TRAVEL Archives | TRAVELS WITH TAM

On The Fourth Day In Antarctica

January 29, 2017 By Tam Warner 8 Comments

On Day 4 we were in the Penola Strait region of the Antarctic peninsula. The area has the most amazing basalt rock…and a lot of penguins, of course! Booth Island and Port Charcot are one of the few places all three species of brushtail penguins – Adelies, gentoos, and chinstraps – nest together. I did not hike to the location where the Adelies were, mostly because everyone said they were nervous and very uneasy when people went near them. The scenery, the water, the rock were all so beautiful I decided to sit and just contemplate, or meditate, about the incredible place I found myself in. A friend took a photo of me as I sat on a rock, being mindful of my surroundings. As I sat quietly, a couple of Gentoo penguins came right up to me on my rock, and I did snap a couple of photos of one of them. It was an amazing start to the day.

antarctica, penguins, iceberg, leopard seal — Pals on the basalt and snow.

antarctica, booth island, penguins — All of the brushtail penguins nest during the Antarctic summer.

After a lovely morning on the island, we were able to take zodiac rides around Petermann Island, surrounded by ice floes and incredible icebergs. We ran into a huge Leopard Seal snoozing on an ice floe. These animals are huge! The large females can be 1300 pounds and 10 feet long. They can be dangerous, but also surprisingly gentle. Paul Nicklen, a NatGeo photographer, dove into water and observed Leopard Seals. A large female, instead of attacking or killing this interloper, tried to help him. She brought him dead and live penguins in order to feed him and teach him to hunt. Obviously, Paul Nicklen captured some amazing images of her. Seeing Leopard Seals up close was incredible. My travel buddy, Annie, was kayaking with me when we saw a leopard seal hanging out on an ice floe!

Ice is everywhere, and beautiful in its different colors, shapes and sizes.

antarctica, penguins, iceberg — The dark blue is glacial ice.

See What Sunset Looks Like in Antarctica

January 27, 2017 By Tam Warner 14 Comments

sunset porn, antarctica, antarctic sunsets, icebergs — Spiritual.

I found the sunsets of Antarctic summer wondrous. Seeing the sun set behind the icebergs was surreal. These photos were taken at 1130 pm, and even when the sun sank, the light remained. The sun actually rises just a couple of hours after it sets. My roommate and I slept with the drapes open because we wanted to be able to see the incredible scenery if we woke during the “night”. The entire trip seemed like a fantasy.

sunset porn, antarctica, sunsets of antarctica — So beautiful!

Emperor Penguins! Exploring Antarctica on the Lindblad NatGeo Explorer!

January 22, 2017 By Tam Warner 6 Comments

*A Continuation of a fabulous Antarctic Expedition with Lindblad Natgeo! Exploring Antarctica is a true privilege.

Annie, my travel buddy, in front of the Explorer, on the fast ice.

On our 3rd day, our 2nd on land, we actually had the thrill of seeing an Emperor Penguin! It is a very unusual sighting, because Emperors mate during the dead of winter (I think it may be safe to say that Emperor Penguins have the worst existence of any bird on earth) and this was Antarctic summer. There he or she was, hanging out with Adelie penguins on ice!

emperor, penguins, natgeo, lindblad, exploring antarctica — An Emperor Penguin hanging out!

There are Endless Reasons to Love Antarctica!!

January 18, 2017 By Tam Warner 6 Comments

Antarctica, icebergs, lindblad — We had blue skies and calm seas.

I never expected to fall in love with Antarctica. A cold, barren wasteland, freezing and forever gray, or so I thought. No, no, no. It is a beautiful place, filled with incredible creatures, stunning icebergs, and awe inspiring landscapes. Unbelievable vistas. I never imagined the scope of it…or the absolute cuteness of penguins. My travel buddy, Annie, says you can overdose on cuteness, and that is the truth when it comes to penguins! Traveling on Lindblad NatGeo Expeditions was an exciting experience, and I relished the knowledge the experts shared with us. Come along and take a look as we crossed the Drake Passage and the Antarctic Convergence.

Antarctica, lindblad, icebergs — The bow of the Lindblad Explorer.

And of course, there are penguins! Our first visit was to a colony of Gentoo Penguins. They are so cute!

Antarctica, icebergs, lindblad, penguins — Gentoo Penguins!

Antarctica, penguins, lindblad — Check out the scope! And this is our first day! A Minke Whale! They are endangered, but Japan insists on harvesting them in the Antarctic Southern Ocean.

Our daily report from Lindblad:

This morning we hope to visit Danco Island, a small island in the southern end of the scenic Errera Channel. It was charted during the Gerlache 1897-1899 expedition. It is named after a geophysicist who perished during that expedition. There is a chance to go ashore to see a small Gentoo penguin colony and a chance for a great hike overlooking the bay. In addition, depending upon the weather, we may also be able to offer Zodiac cruises and/or Kayaking.

As for the afternoon, our plans are to visit Neko Harbour. This location was named after the whale factory ship Neko which operated along the Antarctic Peninsula in 1911-12 and again in 1923-24. The landing spot is surrounded by Gentoo Penguins, Skuas, Snowy Sheathbills and Kelp Gulls. There is a great walk to a viewpoint above the landing beach, and a glacier near the landing site which you can walk toward, but please take caution in case it calves. The landing at Neko will be on the mainland of the Antarctic Peninsula.

5 Reasons I am SO Excited to Arrive in Antarctica!

January 11, 2017 By Tam Warner 13 Comments

Sooo excited to arrive in Antarctica!

Today is Day 3 of my Lindblad/National Geographic Expedition on the Explorer to Antarctica! After a few days in Buenos Aires, which I will post about, a day traveling to Ushiaya, Argentina (aka The end of the world), and a day at sea watching whales and seabirds, I woke this morning to snow and Fin and Humpback Whales off the bow. As we watched the whales, I saw my very first iceberg. I am overwhelmed by the beauty of this extreme landscape, and humbled by its scope. Just some first impressions!

Icebergs! The floating ice is absolutely beautiful.
The beauty is staggering
Extreme landscape!
It is stark…winter is here!
Chinstrap Penguins!
Adorable.
Gentoo Penguins.
Penguins are nesting, and this Gentoo mother is feeding her chick.
Elephant Seals!
A juvenile male elephant seal! You can see his little trunk starting. These guys are 12 ft if they are an inch, and they are juveniles!

These are my first five day one incredible reasons I already love Antarctica!

How Would You Like to Spend a Day in Everglades National Park?

December 27, 2016 By Tam Warner 3 Comments

Recently I spent some time in Florida, and Hyatt kindly hosted me on an Everglades National Park tour with Everglades Excursions! I hadn’t seen the Everglades since I was a little girl, and I’d never been on an airboat, so it was quite the adventure! (I am so excited that I will be staying at the Park Hyatt in Buenos Aires in less than 10 days!!!)

I was greeted by our tour guide, Dave, in Naples. We drove to the Everglades from Naples and the roomy van was quite comfortable. Dave was a fount of knowledge…I would bet he knows as much about the Everglades as anyone. He has spent a great deal of his life and his time there. My understanding is that he came from up north and is a transplant, he is not a Florida Cracker. I had never heard that term used before, but it means pioneer settlers and their descendants in what is now the U.S. state of Florida. It is not a derogatory word, indeed it is the opposite, Florida Crackers are very proud of their heritage.

Everglades National Park, Everglades tour, Florida — Dave!

On our way, we stopped at a couple of locations to see baby gators and manatees. The baby gators were all over the creek bank, and mama was lying quietly in the water. We also saw manatees under the water.

When we arrived at the marina, we were greeted by a woman with a two foot long alligator in her arms. Normally, I would not do this, but I had never touched an alligator, crocodile, or cayman before, and I could not resist the chance to look into its eyes and feel its leathery, thick skin. Alligators carry a terrible, sometimes fatal, bacteria in their mouths, so when someone holds one they put a band around their mouth. I suppose I had always imagined they would feel slimy and rough, but I could not have been more wrong. She was a beautiful animal, and her skin felt like soft leather. She had bony plates on her back. It was absolutely fascinating to see an alligator close up. Of course, the most arresting feature was her eyes. I’m sure you’ve seen the reality shows about hunting alligators, and they have gone from endangered to being overrun. There is a hunting season every year to cull their numbers.

Next was a boat ride! The airboats are pretty cool…it looks like someone just stuck a big fan on a flat boat, and I suppose when you get right down to it, that is exactly what it is! Our Captain was experienced, and soon had us on the airboat and off into the Everglades.

The next time you are in southern Florida, I urge you to take a tour of the Everglades. It was absolutely fascinating! Our National Parks are absolute treasures, and we must protect them against exploitation of any kind. These habitats are invaluable.

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