In December, I took an amazing expedition down to the bottom of the world…. the continent of Antarctica. It’s a dramatic, mystical and elusive bucket list destination. It’s about a 68 hour trip from Boston, but it was broken up by pit stops in Buenos Aeries as well as Ushuaia, Argentina, which is literally the last land stop.
Coincidentally our ship was also named Ushuaia. Not to be confused with a Disney Cruise ship, this vessel is a small ship, originally built for oceanic research, but now an ice strengthened vessel designed for navigating the treacherous waters of the polar regions. We were about to embark on a wild ride to Antarctica, with 70 some odd photographers on board.
Our cabins were “cozy”…. Serviceable, but hardly “cruise luxury”… our twin beds had side rails, and we were about to discover what those were used for….Furniture, chairs, tables… all were bolted to the floor. We were about to ‘earn our stripes” as an “Antarctican”.
Leaving through the Beagle Channel, it was a beautiful ride. Then came our lovely trip through the Drake Passage, known to have the roughest seas in the entire world, for some 500 miles. Some 20,000 sailors have lost their lives exploring these waters. I took my seasickness medication, and along with numerous “pink pills”… (not sure what they were!) issued by the doctor on board, I actually never got seasick. We were hoping for the “Drake Lake”. but instead encountered “The Drake Shake”. We were lucky… we had two chances to “enjoy” the Drake Passage. “Enjoy’ being a relative term, of course.. And, it was a rocky ride both directions….
Since we were a small ship, we were able to get into areas that larger ships were not. Laws only allow 100 people at a time onshore, so we were able to have 2-3 wet landings each day. Antartica is still unspoiled… in order to not introduce non native species and diseases we had to wash our boots before and after each landing.
Unless you’re near a colony of squawking, honking penguins, the silence in Antarctica is deafening. The only sounds is the crunch of snow beneath your feet, and periodically ice cracking in the unexpectedly warm midday sun. Unlike the Drake, the seas were basically very calm, even mirror-like. The sense of isolation, awe, bliss and serenity you feel in this place just can’t be translated to photographs. It’s hard to describe what Antarctica ‘feels’ like. Suffice it to say I’ve met several people who have been back 2, 3, 4 and more times… Initially I didn’t understand, but I do know.
You don’t have to wait long to find the penguins. They didn’t care much that we were there, and carried on with their antics. Seriously, I could sit and watch these guys all. day. long. They’re like little children. Some create a huge ruckus, squawking and flapping their wings. Even some penguins motor on all fours, sitting on top of their fat stomach. Others just hike up and down the mountains on their “penguin highways”…. little pathways up and down the mountain that they make for themselves when they go in search of food - all eventually lead to the sea. We had strict orders to stay OFF the penguin highways, which meant periodically sinking into thigh deep snow… The rule is: penguins ALWAYS have the right of way. And if you were in their path, they would just look at you until you moved aside so they could get through….
Once these clumsy little clowns reach the water, the are truly a sight to behold. They’re very fast, and times “porpoising” out of the water. They can swim 4-7 mph… the Gentoo penguins can swim up to 22mph. It’s important to keep from becoming lunch to a leopard seal….
Meanwhile, back on board, one night we were treated to some great Argentinian beef grilled on the deck. And one of our waiters definitely enjoyed bringing out his penguin suit now and then….
Neko Harbour was one of the most beautiful places we visited. The calm waters mirrored the incredible ice and mountains under the most brilliant blue sky. The peacefulness of this harbor was incredible. I really just couldn’t stop looking at it!
It was the Christmas season, so the staff decorated the boat and even put up a small tree. (tied up a small tree… otherwise it would have been a missel).
Deception Island was fascinating. The island is the caldera of an active volcano. It was previously a whaling station about 100 years ago, when whales were hunted to near distinction. Their blubber was used for oil. The remains of boilers and tanks, a scientific station house and even an aircraft hanger remain, set off against the black beach. Old whale bones left over from the boilers dot the landscape. Several colonies of chinstrap penguins now call this home.
Of course, crossing the Drake Passage coming home was a bit worse than going down. In fact, we were detoured around quite a large storm. Those bed rails came in quite handy one night!
real estate corporate films Expedition to Antarctica | December 2017 | |
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