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.
And of course, there are penguins! Our first visit was to a colony of Gentoo Penguins. They are so cute!
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.
Gorgeous, Tam! I LOVE those penguins. Thanks for sharing your adventures. Pinning to my travel board.
Stay tuned for penguins….they get cuter and cuter and cuter!
Absolutely stunning~ this is the adventure of a lifetime~ I’m glad I can tag along virtually!
Stunned is a good word for the way I felt!
My friends have told me that those cute penguins are super stinky!
Only for a couple of minutes. Animals aren’t always perfectly groomed! And they are well worth it, they just couldn’t be any cuter, or more fascinating to watch.