Antarctica

Many people asked questions like “Why do you want to go to Antarctica?”, “What is there to do in Antarctica?” or “Is it worth spending that much money?” and I actually was surprised why anybody would ask me these questions. Also I couldn’t really answer them and as soon as I got to Antarctica I knew that I will still not be able to answer them. It feels like an impossible thing to do finding the right words to describe my experiences. The part of Antarctica I saw was a humbling display of gigantic icebergs, ancient glaciers, dramatic mountains, freezing ocean and stunning wildlife. But apart from that the magic of Antarctica also comes from the fact that it is a very remote and inhospitable place that is hardly accessible. Crossing the body of water that lies between the southern tip of Argentina and the Antarctic peninsula, which is know as the Drake Passage and is one of the roughest seas in the world, only adds to the challenge. Hearing the stories of the heroic sailors and explorers who tried to cross the Drake Passage over a hundred years ago and often paying with their lives gives you an idea that this whole trip might not be a cruise but an actual expedition.
We were leaving on the late afternoon of the 14th of February and the South American continent gave us a sunny and warm farewell which is very uncommon in this part of the world. Passing through the Beagle Channel into the open sea under a clear sky and rather calm waters we set sail for the first stop of our trip: Cape Horn the most southern island of the South American continent and literally the end of the world. During the night the swell of the sea picked up and my room mate and me were woken up a pretty strong roll of the ship. under clear blue skies and with almost warm weather we made a short excursion and landed on the main island of Cape Horn. Being a rather historic place with not that much remarkable wildlife or landscapes it was good as an appetizer for what was to come. Also it had a quite gloomy connotation to it since approximately 30.000 sailors died there trying to get from the Atlantic Ocean around Cape Horn into the Pacific Ocean. The following day was spent out on the open sea of the Drake Passage which apparently was very calm. Suffice to say it was still rough enough to make you sway like a drunkard and to make people very sick. The staff of the crew did a very good job though in making the time worthwhile. The gave lectures about the different species living in the different habitats of the Antarctica, geological and historical characteristics or photography workshops teaching how to take good pictures in the special conditions. All the lectures were given by professionals like biologists, geologists, historians or photographers.
On the morning of the fourth day we finally reached our first destination: Wilhelmina Bay which is one the many islands close to the Antarctic Peninsula. And what a welcome it was! Our ship was surrounded by different groups of humpback whales feeding on krill. We got to the small motorised boats called Zodiacs and headed out to get upclose with those gentle giants. They were neither shy nor interested but sticked to their routine and kept on doing their thing: drawing bubble circles under water to hold the small crustaceans in one place and then lounging up from the depth with a wide open mouth swallowing tons of water. Sometimes coming out of the water several meters high and almost always showing off their fluke when they dived down again. Definitely one of the mist stunning wildlife encounters I ever had.
On the Same day we made our first landing on an Island called Cuverville Island where we visited the first penguin colony. Thousands of Gentoo penguins tending and feeding their almost grown up chicks. What a smelly bunch but adorable nevertheless.
The fifth day began with another surprise. Early in the morning we were cruising through the Lemaire Channel which is a very narrow passage swarming with icebergs. But before we entered the Channel even before the wake up call came an announcement that orcas were spotted on the Starboard side of the ship. I jumped out of the bed, pulled on my clothes and ran up on deck as fast as I could and there they were. A big family of orcas swimmingand playing next to our ship only a hundred meters away. And it got even better. After the orcas swam off into a different direction a pair of minke whales surfaced near the ship and acommpanied us for a while. Since I have never seen whales before in my whole life seeing them in such an abundance was a very special experience for me. The rest of the day we were occupied with Zodiac and ship cruising marveling at hughe ice bergs and spotting different kind of seals.
On the sixth day we had another highlight. In the morning we arrived in Paradise Bay in the most beautiful weather and did some Zodiac cruising. In a huge bay surrounded by towering mountains, calving glaciers and silently drifting icebergs we encountered another group of humpback whales that was peacefully plowing though the water. At one point one of the giants dived in around two meters depth beneath our Zodiac. Seeing this leviathan in the deep so up close was scary but even more fascinating. On the same day we also made two more landings where we had the chance to see another species of penguins and visit a British outpost at Port Lockeroy that actually had a mailbox where you could post letters or cards.
The seventh day marked the last day of true Antarctica experience. We cruised to Deception Island where we were barely able to land because the weather was very rough. After making the landing and reaching the old crater of this volcanic island we had to hurry back to the zodiacs so we could make it back into the safety of our ship since the weather got even worse and the winds picked up. On the second half of the day the weather cleared up while it was still pretty windy and we had the chance to make another landing this time on Halfmoon Island where we saw yet another species of penguins and some more seals all in front of the background of a towering glacier wall. Too soon to head back to the South American continent but all good things come to an end eventually.
The eights and ninth day we spend on open sea crossing the Drake Passage again and everybody hoped for another smooth crossing of this dangerous and unpredictable part of the ocean. Everybody except me… I was quite excited when the captain announced rough conditions ahead and asked everybody to secure their cabins by storing loose objects. I was not disappointed. The highest waves I have ever seen tossed the ship about like it was a mere toy. Walking without holding on to a handrail was impossible. During the dinner glasses and plates were thrown of the tables and a lot of good red wine got spilled. It lasted till the late night and I fell asleep with a smile on my face knowing that the last of my Antarctic wishes was fulfilled as well.