Do you dream of travelling to Antarctica? Do you wonder what is it really like visiting Antarctica, one of the world’s last frontiers for travel?

My time travelling in Antarctica was so awe-inspiring and emotional I’ve often been lost for words trying to describe it. But I’ll try!

Antarctica is a place where the fragility of our planet is inexplicably intertwined with its raw wildness and power. Where glacier bound towering mountains are the backdrop to the ever increasing humpback whale population.

Where the infinite colour and shape of the multitude of icebergs will make you realise how much you love icebergs.

Where processions of penguins will ignore you as they waddle down their ‘penguin highways’. Where adorable seals sing an incredible intergalactic melody.

And whilst you are immersed in this magnificent other world, in the back of you mind, you will despair at the thought all of this unparalleled wildness and beauty being at risk from us humans, from climate change.

If you plan to visit Antarctica be prepared for Antarctica to move you like no other.

But to give you a better idea of what it’s really like visiting Antarctica this is my account of my experience travelling to Antarctica.

Day One – Leaving Ushuaia

Way down at the pointy end of South America is the world’s southern most city, Ushuaia. More a small town than a city this compact town is where the majority of trips leave to make the journey to Antarctica. 

That’s because of Ushuaia’s proximity to the Antarctic continent of approx 100km across the Drake Passage. 

Ushuaia is overlooked by the steep peaks of the Martial Range and is also close to Tierra del Fuego National Park. I headed out into the national park the day before my Antarctic adventure and it was stunning!

On the day of my expedition’s departure we’d been instructed to meet at a local hotel at 3:30pm. Here we were checked in. Soon after we boarded buses for the very, very short drive across the road and down the wharf for ship embarkation.

I felt a little dazed during this process  – I couldn’t believe after all the preparations for my Antarctic adventure it was now beginning!!

Days Two & Three – Crossing the Drake Passage

To reach Antarctica from South America requires two days at sea crossing the Drake Passage. 

The Drake Passage is notorious for being one of the roughest stretches of water on the planet due to it being where the Atlantic, Pacific and Souther seas all converge.

I was a little nervous about what my days at sea would be like. But thankfully the seas were not too wild or rough. There was definitely a lot of rocking and rolling but not enough for me to feel sick. That or my sea-sickness medication did the trick!! 

Many on my ship were not so fortunate and they did become unwell, even with medication.

By experiencing the Drake Passage I felt I had really earned my way into the wild, remote, pristine otherworld that is Antarctica. 

So what do you do for two days at sea? You learn a lot!! 

My expedition held many presentations from Polar Photography, Cetaceans of the Southern Ocean, Seabirds of the Southern Oceans to a Mandatory IAATO & Zodiac Briefings.

There was also a presentation on the history of Antarctica’s discovery and another on ice. Yep just on ice and it was fascinating.

It was also during this time I also started to get to know my fellow Antarctic adventurers over meals and out on deck.

Day Four – The Arrival and The South Shetland Islands

After two days at sea the early morning light finally revealed land. A land of dramatic dark peaks with huge blue-tinged glaciers at their feet. 

We had reached the South Shetland Islands, a group of Antarctic islands approx 120km north of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Our morning excursion was to Yankee Harbour and I decided to take advantage of being part of the sea-kayaking program.

HOT TIP – if you want to sea-kayak in Antarctica sign up early as most expeditions have very limited spaces!

Entering our kayaks was quite the experience. First we headed down the ship’s gangway and onto the waiting zodiac. The zodiac had all our kayaks tied behind it and we headed to a calm location.

We then climbed into the kayaks from the zodiac – sounds pretty crazy, right!! But it was surprisingly fairly easy.

Our kayak adventure started close to a long rocky spit of land packed with fur seals and gentoo penguins. Small icebergs crowded the shore.

As we paddled along the shore the icebergs changed to brash ice, fragments of floating ice. The brash ice was incredible as the fragments of ice made cracking and popping sounds like rice-bubbles do when you pour milk on them! 

We then pushed our kayaks into and amongst the brash ice. Nothing like being thrust right into things on day one!

In the afternoon I opted for the shore excursions as I wanted to have as many different experiences as possible. 

The excursion was to Half Moon Island. Half Moon Island is a rocky outcrop home to a number of rookeries of chinstrap penguins, fur seals, and overlooked by dramatic mountain landscapes. 

Chinstrap penguins have an adorable thin black strap under their chins making them easily identifiable.

As it was late in the season the penguins we encountered were adolescents who were undergoing a moult of their feathers. Making them look rather dishevelled.

Day Five – Charlotte Bay and Portal Point

Early in the morning of day five I headed up to the deck to find a world of melding blues, greys and whites. We had reached the Antarctic Peninsula and we were passing by some of the most incredible (and huge) icebergs ever!

My favourite from my whole trip was this awesome arched iceberg – so beautiful!

As the sun rose higher it revealed a big bay surrounded by mountains encased in snow and glaciated ice. We had arrived in the beautiful Charlotte Bay!

Within this huge bay we were hoping to have our first whale encounters so I decided to head out in the kayak for the morning excursion.

The incredible stillness and quietness on the water was magical. What a place to kayak!

It didn’t take long until our small group of kayakers spotted our first humpback whales. The whales would sink and rise with their sleek backs breaking the calm waters and occasionally reaching higher so that their tails would be on display.

The sound of their exhalations and blows seemed very loud.

As the whales sunk beneath the waters you could never tell where they would be seen next. At one point one whale came within metres of the kayak in front of me! It was such an awesome experience but it was also a little frightening – these animals are enormous!

Our afternoon excursion was a landing at Portal Point. This was our first landing and shore excursion on the Antarctic continent proper (our other landings were on Antarctic islands).

From our landing location our expedition team marked a short hike up a snow packed hill. Here there were awesome views of icebergs floating amongst Charlotte Bay.

It was so beautiful and it was even more special for me as I had now visited all seven continents!

Another hike took us higher for more stunning views and then down to my favourite seal, the Weddell Seal. These guys have the most adorable faces and beautiful speckled stomachs.

Another two Weddell Seals were nearby and I was super lucky enough to hear them sing – yep sing! Their singing is one of the most unusual noises. A thumping kind of sound coming from deep within them intermingled with laser-like sounds. Beyond words!

Day Six – Foyn Harbour and Cuverville Island

My diary entry for day six starts off with – ‘Wow! What an incredible day!!’

And it really was!!

I woke curled up and cocooned within a sleeping bag encased in a bivy set up on the hard packed ice of the Antarctic continent! Yep that’s right the night before a group of us headed out for one of the most incredible adventures – camping in Antarctic.

We created out individual sleeping situations close to a lazing Weddell seal. During the night the song of the Weddell seal would break through my sleep and cause me to poke my head out to see the brilliant  beauty of the stars shining brightly above us.

An absolutely magical and unforgettable experience!

And the incredibleness of the day continued. As the zodiac zoomed us back to our ship  the sunrise created a soft pink light. It lit up far off snowed capped mountains and floating glaciers. So beautiful!

After breakfast we headed off for our morning excursion – a zodiac cruise of Foyn Harbour. Foyn Harbour, located between Enterprise and Nasen Island in Wilhelmina Bay, was once a centre of intense whaling activity.

Several floating whale factories were located here each Antarctic summer. Whalers brought their catch back to these motherships for processing in the sheltered waters of the bay.

Numerous remnants of the whaling industry can still be seen today. From wrecked waterboats and wooden barrels to a half-sunk wreck of the Norwegian ‘Governor’ which caught fire when fully loaded with barrels of whale oil.

During our cruise we circled the wreck and also headed out into the bay to see spectacular ice-shelfs and icebergs.

We also saw more humpback whales and a Weddell seal hauled out on an iceberg.

The afternoon excursion was a shore excursion on Cuverville Island, home to many many curious gentoo penguins. So curious that they would come right up to you trying to work you out.

There was also a chance for a short hike to take in the amazing views out over an iceberg cluttered bay.

I then headed out for another zodiac excursion where we spotted leopard seals, more humpback whales, gorgeous scenery and a circumnavigation of the island.

In the evening the crew treated us to a barbecue on the back deck where whales kept on popping up all around us. Seriously dinner with whales!!

As I said this was a truly phenomenal day.

Day Seven – Port Lockroy and Paradise Harbour

Port Lockroy was previously a British Station but now it’s museum preserving this interesting part of Antarctic history.

Today you can visit inside and see the kitchen with examples of the goods used by the scientists, an Ionosperics Room combining radio and meteorology equipment, a lounge area, sleeping quarters with some rather interesting art and a tool room.

It provides a fascinating insight into what life was like for the scientists stationed in Antarctica.

You can also send postcards home for USD1 – a postcard sent from Antarctica is pretty cool!

Nearby was another gentoo penguin rookery where the penguins hang out amongst a reconstructed whale skeleton.

I also watched whilst penguins grouped together to brave the short swim from a rocky outcrop to the land to minmise the risk for a lurking leopard seal.

 

In the afternoon we had the opportunity to hike above Almirante Brown Station for spectacular views out over Paradise Harbour. After taking in these incredible views we headed out for a zodiac cruise.

I was blown away by the beautiful reflections in the still waters and gob-smacked by the huge hanging glaciers meeting the sea that lead to a heavily iceberg filled small bay.

No wonder this is called Paradise Harbour!

Spot the zodiacs in the two middle photos.

Day Eight – Deception Island

On our final day in Antarctica we headed back to the South Shetland Islands to a very special island, Deception Island.

Deception Island is in fact an active volcano. Around 10,000 years ago the volcano blew it’s top resulting in a flooded caldera in the centre of the island.

A narrow and steep-sided entrance to the flooded bay is just wide enough to delicately navigate a ship through. Known as Neptunes Bellows this is the entrance to this unusual world of a stark black landscape formed by the volcanic activity over the yers.

On our visit the landscape was made even more dramatic by a dusting of snow creating a world of black and white.

After navigating our way into the bay we made our way to a smaller bay known as Whaler’s Bay. Antarctic’s history is intertwined with the rise in whaling and in 1912 the Hektor Whaling Company was issued with a license to establish a shore-based whaling station.

It was an eerie experience walking around the remains of the whaling station set in this monochrome landscape.

Amongst the ruins and along the shore were many territorial fur seals. These guys were not so keen if you walked to close to their patch! A pair of walking sticks was a necessity to fend them off as I walked up to Neptune’s Window.

In the afternoon we stopped at Teflon Bay. Hiking amongst this incredible black and white landscape reminded me to some degree of my travels in Iceland.

I loved the drama of the stark world we explored.

In the distance our ship sat in the flooded caldera surrounded by the volcano’s snow-dusted walls.

Day Nine and Ten – Drake Passage

After eight incredible days of adventure and time exploring this incredible otherworld it was time to start the journey back. Another two days crossing the Drake Passage was ahead of us.

There was once again presentations on Antarctic’a unique wildlife and also a Voyage Recap by our expedition leader. Following this was a slideshow of our trip put together by our expedition’s photographer, Dave Sanford.

We made good time on our crossing and by lunchtime of our second day we reached Cape Horn! A gorgeous clear day meant we could see the southernmost point of South America from afar.

Cape Horn is notorious for perilous ocean conditions combined with gale force winds. We were lucky to have calm waters instead.

Day Eleven – The Return

I woke tired and a little hungover! The celebrations of our Antarctica adventures had gone into the early morning.

The night before the staff had put on an incredible evening with a special final dinner and some fun games in the bar.

It was sad eating our last breakfast and even sadder to walk down the gangplank onto the wharf in Ushuaia.

The incredible staff were all lined up to wish farewell and I fought back tears. I was very sad that my Antarctica trip was over but my heart and soul were bursting.

Antarctica really is a very special place. Exploring the frozen continent means being immersed in tremendous landscapes and wildlife encounters. It is an unparalleled experience.

I started this post with the question – what is it really like visiting Antarctica? Hopefully by sharing my experience I have answered that question and shown you just how insanely incredible Antarctica is!

Practical Information

I visited Antarctica with OneOcean Expeditions on their Antarctica Peninsula Adventure expedition at my own expense.

My trip departed 4 March 2019 which is at the very end of the season but this is when you will see the most whales.

The crew from OneOcean Expeditions were absolutely fantastic!! Professional and friendly it truly made for an unforgettable experience – thank you so much!!

My ship was the Akadmik Ioofe, an ex-Russian research vessel that has been refitted for expeditions. This is not a cruise ship! But it is super comfortable and cozy. I loved the expedition feel to the ship and the adventure feel of it all.

The ship is not large and can carry 96 passengers. But that’s one of the main reasons I choose this ship as only 100 passengers can land at a time. As a result you are off ship and on excursions more often on a smaller ship – well worth doing some solid research on this when you plan your trip to Antarctica.

No surprises that I highly recommend OneOcean Expeditions.

(UPDATE – Unfortunately One Ocean Expedetions entered administration in mid-January 2020)

I hope this has answered the question of what is it really like to travel to Antarctica.

And finally, yes I absolutely would travel to Antarctica again!! There is no place like it on earth and months later I still get emotional thinking about my time there.