Antarctic Explorer

Trip Report - by Vivian Wong

My 10 day Antarctica Explorer was full of surprises. Having flown half way down the globe I found Ushuaia to be very charming and peaceful. The town is situated at the southern most tip of Argentina overlooking the Beagle Channel with jagged snowy peaks in the background. I took an optional excursion to beautiful Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire) National Park. I also enjoyed a tranquil trek to Lake Emerald where our guide showed us traces left behind by glacial movement ages ago. In the evening I boarded our expedition ship, Akademik Ioffe, and we set out to sail the notorious Drake Passage. I was wondering what it was going to be like at the sea and soon found out after dinner! The calm waters of the Beagle Channel had been replaced by a roaring Force 10 storm from way out of the Pacific. Nevertheless, many passengers were still up at the bridge taking photos as well as enjoying various presentations about Antarctica in the lecture room. After adjusting to the ship motions, I joined the others on the bridge overlooking seabirds soaring above the angry waves. During the crossing I felt very safe and comfortable in my cabin, snoozing away with the periodic swells. I was very impressed with the stability of the ship’s capability going through the storm.

It was very exciting when our expedition leader announced our first Antarctic Zodiac evening cruise. I was so thrilled with how our Zodiac zigzagged between surreal neon-blue icebergs and brash ice in the beautiful twilight hour. Several Minke whales and Leopard seals were spotted in a distance tearing through the dark waters. This was a truly magical experience. Yet this was only an introduction to the amazing wildlife experience that we were going to encounter. Next morning we had a busy day with on shore excursions to see little Adelie and Gentoo penguins. Afraid of disturbing the penguins I squatted at knees length at a distance. Surprisingly, a curious penguin started to walk toward me. It’s almost comical looking into each others eyes and wondering who’s observing who. Other passengers were having the same phenomenal experience all over the island as well. The penguins were just as curious as we were! In the evening I was among some 40 individuals who were crazy enough to forgo our warm beds and chose to camp on an open icy ground. After all it is a once in a life time experience to camp on Antarctica! Despite the coldness outside my bivey sack, it was one of the warmest camping nights in my life. Due to an orchestra of snorers and chirping penguins I didn’t get much sleep. The excitement had kept me up for another day of viewing 100 -150 feet high glaciers. To continue the day with an adventurous spirit I was among the few passengers to jump into a sea of refrigerator-sized ice cubes and earned my first (and probably my last) Antarctic swimming certificate. The high point of the trip was a morning cruise filled with amazing whale encounters. A dozen of gentle Humpback whales came close and spy-hopped 3 feet next to our Zodiac. The whales blew spray over us, rolling their heads, fins, backs and tails out of the water. They appeared to be showing off and competing amongst themselves. My jaw dropped when one of them went under our Zodiac. I will never forget that moment. The trip concluded as our ship crossed a very calm Drake Passage referred as “Drake Lake” this time around. It’s hard to believe that it was the same stretch of water we had sailed through a week ago. This Antarctica trip truly captured the essence of an “adventure” and my memories will last a lifetime.

To learn more about this trip and to see current dates and prices click here.

Vivian Wong is an Adventure Specialist at Adventure Center and is available to answer your questions about travel to Antarctica, her toll free direct number is 1-877-285-0657 or her email address is vivian at adventurecenter.com