Antarctica

December 8, 2021

We are planning for our upcoming expedition to Antarctica, which is less than a month away. Click the link to see our itinerary from Oceanwide Expeditions which offers small expedition boat trips.

It seems so long ago that we started organizing this trip in summer 2019. COVID-19 interrupted our original travel plans in winter 2020, but now in 2021 this excursion is set to go. Setting off on a big adventure.

Embarkation in Ushuaia, on Dec 22, 2021

Disembarkation in Ushuaia on Jan 3, 2022 

We fly into Buenos Aires, Argentina then take a local Aerolinas Argentina flight to the southernmost city on the planet. Our voyage begins where the world drops off: Ushuaia, Argentina. We embark from this small town in the Province of Tierra del Fuego. We will spend the next two days in the Drake Passage, which is considered one of the most treacherous voyages for ships to make, as it passes through the Antarctic Convergence. Once we arrive at our destination in the Antarctic Peninsula, we will have six days of land and sea adventures.

Antarctic Polar Front

Antarctica’s natural boundary, formed when north-flowing cold waters collide with warmer sub-Antarctic seas. Not only does the marine life change, the avian life changes too.

What's in the bag?

December 15, 2021

I’m bringing all my photography equipment for this trip:

Canon EOS 6D Mark II camera body
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM Lens
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens
Insta360 ONE R plus a 10 foot extension pole
2 TB SSD External Hard Drive
MacBook Pro
Lightweight Tripod
iPhone 13 Pro

I chose the Wandrd Prvke waterproof backpack, with the photography bundle, to carry all my gear.

Looking back, I mostly used the 16-35mm wide angle lens because of the beautiful landscape.  I chose one lens for each excursion, because I didn’t want to be changing lens outside given the harsh conditions.  For example, one Zodiac tour I brought the 200m zoom lens and focused on penguins.  Another Zodiac tour I brought wide angle and considered the landscape.  Same thing for landings where I usually brought the 24-70 mm lens because the penguins come straight up to you and I also took photos of people.

We had a couple good use cases for the (borrowed, thanks Adam!) insta360 camera that provided us with a unique, 360 degree arial perspective.    

I never setup the tripod or used the neutral density filters.  There never seemed to be enough time and the weather conditions were too extreme for me to want to be fussing around with equipment.  I had to remove my waterproof gloves to operate the camera and my hands got cold very quickly.   I also never used the 50mm prime lens.

Matt took mostly videos on his iPhone 13 Pro and we agree those really tell the story of what we were experiencing.

Ushiaua, Argentina

December 21, 2021

We started this trip at 5pm in Atlanta, GA on December 20th and changed planes in Houston TX. After a 10 hour flight, we landed in Buenos Aires, Argentina (EZE airport) on December 21st around 10am local time, which is two hours ahead of Eastern Time zone. Cleared customs, collected our luggage and purchased bus tickets to take us to AEP airport for an afternoon flight on Aerolineas Argentina to Ushuaia. The bus ride was 1 hour and made one stop downtown Buenos Aires. Temperature outside was 80F with moderate humidity. Luckily this was a coach bus with air conditioning and we were comfortable. We spent one night in Ushiaua before boarding the ship where we spent the next two days at sea.  All in all, it took 5 days of travel to arrive in the Antarctic Peninsula.

USHIAUA

Tierra del Fuego 

We settled in for a late dinner at a local restaurant.

December 22, 2021

We dropped off our luggage at 11:30am and had until 3:30pm before we checked in for the ship. So, we had most of the day to explore Ushiaua. We are traveling with another couple, friends of ours, who have done this excursion previously.

Getting on the Ship

December 22, 2021

We were excited to finally board our ship! Finally, it feels like the start of our big adventure. We traveled on a ship named m/v Plancius which was built in 1976 as an ice-strengthened oceanographic research vessel for the Royal Dutch Navy. It will take us approximately 2 1/2 days of sailing to reach Antarctica. Once we arrive, we will sleep on the boat and take daily excursions. We will head down the ship’s gangway and travel by RIB Zodiac boats to shore.

There were 80 passengers plus 30 or so crew members, from the captain and his officers to the deck hands who raised and lowered the Zodiacs speedboats, the kitchen staff who prepared our meals, and the highly educated expedition staff, decorated with medical degrees and PhDs and a vast amount of practical experience guiding trips around the world. The crew took advantage of two days at sea by providing daily briefings on the upcoming excursions. This is mostly to prepare us for our excursions, but I suspect also to give us some structure to our day. Each activity is led by trained and certified experts in their particular field. Each crew member is living their dream and they are looking forward to this trip as much as the passengers.

The first thing we did on the ship was a safety drill.  We all put on our life preservers and went to our designated life boat, which can hold up to 60 passengers plus 3 crew members. It reminds me of a submarine, but it just floats and bobs in the water until rescue arrive.

Tierra del Fuego is divided between Chile and Argentina. Upon departure, we passed through the Beagle Channel with Argentina on our left and Chile on our right. Charles Darwin sailed through here on a ship named HMS Beagle and thus this channel was named in their honor. When we sail on the port side, we are required to have an Argentinian pilot to guide us.  When we return on the starboard side, we will have a Chilean pilot. A separate boat met us in the water to receive the pilots.

The weather was beautiful, sunny with incredible colors in the sky as the sun set behind us with mountains on either side.  We enjoyed being outside on the upper deck taking photographs.  Ignorant with blissful contentment, I thought the whole sail would be as smooth as this.

Insta360 photo

Overnight, everything changed as we entered the choppy waters of the Drake Passage…

Drake Passage - Day 1

December 23, 2021

When we awoke the first morning on the ship, we had already entered the Drake Passage and were south east of Cape Horn. Overnight, we covered 152 nautical miles, with 3521 meters (2.18 miles) of water beneath us. Air temperature is 48F and winds were 15 knots (17 mph). Water temperature is 41F. Huge swells rocked us back and forth. Walking around in our tiny cabin is difficult. Anything you could hang onto was fair game.  Seriously, it’s like bouncing around in a carnival fun house. You couldn’t stand on one leg long enough to step into your pant legs.

We hung our gear on the wall hooks. As I lay in my bunk, I watched them sway back and forth like a pendulum on a grandfather clock.

Sea Sickness

When we stepped out of our cabin, I noticed white paper bags wedged behind the hallway railings.  Hmm… didn’t see that yesterday. Turns out many passengers got sea sick and not many showed up for breakfast.  

The dining room has booths and tables.  The booths were attached to the floor, as were the tables.  However the chairs were not secured.  The sea rocked the boat so ferociously, that my chair slid across the floor into the next booth….with me sitting in it!  This happened again and again until I decided to hang on to the table with one hand while I ate my food with the other. 

Matt and I are both feeling okay, probably because we applied our motion sickness patches a day prior to embarking in Ushuaia.  That gave the medicine time to enter our system, before we needed it.  Those patches work for about 72 hours, which is just enough to get us to calmer water.

We had a mandatory briefing after breakfast and many showed up looking green and carrying those white paper bags.  Some even put them to good use during the briefing.  The crew offered words of encouragement, telling us we will all start feeling better soon. 

Drake Passage - Day 2

December 24, 2021

Christmas Eve.  By now, we are in the lower south end of the Drake Passage. We covered 457 nautical miles, with 2.6 kilos (1.6 miles) of water beneath us. Water temperature is 35F. Air temperature is 33F. One more day of rough sailing.  We are estimated to arrive our destination around 5am Christmas Day.

Most of the passengers are feeling better and everyone is getting excited. We have our final excursion briefing today.  They sized us individually for waterproof boots which we kept for the duration of the trip.  

Oceanwide Expeditions is a member of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators and as part of that commitment the crew checked all our top layer of clothing and backpacks for any possible contaminants (e.g. seeds or other organic material).  They need to make sure we don’t carry any material that could negatively affect the land or possibly harm the animals. Our boots were soaked with disinfectant, to avoid cross contamination, for every landing. They used high powered vacuums, like the ones you see at the car wash, to clean lint off the velcro on our clothing.  For Matt and I, no clean up was necessary as our items were newly purchased specifically for this trip.  Yes, we will look shiny and new out there amongst the penguins.

COVID-19

December 22, 2021

Our trip was confirmed in October 2021, when vaccinations were available and the world appeared to be recovering from Covid. A couple weeks before our trip was scheduled, a new variant of COVID-19, called Omicron, was discovered in South Africa.  It was thought to be 10x more contagious than previous strains.  This trip had an element of this contagion that most definitely changed the experience for everyone.

Argentina is strict about COVID protocols.  In order to enter the country we required a molecular PCR test within 72 hours of departure along with proof of vaccination. We also had to purchase medical insurance before entering Argentina.  

Prior to getting on the ship, we showed proof of vaccination and underwent rapid antigen testing which was performed by the ship’s doctors inside a school gymnasium in Ushuaia.  Once all passengers cleared, we boarded a bus that took us to the ship. 

They also separated the ~80 passengers into two groups: Red and Blue.  Our Blue group was further isolated into smaller sub-groups for meals.  We all ate together in the dining room, but Red on one side and Blue on the other side. All of this was in order to contain the spread if we had an outbreak.   We all wore our masks inside the ship; only took them off when we were socially distanced on the outside deck or seated at our tables eating meals.    

Even with all those precautions, Omicron did find a way to get on the ship.

Christmas Day

December 25, 2021

The entire boat wakes up together, eats meals together and attends briefing together.  We are on a regular schedule. The loud announcement over the ships intercom “Bing Bong, Good Morning, Good Morning, this is Eduardo with a message to communicate to the Blue group…” is still ringing in my ears.

This morning, we were woken up extra early because we have finally reached our destination…Antarctica!!  Wow, what a phenomenal present this experience will be to all the passengers and crew.  Breakfast was buffet to allow for a quick turn around, allowing passengers to get dressed for their adventure of the day.  By now, we have all been thoroughly briefed on each  excursion and know how we need to prepare. 

Pack ice was all around us providing a very dramatic backdrop for our first adventure.

We signed up for all our excursions yesterday (e.g. kayaking, hiking, zodiac, mountaineering).  Schedules are printed out and posted on every ship level so you know where you need to be and when. Not to mention those ‘Bing Bong’ instructions over the intercom which serve as a friendly reminder.

One fascinating thing about this trip was meeting people from all over the world. These passengers have been everywhere, too!  There were a lot of stories to tell of previous adventures across the globe.  Everyone was eager to make new memories as well.

Orne Island

December 25, 2021

On our way to our first land destination, our Zodiac cut through several sections of pack ice populated with Gentoo penguins.

Safety Measures

Every time we make a landing the advance crew hauls in several white containers with red lids.  Inside were provisions in the event we get stranded.

Zodiac landings are classified as ‘wet landings’ which means they pull the Zodiacs close to shore, but since there is no dock, you have to step out of Zodiac into a couple feet of salty sea water.  Once on land we secured snowshoes onto our waterproof boots. There was so much fresh snow on the ground we would sink up to our knees without the snowshoes. The snowshoes make walking over snow easier and allow us to transverse areas that were otherwise impassable on foot

Our first landing of the trip was on Orne Island, where saw two types penguins: Gentoo and Chinstrap.

Gentoo Penguin

Penguins don’t nest in snow, but rather lay their eggs in nests made of little rocks. That is why you will see all the brown around the rookeries.

We were instructed to social distance from the penguins.  In Antarctica, penguins haven't evolved an instinctual fear of humans because they rarely encounter us. Also, adult penguins don't have land predators. All their predators are in the sea (sea lions, whales), so their instincts have evolved around avoiding predators only in the waters. If you sat still and waited patiently, they may come up to you out of curiosity.  Of course we sat in the snow and quietly observed.  Sure enough, they waddled up to us.  FYI, there are no polar bears in Antarctica.

Penguins are ubiquitous on the Antartic Peninsula. I will never think of them without a smile. They are just too adorable!

Neko Harbour

December 25, 2021

While Zodiac boats are used as transportation to shore for our land excursions, there is an option just to tour around in the Zodiac.  That provides a unique perspective because so much life is on the water.

We access the Zodiacs from the gangway of the ship. We  were instructed on our briefings how to safely enter and exit the Zodiacs. By the end of the trip, we all were proficient at this. On our first Zodiac tour there was so much chunky pack ice in the water making this tour spectacular.  The Zodiac amazingly cut right through the ice.  

We appeared so small in comparison to the ship, the sea, the mountains and icebergs.  I was grateful for the opportunity and humbled by this part of the world that is dedicated to peace and science.  

Icebergs come in myriad hues and multicolor patterns. An iceberg’s color is determined by how it interacts with light. The ice beneath an ice berg is so vividly blue because of the lack of oxygen. We are seeing “pure ice”—frozen water that is free of contaminants

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We picked up a chunk of black ice from the ocean.  All the air has been compressed out of the ice giving it the clear color.  It will not melt as quickly as typical ice cube because of its density.  We brought it into the ship to use in our drinks at the bar.

Orne Harbour

December 26, 2021

COVID UPDATE

We were alerted early in the morning that one person tested positive for COVID this morning. The entire ship, once again, was tested and they found 2 more positive cases, so 3 in total. The next level of protocols will now be enforced.  Back to separation into Red and Blue groups.  We will now have two separate meal services, so less people will be in dining room. They closed the lounge and bar area.  We either stay in our cabins or can go outside on the deck. Excursions are still happening by groups.  We are notified on the ships intercom system when it’s our turn to head towards the gangway.

The water was this inconceivable blue color, which was the reflection of the ice beneath the iceberg.

That evening, we saw a pod of Orca, or Killer Whales, near the ship.  There were other whale sightings during the trip, but this is one I caught on camera.  I was honestly relieved that I never saw one close to me while in a Zodiac or kayak. However, I did hear some passengers saw a humpback whale just yards off their Zodiac.

Kayaking

December 26, 2021

Conquer what scares you.  We kayaked in Orne Harbour this afternoon. The kayaks are daisy chained to a Zodiac and pull away from the ship.  The sea was choppy with chunks of pack ice all around. The water temperature this morning is 32F.  Air temperature is 37F and the winds are 12-15 knots. 

It wasn’t the kayaking that I found scary, I’ve done that in milder waters. it was being so close to this immense sea of water with the realization of what lies beneath the surface. The possibility of a whale breaching nearby freaked me out. The kayaks were bobbing like apples in a barrel. You literally hop into the kayak from the Zodiac while at sea is rocking an uneven cadence. 

They suited us up with specific neoprene technical gear for this activity, along with a different type of life jacket.  We were plenty warm wearing the proper gear.  For each outing, we had hot packs in our waterproof gloves and boots.  Those helped a lot. If anyone is interested in this type of adventure, I would emphasize the need for waterproof outer gear…not water resistant.

Port Charcot

December 27, 2021

COVID UPDATE

Everyone again took a COVID test, as will be our morning ritual from now on. No new COVID cases today! Perhaps we contained this?  They opened up the lounge, due to pressure from the passengers that wanted to enjoy the experience. I’m not convinced that is a good idea.

Today we landed in Port Charcot to visit a Penguin Colony. Fresh snow on the pack ice made it a light tougher for the Zodiacs to reach our landing.

The advance crew cut steps and provided a rope to assist us with the short climb to shore.

We dropped our life jackets and put on snow shoes so that we could walk about.

You can see the ship remains in deep water while we take the zodiacs to shore.

We observed a Gentoo rookery, where they are nesting.  Babies should be hatching shortly. Unfortunately, we didn’t spot any newborn chicks.

Interesting personalities, these tuxedo coated creatures

Technical Gear Worked its magic

Spotting a penguin became matter-of-course.  I just fell in love with them all. 

LeMaire Channel

December 27, 2021

We woke this morning as the ship was passing through Butler passage leading to the entrance of LeMaire Channel.  Outside temperature is 47F and the wind at 7 knots (8 mph).

Our morning activity was a Zodiac Tour.  Today there was a lot of ice in the water, making it harder for the Zodiacs to cut through.  But, we did manage.

Zodiac boats were put to the test, braking through the rough ice. Eduardo was our captain today.  He cut a path through the pack ice which helped the fortunate Zodiac behind us. The crew always has a destination in mind, but is willing to go off course if we see something of interest.

We went to visit a couple penguin rookeries.  There are always a couple curious little ones that want to say hello.

On the way back to the ship, we spotted a seal sleeping on a small iceberg.  Heard stories about how Orcas work together to create a wave that will knock the seal off its perch so they can attack.  Very disturbing but all part of the natural chain of events.

My favorite is the penguins. Here they were jumping onto an iceberg. Video courtesy of Vlad Hybrok.

Damoy Point

December 28, 2021

COVID UPDATE

Today’s round of testing identified two more positive COVID cases from the Blue Group.  This brings us to five positive cases in total at this time. We are waiting to hear what new protocols they need to put in place.  I’m getting worried about the possibility of quarantine in Argentina.

Woke up this morning to more ice in the water.  We traveled back through the La Maire channel.  Last night’s group of campers have not yet made it to shore because the Zodiacs had some trouble cutting through the thick ice.  We heard that they were warm in the sleeping bags, but got quite chilly waiting for the Zodiacs to bring them to the ship.

The sun eventually came out and melted the ice.  The natural beauty of Antartica really shined today. 

We loaded into our Zodiac and headed toward shore.  You can see the ship in the background.

We spotted a whale while on the Zodiac ride to our landing.

We landed on rocks and had to step into ankle deep water.  Our welcome wagon was a waddle of penguins waiting to greet us. They really don’t seem to mind us at all.

A group of penguins in the water is called a raft but on land they're called a waddle!

We climbed the stairs cut into the snow by the advance crew.

Once up the stairs, we removed our life jackets and put on snow shoes.  This was becoming routine by now.

We hiked the mountain and stopped to visit with penguins who are getting ready to hatch eggs.

Here is a photo of us with our friends at the top of our hike.  The only footprints were our own.

Look closely below, those little specks are mountaineers.  They are tied together with rope and instructed to keep an even distance between each other.  This is for safety in case someone sinks into a crevasse. 

Penguin highway leading to the rookery.  We were careful not to step on the highway or interrupt their path.

Us humans made our own path that we all followed to minimize our impact on this area.

Camping

December 28, 2021

Our Blue group camped tonight at Damoy Point, same place we trekked earlier in the day.  This was my favorite location on the trip, so far. After eating dinner on the ship, campers packed up and headed out to the Zodiac to be taken to shore. The instructions were to shovel out a little bed for yourself, just a few feet below the snowy surface, so that you could lay down and be sheltered from the cold wind.  Tents were not a possibility because of the strong wind gusts that never cease.  Campers were provided windproof and waterproof bivouac bags, sleeping bags and pads to keep warm.  Curious penguins came close to inspect the activity.

Next morning, the campers packed up their gear and filled their sleeping holes with snow (so that misguided penguins won’t fall into them and get trapped) before heading back to the ship for a hot shower and breakfast.

Cuverville Island

December 29, 2021

COVID UPDATE

Today everyone was PCR tested and one more positive COVID case detected in the crew.  We found out that the first person testing positive was the 1st officer from the bridge.  Oceanwide had a sister ship in the area, and they transported another officer from their ship to ours.  We need someone to hold the wheel.

Woke up this morning to sunshine in the Lackey Straight.  Temperature is 40F and wind speed is 8 knots.  

Our morning excursion destination is Cuverville Island.  We pulled up to the rocky shore and exited the Zodiac into 2 ft of the clearest water I’ve ever seen.  Penguins were swimming all around us.

We remove our life preservers and place them in a pile.  Cameras ready, set, go!

We didn’t use the snow shoes today because the crew thought the snow was packed hard enough to support our weight.  For the most past that was true, but a lot of us found ourselves sink holes.  We were instructed to fill those holes back up because a penguin could easily fall into them and get stuck.  Here is Matt literally knee deep in a sink hole.

On this excursion I found myself in a sink hole and was able to pull my foot our but the boot remained buried.  When we finally got the boot free, there was a little bit of snow inside and I could feel my one foot getting cold.

Danco Island

December 29, 2021

It was a beautiful, warm day today.  So much that in our morning landing at Culverville Island, I was dressed too warmly. Everyone was shedding articles of clothing.  This afternoon, at Danco island, I removed my outer jacket. Danco Island has a rocky beach and the traditional human shoveled snow steps up to the ice.  I decided to stay down by the rocks and observe the Gentoo penguins coming in and out of the water.  Penguins are very curious and unafraid of human visitors.  If you sit still, they will come right up to you.

March of the Penguins

I sat on the cleanest large rock I could find (penguin poop is everywhere) and just observed.  It was a beautiful beach.  The water was crystal clear. I was looking mostly in one direction.  There had been no new action in some time, so I stood up to find perhaps a better vantage point. When I turned around, I looked right at four penguins intently staring at me, just an arms length away.  They waddled up quietly so that I hadn’t noticed.

Encouraged that I was indeed at a good vantage point, I settled back down on my rock. Suddenly I sensed movement and then a raft of penguins swim out of the water and onto the rocky beach approximately 30ft from where I was sitting, all alone in my noble silence.

When they collectively turned in my direction I knew this would be special. OMG…a precious pack of penguins was coming my way. There had to be two dozen Gentoo’s marching toward me. I generally just take photos, but I had to start my video.  I don’t think they noticed me at first.  I remained still and kept my camera pointed at them, wondering how this was going to turn out.

Soon enough I gave them pause, not as a threat but, as an obstacle in their path and needed to decide how best to pass me.  I’m assuming there was a lead penguin or two and a bunch of followers.  The easiest way around me was to step in the water.  Which eventually is the path they chose. So awesome to watch them march around me, intent of reaching their destination. They followed a Penguin highway trail up to the snowy mountain side and sunned themselves.   I will never forget this experience.  I was sharing a moment in their world, not mine.   

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Polar Plunge

December 29, 2021

The passengers who planned to participate in the Polar Plunge got lucky today with the unusually warm weather.  A handful of brave souls undressed and jumped in the icy cold waters at Danco Island.  There were screams and shouts, but all in good fun. The crew was quick to hand out fresh towels and  rum spiked hot chocolate.  

Mountaineering

December 30, 2021

The mountaineering group climbed up the side of this iceberg. You can see the Zodiac in the water, bottom left waiting for them to return to the ship. 

The reason they are tied together is for safety. If one person falls into a crevasse, the others can pull them out. It was a matter of maintaining your space.