Antarctica Vacation - Antarctica is the World"s True Wildlife Destination
I am standing on top of a windblown cliff.
Below me the enormous caldera of Deception Island stretches from one copper coloured cliff to the next.
On the black volcanic beach penguins and seals compete for a place in the sun.
Overhead a skua patrols the skies while a blue iceberg lazily floats by in the open ocean.
This is Antarctica, the 7th continent and the last frontier of adventure travel.
I make my way down to the beach and strip down to my swimming trunks to take a dip in a hole we dug in the sand which by now has filled up with warm water from the hot springs.
As I sip on a drink I think back to the adventures that have come my way over the past few days.
I travelled to Antarctica with Peregrine on the Akademik Ioffe, also known as the Peregrine Mariner.
Originally built in Finland only a few years ago as a Russian re- search vessel, this comfortable ship has been chartered by one of the worlds fore- most adventure travel companies, Australian based Peregrine.
Staffed with a friendly Russian crew, knowledgeable and enthusiastic Canadian, Australian and British guides and fitted with modern comforts such as a sauna, gym, bar and pool, this ship was to be my home for the next nine days.
We left Ushuaia at 6 pm with the sun still high in the sky.
One of the strangest phenomenons of sailing the Southern Ocean during the summer is the amount of day light you get.
The sun comes up long before anyone is awake and doesn't go down until 11 pm.
At night it never really gets dark and often travellers can be seen on deck in the middle of the night watching the scenery and wildlife go by.
The amount of light gives you enormous energy and sleep is often the last thing on your mind.
Soon our small group of 32 travellers and 40 crew left the calm waters of the Beagle Channel behind and entered the stormy seas of the Drake Passage.
Days are livened up by sightings of many different species of Albatross, Petrels and whales, as well as by the lectures of the competent guides.
Their enthusiasm is unmatched in the industry and their love for the continent is evident all throughout the trip.
On board we had a naturalist/ornithologist, a historian, a photographer and an expert on tourism management, each of whom gave informal lectures and slide shows in their own field of expertise.
After two days on the open seas we entered the sheltered waters around the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula.
On board we had some German scientists whom we dropped off at Bellingshausen, a Russian research station.
From here we sailed on towards our first landing site at Mikkelsen Harbour.
Here a deserted Argentine research station sits on a low hill on an islet surrounded by majestic mountains.
Chinstrap penguins have made their home all around and they don't seem to be the least disturbed by visitors.
I made my way between two colonies to the other side of the islet where a Weddell seal was lazing in the sun.
It turned onto its side curiously observing me as I sat down on a rock taking in all the scenery around me.
Enormous mountains capped by blue glaciers formed the back drop to a picturesque bay littered with floating bergie bits of all different sizes and shades of blue and white.
A Chinstrap penguin emerged only meters away on a slippery rock, lost its balance, fell over backwards and shocked this clown-like creature dove back into the water.
Back on the other side of the island some penguins were bathing themselves in a tidal pool in the centre of the colony.
A hungry skua was walking around waiting for a chance to grab an egg from one of the nests.
During the January and February hatching season these giant birds often take their chances and run a gauntlet of snapping beaks to prey on weak penguin chicks.
After about two hours on the island we boarded our zodiacs, motorised rubber rafts that cruise vessels use to ferry travellers from the ship to shore and for expedition cruises in the waters around landing sites.
Peregrine, always keen on trying out new concepts, is known in the industry for finding new landing sites and taking trips other companies could only dream of.
This time it was a crossing of the 7-mile wide Gerlache Strait in zodiacs, something that had never been done before.
Speeding across the calm waters we cruised between icebergs in all shapes and sizes, fantastic sculptures left behind by the forces of wind and water.
We witnessed a giant piece of ice break off a berg and tumble in a spray of ice cold water into the deep waters of the Gerlache.
One of our landings took place at Wilhelmina Bay, where we cruised around in our Zodiacs observing birds and wildlife and crossing fields of pack-ice.
We spotted a Leopard seal guarding a nearby penguin colony, waiting for its chance to catch an unsuspecting meal.
Further down we observed a Crabeater seal relaxing on an iceberg as it floated in the current of the bay.
We landed at the foot of an active glacier, a spot where presumably no one else had landed before.
With just over 10,000 visitors a year chances are that at some point during your cruise you will be the first human visitor to set foot on a particular spot.
During our cruise we engaged in several invigorating hikes, a Peregrine speciality.
Walks are optional and moderate and will take you to a penguin colony perched on top of a cliff, to a viewpoint overlooking the spectacular scenery, or exploring the remains of an old whaling station.
No matter where you go the solitude of the land, the incredible vistas and the feeling of being at the end of the world will strike you.
On some of the cruises travellers can participate in sea kayaking or camp out on the ice.
Peregrine has pioneered both activities and no other company offers these op- tions at this time.
Kayaking is for experienced paddlers only as executing a perfect Eskimo roll is essential in the cold waters off the Antarctic Peninsula.
Camping out overnight can be done by anyone and is of course an unforgettable experience.
Complete silence will surround you while you feel like an early Polar explorer bundled up in the comfort of your sleeping bag.
We made numerous landings during our cruise, in remote places like Trinity Island, Cierva Cove and Orne Harbour.
Everywhere we went new discoveries and wildlife awaited us, from colonies of Gentoo penguins to flocks of Cape Petrel swimming near our zodiac, from a Minke whale crossing the bow of our ship to Wandering albatrosses flying in the wake of the Akademik Ioffe.
Southern Elephant seals and Macaroni and Rockhopper penguins can be observed at several landing sites while acrobatic schools of Gentoo penguins can be seen porposing as they make their way home through the deep waters off Deception Island.
On our third day in the archipelago we entered the caldera of Whale's Bay on Deception Island through the narrow straight known to sailors as Neptune's Bellows.
Here we were to make our last landing before we returned across the Drake Passage to the wild lands of Patagonia.
Just before arriving in Ushuaia we rounded Cape Horn in the perfect setting of a gale force 9 storm and 25 foot waves.
It was here that we raised a glass for those sailors who did not make it through these turbulent waters and whose soul was carried away to rest for ever in the frozen continent, that last frontier.
We felt as if a piece of our soul had stayed behind there too, in the solitude of the giant glaciers and snow fields; blending in with the cool evening air, swirling around forever over the sparkling blue waters of the Gerlache Strait.
I got off our ship early the next morning and stood for a while blinking in the early sunlight as the sun rose over the mountains surrounding Ushuaia.
This must have been how Amundsen felt when he finally came home after his explorations of Antarctica.
A lost soul wondering where to go next, fighting against the urge to turn around and make his way back towards the southern edge of Mother Earth.
Below me the enormous caldera of Deception Island stretches from one copper coloured cliff to the next.
On the black volcanic beach penguins and seals compete for a place in the sun.
Overhead a skua patrols the skies while a blue iceberg lazily floats by in the open ocean.
This is Antarctica, the 7th continent and the last frontier of adventure travel.
I make my way down to the beach and strip down to my swimming trunks to take a dip in a hole we dug in the sand which by now has filled up with warm water from the hot springs.
As I sip on a drink I think back to the adventures that have come my way over the past few days.
I travelled to Antarctica with Peregrine on the Akademik Ioffe, also known as the Peregrine Mariner.
Originally built in Finland only a few years ago as a Russian re- search vessel, this comfortable ship has been chartered by one of the worlds fore- most adventure travel companies, Australian based Peregrine.
Staffed with a friendly Russian crew, knowledgeable and enthusiastic Canadian, Australian and British guides and fitted with modern comforts such as a sauna, gym, bar and pool, this ship was to be my home for the next nine days.
We left Ushuaia at 6 pm with the sun still high in the sky.
One of the strangest phenomenons of sailing the Southern Ocean during the summer is the amount of day light you get.
The sun comes up long before anyone is awake and doesn't go down until 11 pm.
At night it never really gets dark and often travellers can be seen on deck in the middle of the night watching the scenery and wildlife go by.
The amount of light gives you enormous energy and sleep is often the last thing on your mind.
Soon our small group of 32 travellers and 40 crew left the calm waters of the Beagle Channel behind and entered the stormy seas of the Drake Passage.
Days are livened up by sightings of many different species of Albatross, Petrels and whales, as well as by the lectures of the competent guides.
Their enthusiasm is unmatched in the industry and their love for the continent is evident all throughout the trip.
On board we had a naturalist/ornithologist, a historian, a photographer and an expert on tourism management, each of whom gave informal lectures and slide shows in their own field of expertise.
After two days on the open seas we entered the sheltered waters around the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula.
On board we had some German scientists whom we dropped off at Bellingshausen, a Russian research station.
From here we sailed on towards our first landing site at Mikkelsen Harbour.
Here a deserted Argentine research station sits on a low hill on an islet surrounded by majestic mountains.
Chinstrap penguins have made their home all around and they don't seem to be the least disturbed by visitors.
I made my way between two colonies to the other side of the islet where a Weddell seal was lazing in the sun.
It turned onto its side curiously observing me as I sat down on a rock taking in all the scenery around me.
Enormous mountains capped by blue glaciers formed the back drop to a picturesque bay littered with floating bergie bits of all different sizes and shades of blue and white.
A Chinstrap penguin emerged only meters away on a slippery rock, lost its balance, fell over backwards and shocked this clown-like creature dove back into the water.
Back on the other side of the island some penguins were bathing themselves in a tidal pool in the centre of the colony.
A hungry skua was walking around waiting for a chance to grab an egg from one of the nests.
During the January and February hatching season these giant birds often take their chances and run a gauntlet of snapping beaks to prey on weak penguin chicks.
After about two hours on the island we boarded our zodiacs, motorised rubber rafts that cruise vessels use to ferry travellers from the ship to shore and for expedition cruises in the waters around landing sites.
Peregrine, always keen on trying out new concepts, is known in the industry for finding new landing sites and taking trips other companies could only dream of.
This time it was a crossing of the 7-mile wide Gerlache Strait in zodiacs, something that had never been done before.
Speeding across the calm waters we cruised between icebergs in all shapes and sizes, fantastic sculptures left behind by the forces of wind and water.
We witnessed a giant piece of ice break off a berg and tumble in a spray of ice cold water into the deep waters of the Gerlache.
One of our landings took place at Wilhelmina Bay, where we cruised around in our Zodiacs observing birds and wildlife and crossing fields of pack-ice.
We spotted a Leopard seal guarding a nearby penguin colony, waiting for its chance to catch an unsuspecting meal.
Further down we observed a Crabeater seal relaxing on an iceberg as it floated in the current of the bay.
We landed at the foot of an active glacier, a spot where presumably no one else had landed before.
With just over 10,000 visitors a year chances are that at some point during your cruise you will be the first human visitor to set foot on a particular spot.
During our cruise we engaged in several invigorating hikes, a Peregrine speciality.
Walks are optional and moderate and will take you to a penguin colony perched on top of a cliff, to a viewpoint overlooking the spectacular scenery, or exploring the remains of an old whaling station.
No matter where you go the solitude of the land, the incredible vistas and the feeling of being at the end of the world will strike you.
On some of the cruises travellers can participate in sea kayaking or camp out on the ice.
Peregrine has pioneered both activities and no other company offers these op- tions at this time.
Kayaking is for experienced paddlers only as executing a perfect Eskimo roll is essential in the cold waters off the Antarctic Peninsula.
Camping out overnight can be done by anyone and is of course an unforgettable experience.
Complete silence will surround you while you feel like an early Polar explorer bundled up in the comfort of your sleeping bag.
We made numerous landings during our cruise, in remote places like Trinity Island, Cierva Cove and Orne Harbour.
Everywhere we went new discoveries and wildlife awaited us, from colonies of Gentoo penguins to flocks of Cape Petrel swimming near our zodiac, from a Minke whale crossing the bow of our ship to Wandering albatrosses flying in the wake of the Akademik Ioffe.
Southern Elephant seals and Macaroni and Rockhopper penguins can be observed at several landing sites while acrobatic schools of Gentoo penguins can be seen porposing as they make their way home through the deep waters off Deception Island.
On our third day in the archipelago we entered the caldera of Whale's Bay on Deception Island through the narrow straight known to sailors as Neptune's Bellows.
Here we were to make our last landing before we returned across the Drake Passage to the wild lands of Patagonia.
Just before arriving in Ushuaia we rounded Cape Horn in the perfect setting of a gale force 9 storm and 25 foot waves.
It was here that we raised a glass for those sailors who did not make it through these turbulent waters and whose soul was carried away to rest for ever in the frozen continent, that last frontier.
We felt as if a piece of our soul had stayed behind there too, in the solitude of the giant glaciers and snow fields; blending in with the cool evening air, swirling around forever over the sparkling blue waters of the Gerlache Strait.
I got off our ship early the next morning and stood for a while blinking in the early sunlight as the sun rose over the mountains surrounding Ushuaia.
This must have been how Amundsen felt when he finally came home after his explorations of Antarctica.
A lost soul wondering where to go next, fighting against the urge to turn around and make his way back towards the southern edge of Mother Earth.
Source...