First Impressions of Antarctica

January 12, 2020

Common zodiak tour conditions

Icy day at the side gate

After three voyages spanning six weeks in the far south of planet Earth, I finally have a moment to sit down, connect to the internet, upload some photos, take a breath, and really look back and the incredible experience that was Antarctica.

Several scientific bases dot the peninsula

Kayakers dream day

It is on average the driest, windiest, coldest continent on Earth. 99% of it is covered in ice, the other 1% leaving a tiny opening for hardy creatures carving out a niche for themselves amongst the inhospitable conditions. While life can be tough it means that competition is limited as are the number of predators and pests. Summertime brings twenty-four hours of daylight, which in turns creates conditions perfect for massive blooms of photosynthetic phytoplankton. Practicall all larger animals, from penguins, to seals, to massive whales, all feed on the zooplankton that thrives on these phytoplankton blooms.

Early season snow conditions

Antarctic Iceberg Sculptures

There are many tales of heroic travel to Antarctica in the past. Not all the stories end well once the explorers reached these conditions. But nowadays, myself included, it is possible to travel a bit more style and comfort. Aboard Silversea's Silver Cloud it is about an luxurious as you can get. Imagine butlers in every room, limitless wine, multiple restaurants to choose from, a spa, heated pool and hot tubs on the top deck, gym, photo studio and more. I'm working as part of the expedition staff, leading hikes, driving zodiac tours, and lecturing as one of the resident marine biologist.

First time at Cuverville Island

Each day we try to get to two different locations, either for a landing and walk or a zodiac tour. The landscapes are breathtaking, with mountains rising up straight out of the reflective water and massive glaciers tumbling down into the bays. The landscape presents itself in shades of black and white with an occasional deep blue of some deep compressed ice laid bare by a glacial calving.

A lonely Skua

Penguin highway

The wildlife abounds, sometimes in huge numbers. Gentoo penguins are the usual suspects, although we do see adelie and chinstrap penguin colonies as well. One wayward emperor penguin floated by on a large iceberg but that species is mostly farther south, past the pack ice.

Gentoo colony with glacier behind

Gentoo penguins and the Silver Cloud

The colonies hold thousands of breeding pairs, sometimes hundreds of thousands. The caucaphony of calls can be overwhelming after a while. Watching the social antics of the penguins can be an all day activity. From stealing rocks from each other's nest to slapping their neighbors with their oversized flippers, they certainly entertain.

Paradise Harbor

Type B Orca sighting

Whales also abound down here around the ice. Humpback lunge around the bergs, corralling the abundant krill in their giant mouths. An occasional minke whale paces the channels between islands. Elephant Island seems to be the place for fin whales...the 2nd largest whale in the world. But it is often glimpses of those huge black dorsal fins belonging to the killer whales.

Orcas off the bow, lit up by the midnight sun

On a couple of occasions we came across pods of orca in the Gerlache Strait. We had perfect whale watching conditions both times with flat calm water. Both encounters came quite late after most guests had finished dinner and retired to their suites. However, even at 11:30pm at this time of year Antarctica provides plenty of light for whale watching. I was still shielding the sun out of my eyes as it hung low in the late night sky. You can check out the eternal daylight in the video below.

Weddell Seal

Deception Island volcano walk

Seals also abound, with four types on the usual suspect list. Weddell seals were the most often seen, although southern elephant seals took the prize for the biggests groupings on land. Crabeater seals were difficult to find with 5 or 6 sightings over the three trips. But the big find for Antarctic seals on these trips has to be the apex predator among the bunch, the beautiful, and huge, leopard seal.

Weddell seal yawn

Leopard Seal yawn

Most of the time these seals would be lounging on a beach or an iceberg, so getting a good photo of them could be a challenge. On a few occasions I had my camera out just as the seal would yawn, showing off its impressive array of teeth.

There were so many magical moments of beauty and serenity down here in Antarctica. I feel very lucky to have traveled here for work. And very lucky to have shared this experience with so many excited guests. Perhaps the best part of all was getting to know all of my fellow expedition staff. Their passion for this part of the world is contagious.

These are a few of my favorite photos from the past month of a half. Now its time for some well deserved family time in Maui.