TRAVEL

There are Endless Reasons to Love Antarctica!!

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.

The bow of the Lindblad Explorer.
Icebergs are small and huge, and everything in between.
The dark blue you see see is glacial ice.
Icebergs are jaw dropping.
The icebergs were absolutely beautiful. Here we were on a zodiac, looking at icebergs and wildlife.
The landscape is much more beautiful, and vast, than I had ever imagined.
These huge ice floes were everywhere….often with wildlife lounging on it!
A leopard seal having a snooze. Yes, a LEOPARD Seal!!!!

 

Stark, but gorgeous landscape. Winter is here!

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

Gentoo Penguins!
Adorable.
Penguins “porpoise” in the water. It is amazing to watch. Of course, it should be called penguining.
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. 

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Tam Warner

Award Winning Travel Journalist and Blogger, writing about Eclectic Travels in the Empty Nest! From scuba to luxury cruises to kayaking to expeditions, Tam is ready to go! Contact me at travelswithtam@gmail.com

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Tam Warner

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