I waited for the waves to break before doing my thing once I carefully stepped down the gangway of the cruise liner. I settled into a small rubber boat with one quick stride. A napping seal and chunks of blue ice were the things we passed by in just a matter of minutes. Finally, the boat stops on a rocky beach, so my legs are swung above the zodiac to step onto the northern part of the Antarctic Peninsula. Go to this site for further information on antarctica cruise adventures.
Walking along the beach laden with blocks of ice, a marvelous sight accompanied by a pungent guano smell caught my senses. A hundred adelie penguins surrounded me, waddling happily. As far as I can manage to behold, their numbers flew above a rocky slope. It’s our first landing on this remotest of continents, and already the two day cruise from Ushuaia, Argentina, through infamously rough seas is paying off. This wilderness of crystal glaciers no matter how far or risky has been able to mesmerize tourists all around the world.
Yearly, the number of visitors increase and some 26,000 visited last year. Sneaky penguins even have lectures dedicated to them and this seems to ward of swirling blue patterns. When December days in the austral summer arrives, the weather becomes extremely relaxing and nice even as this is known to be the coldest and harshest continent of all. There are times when temperatures go beyond freezing reaching into the 40s within the area of the peninsula. The peak season of trips is usually from November up to March.
Going on a sea adventure for around 11 days, this 100 meter ice strengthened ship body is full with passengers most of the time, carrying about a hundred or more of them. While the ship is not fancy, it is very comfy. It features a small auditorium along with a small library, bar and lounge. Going on a trip to Antarctica can be done with tiny yachts. Come Friday night, we leave port. The next day, the graceful arcs and powerful glides of albatrosses take our breath away, along with those of other southern sea birds. You will gain a deeper understanding about exciting antarctica cruises by checking out that resource.
Passing time at sea entails the tour guides making creative presentations spearheaded by different experts from a geologist, a bird specialist, marine biologist, historian even a creative visual artist that makes tourists draw or paint icebergs and adorable penguins. During the trip, global warming lectures surprisingly did not come out but this was often discussed, though.
The highlights of the trip mostly happened while we were in small islands or as we landed on the continent. Unforgettable experiences include staring at an avalanche from afar or perhaps being docile to the thunderous boom of an iceberg calving. Much can be seen from the decks of the vessel. This season, darkness occupies shorter hours so many tourists revel in their sightseeing spree.
So long as you’re heavily dressed to keep warm from strong winds, it’s easy to spend a couple of hours on deck watching a large array of wind carved icebergs floating by, some bright white, others various shades of blue. We pass pristine landscapes of high mountains laden with big hanging glaciers. Sometimes, whales would rise and be seen by many. Sunsets are long lasting beautiful sights with hues of red and orange.
As we returned to the ship, we got word that an older passenger got so ill and had to be evacuated as soon as possible. Such entails going back to the South Shetland Islands for an airstrip and this can be achieved only after a long detour overnight. Many travelers now consider obtaining medical evacuation insurance prior to hopping on board a vehicle to start their journey, due to very costly evacuations like this one.
The passenger finally got evacuated to Chile and as for us, we just had to see how the newly Gentoo penguins were being fed by their parents as we went to Ardley Island. Feeding a baby penguin calls for the adult penguin to delicately cover the head of the young with its beak cautiously regurgitating a snack of krill and after, a slime strand connects the mouth of the young to its parent.
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