy day? Or a holiday - but where?  I wanted to go somewhere different, a once in a lifetime trip. The idea of going Antarctica seemed to draw me. So vast, so far away. I had never been on a cruise, but knew I didn’t want to be on one of those large cruise ships, I wanted an adventure. And having recently started wild swimming I wanted to swim in the Antarctic!  So I started researching companies that would take me there. After hours of reading about different companies I contacted Quark . I booked a Zoom call with their team who spoke passionately about the trips...
Read more

Getting to know Buenos Aires

Image
My 13 hour flight went well, I managed a little sleep and 2 movies - such a great performance by Emma Thompson in ' Good Luck to You,  Leo Grande'.   I met a couple also traveling to join an Antarctica cruise, it was their belated honeymoon which had been delayed for three years. It sounded like we were going to have similar experiences but they were surprised to hear that I was going to do a polar plunge!  Immigration went smoothly, and I was relieved to see my orange suitcase appear on the carousel as soon as I walked into baggage reclaim.  The hotel had organised a driver to pick me up at the airport and for the first time in my life there was someone standing with my name on a card in arrivals. So w ithin 30 minutes of landing I was in 34 degrees of summer heat on my way to the hotel and beginning my adventure.  The driver spoke excellent English, which apparently is rare in Argentina as it is only taught in private schools. Now wish I had learnt more Spanis...
Read more

Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego National Park

Image
To prepare for my trip, I had watched the film “Scott of the Antarctic” as well as most of frozen Planet 1 and 2 and on the journey I read Ranolph Fiennes book on Shackleton and Sara Wheeler's Terra 'Incognito'. I remember the feeling as I flew into Ushuaia, that after all the months of preparation I couldn't quite believe that I was actually going to Antarctica.  I was pleased to see my suitcase arrive safely in Ushuaia and was met by Rumbo Sur the transfer company for Quark who took me to my hotel. I had booked 2 extra nights so I could see the national park. There was a slight problem checking into the hotel sadly my room was not ready; so they moved me to their 5 star hotel next door with pool and spa! Because the hotel was quite high up there were lovely views across the Beagle Channel. The view was constantly changing rain, snow on the mountains and sunshine on the sea.  I had booked a tour of the National Park near Ushuaia with Rumbo Sur. As I joined the bus I fo...
Read more