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.