Whale breath

Early into this expedition, we were taught to look for whales out at sea by watching for the blow of their breath. Expedition Team member Annie Inglis is a marine biologist, and she has a keen eye for spotting the spout from far off, and identifying the whale from the blow pattern and shape.

As we crossed the Drake and headed toward the polar region, whale sightings became more and more frequent, and they also got a lot closer to our ship.

There are so many whales here, humpbacks, of course, but also fin, minke, and pilot whales. We would see them cruising alongside us, ‘logging’ (sleeping at the surface) as we were anchored offshore, even witnessing a “bubble net” feeding. We recognized the humpbacks’ breathing patterns (3 breaths and then a dive), which was our cue that we would soon see a fluke as the whale dove deep (get your camera ready!). But the coolest experience was watching them from the Zodiac, where we were close enough to hear them breathe, sometimes using the sound of their breath to identify their position, and to follow and watch them do what whales do. Mostly it was them simply gliding gracefully by, hardly causing a ripple on the water as they swam right past.

Seeing these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat was a humbling experience,  and what a privilege for us visitors to their world.

From Glacier to Glass: “Ice Fishing” in Antarctica

During one of our Zodiac excursions, our pilot Justin and Expedition Team member Jean fished out a huge block of glacier ice from sea. 

This was no ordinary ice! Although there are blocks of ice and ice floes and icebergs all around us, there is one special form of ice that caught the eye of our team members.

From a distance, it looks solid black, as if a block of obsidian were floating on the water. But as you get closer, you realize that it is almost solidly crystal clear - the black is just a reflection of the water.

This is GLACIER ICE, the bits that broke off as the glaciers slowly chugged down the mountains and landed in the sea. Due to tens of thousands of years of compression, there is very little air entrapped in the solid block of ice, which makes it look like a hunk of crystal.

We hauled the block of ice into the Zodiac, and later it ended up at the bar to be used in very special cocktails that evening. It was delicious!

Antarctica: The Zodiac Experience

One of the highlights of this trip is the Zodiacs, the boats that take us from the ship to our land excursions, or to cruise around on the area near our anchor site. I’ve never been on a Zodiac before (I had a lot of ‘firsts’ on this trip - more on that later), and I was super excited to get on the water.

Each Zodiac fits 10 people plus the pilot. The first day at sea we were told what to wear on the Zodiac, and how to safely get in and out of one. It was, at first, quite a daunting process, but we got more efficient as the week went on.

First, what do you wear on the Zodiac? Since being on the water can be quite cold and windy, we’re told to layer up, and carry a dry bag for extra items (and camera), or if we want to shed layers. Many of the Zodiacs were simply a way from getting from ship to shore, which meant that you’ll probably be warm from walking around on land. Other times, we simply did a Zodiac cruise for an hour or more, so it’s best to wear all the layers.

We first get dressed in our cabin:

Bottom: base layer leggings, sock liners, wool socks, fleece pants, waterproof pants

Top: base layer top, mid-weight wool shirt, Quark-issued polar parka with waterproof outer layer

Balaclava, neck gaiter, Smartwool cap. Glove liners, over-gloves (I have polar-rated mittens), hand warmers. Sunglasses or goggles are a good idea, too, as is sunscreen.

After the first time donning all this gear, I kept all my Zodiac clothes in one place so I was able to simply throw on my ‘uniform’ and not forget anything. It seems that you get about 20-30 minute warning for gangway time, so you have to be prepared. Once your excursion team is called to the mud room, it’s a mad dash to get to your boots and life jacket and get in line to board your boat.

The Zodiacs are necessary because there are no ‘ports’ in Antarctica, so you need them to get to shore. Sometimes landing isn’t part of the plan, and in those instances we’re out cruising around the inlet, looking for seals and whales and penguins, and taking in the astonishing landscape from the level of the water. 

The pilots have a keen eye for spotting Antarctic fauna, and we would often speed up to where a whale was sighted, then cut the engine and just watch. Being so close to the hundreds of humpbacks (and pilot whales, and minkes) we saw on this trip is an unforgettable and moving experience.

66º33’

Sometime in early afternoon, what looked like a huge snow-covered mountain appeared on the port side of the ship. I thought for sure it was a mirage but, no, we were looking at Antarctica!

Everyone on the ship, it seemed, gathered on Deck 7. We saw so many whales: humpback, fin, pilot, and some seals and even a few penguins flying through the waves (they look like fish leaping out of the water). As we got neared to the Antarctic Circle, icebergs dotted the sea and it was magical. 

There was a huge celebration and everyone was having a good time. Passengers mugged for photos outside, and inside the observation lounge we had hot cocoa with Bailey’s to toast our journey into the polar zone. King Neptune and his mermaid servant made all of us pay homage to him: we had to kiss his fish and then he poured water over our heads to commemorate our rite of passage into the southern circle.

We stayed on deck for hours, enjoying the moment with our fellow passengers and our great fortune to be in Antarctica.

We are told that there is still an opportunity for a Zodiac excursion today. I am excited to get off this ship and I’m ready to start exploring Antarctica.

Crossing the Antarctic Circle

Woke up to the same featureless sea we’ve been crossing since Friday night, but today, the sun is shining and we know that we will be in ANTARCTICA by this afternoon!

We were all out on the open Deck 5 observation area early, but we didn’t see much except for a few birds and some whale blows. 

The morning routine while at sea is: breakfast, some sort of presentation on topics of interest to Antarctica explorers, short break, another presentation, lunch. The first talk was on pinnipeds, and Annie taught us how to identify the types of seals we’re likely to see this week: crabeater, Wedell, Southern fur seal, leopard seal, and elephant seal. 

Later, Expedition Team member Jean taught us how to identify the penguins we should see on this trip: Adelie, Gentoo, Chinstrap, Magellenic, Macaroni, and if we’re really lucky, King and Emporer.

After lunch, we were told that we would be crossing the Antarctic Circle at 3:30 PM! 

Signing off until we got to 66º 33’

Drake Passage: 2 days at sea

We have been at sea now for 2 days, and counting. For some reason, I don’t remember the itinerary indicating this many days at sea - I probably glossed over that part of the brochure to get to the good stuff.

The Drake Passage is notorious for rough seas. It’s a place where 3 oceans - the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Southern - all come together in a contest to see how much chaos they can inflict upon passing ships. We are told that the Drake runs the gamut of two extremes: the relatively calm ‘Drake Lake’ and the more terrifying ‘Drake Shake’. We are somewhere closer to the Drake Lake version, but its enough rocking and rolling for me.

The days at sea are both action packed and painfully long. It has taken me a while to get my ‘sea legs’, but I do think it’s better than the first day aboard the ship. 

Quark lists out the day’s schedule of events, which includes everything from mandatory meetings (how to safely get in and out of the Zodiacs, parka and boot fittings and instruction), and talks given by the Expedition Team (the Quark team, not my friends and I who have been referring to ourselves as Expedition Team, too). 

The Quark team is an enthusiastic, knowledgeable group of scientists and historians who are ready to enhance our experience. We’ve had a lot of good conversations with Jean, our ornithologist, and Annie, our marine biologist who has a wicked eye to spot even the tiniest dolphin splash in the wide expanse of sea in front of us, at dusk. We’ve gone to presentations about Antarctica bird life, Cetaceans of the Southern Ocean, and the History of Antarctica Exploration. One of the team gave a talk last night about marine superstitions, which taught us to never whistle on the ship, or use certain words like ‘rat’ and ‘rabbit’. We are in 100% compliance with these instructions. 

We found out that there are inflatable kayak excursions available through a lottery system, so Matt and I put our names in the hat and we found out today that we secured a spot on one of the paddling excursions. 

Now all we have to do is get through the rest of these days at sea so we can finally get to the Continent. 

We were told that we should be seeing icebergs sometime soon. They run a contest where you guess the date and time you think the first iceberg will be sighted. I guessed that it would be today (Sunday, Feb 19) at 5:30 PM. I will be a lot happier about being on this ship once I see some sea ice. That will indicate we’re getting close!

Leaving for the 7th Continent TODAY!

 Ship Day!

Embarkation Day!

Adventure Day!

The Expedition Team hasn’t quite decided what to call this day. We’ve been waiting soooooo long for this day to arrive that we may as well call it “Finally!”

Here’s today’s schedule:

Breakfast at Hotel Los Acebos

Drop off bags at 10:00 AM

Get picked up by Quark team at noon, go to Albatross Hotel in Ushuaia for check in on our ship

At 3 PM, head over to the pier where we will board a catamaran that will take us to World Explorer.

Not sure what time our ship will eventually leave port, but as long as all goes as planned, we will be at sea this evening. 

Ushuaia: The End of the World

Coming into Ushuaia was like stepping into a world previously known only through ads for mountain climbing gear or adventure travel guides. Dark, dramatic clouds with breaks of sunset, towering snow-capped mountains right up against the placid inlet. Seaside town crammed with colorful, weathered buildings. The wind was whipping up and a light snow was falling. Huge contrast to Buenos Aires, but the cold is refreshing. It was hard to contain our excitement. 

We rode through “downtown” Ushuaia and up, up, up a snaking road where all the resorts seem to be located. Hotel Acebo is high above the cove, with panoramic views of the inlet and surrounding mountains. From the window of my room, I can see the ship docks and there are a few cruise ships getting ready to set sail. As tired as we all were, it felt right to have a celebratory drink at the hotel bar, just so we could linger over the late sunset (it’s summer here, after all) watching the snow fall and the ships leaving out of the Beagle Channel for points south. 

I slept like a rock, and awoke to sun pouring in and that stunning view. We met for coffee and breakfast at the hotel’s wrap-around windowed dining room, enjoying the snow and sunshine and the local food and knowing how lucky we all are to be here.

After wandering up the mountain road a bit to enjoy the stunning day and clean, crisp air, we took a shuttle into town for the afternoon. We wandered around the port, explored some of the commercial streets, popped into fun and quirky shops. Took a lot of photos. The sun is full out and it feels delightful. 

By the time we got back to our hotel, my legs were tired and all I wanted to do was kick off my shoes and put my feet up. But that wasn’t going to happen: Jackie saw on her cruise ship watch app that our own ship, The World Explorer, was coming into port! We grabbed our binoculars and watched as our “home” for the next 2 weeks made its way up the Beagle Channel to the port below us. 

From our (now) usual spot at the bar, we toasted another amazing day and we’re all ready to get on with this adventure. Tomorrow we’ll  have time for some last minute Ushuaia sightseeing before we have to board the ship for an afternoon departure. I will take advantage of the time to enjoy my last opportunity to use my “land legs” for the next couple of weeks!

En route to Antarctica - First stop: Buenos Aires

Overnight flight from Atlanta, got into Buenos Aires this morning. It’s hot here - and I’m dressed for something closer to Antarctica weather.

We arranged a tour of BA, since we have time before our afternoon flight to Ushuaia. Our guide, Matias, and his driver picked us up from EZE airport and showed us around some of the highlights of central BA. We learned some Argentine history, both past and recent and, in face, Matias warned us that our drive into central BA would take longer than expected. Demonstrators have taken to blocking the busy highways lately to protest power outages that left residents sweltering in the record heat. In the 100 degree temps lately, people were understandably upset.

Argentina seems to have had more than its share of political unrest over the past couple of centuries, and its ongoing. Inflation here is nearing 60%, with some predicting it to go as high as 90%! Matias says inflation has been a part of everyday life since he can remember. Government corruption and widespread mistrust of the government in general seems to be a problem with no end in sight.

We made a few stops including the Boca neighborhood, with its heavy Italian and artsy influence, walked around the central plaza and popped into the cathedral that the current Pope, Pope Francis, resided as archbishop. We finished our tour at a famous must-see cemetary, where the mausoleums created streets like cities of the dead. Lots of Argentina history buried here, including Eva Perone. 

We asked Matias a lot of questions about life in BA, and tourism and if this is what he does for a living. He admitted he was also a musician, and we made him stop at a local park to give us a sample of his musical talent. For a quick 3 hours to spend here, we had a very interesting and satisfying mini-tour!

Our tour ended at the AEP airport, where we will board our flight to the southernmost tip of Argentina, Ushuaia. We’ll spend a couple of night in Ushuaia before boarding our ship to the Antarctic peninsula on Friday.