This trip was like a dream come true for us. We were so worried about jinxing it we hardly told anyone about it until we had arrived. We even hid for a week prior to leaving to make sure we didn’t catch a bug before heading out!
My dad had flown to Antarctica from Ushuaia, Argentina, while in port during a cruise some years back to visit for a day excursion and simply loved it. He enjoyed wildlife and had a fondness for penguins and all other marine creatures. After his passing, I just had something that was drawing me there. It would certainly remind us of him.
Some interesting facts about Antarctica
Antarctica has been governed internationally by the provisions of the Antarctic Treaty and its subsequent agreements. Under this treaty, Antarctica is a natural reserve dedicated to peace and science. It is not governed like a typical country but rather is treated like a shared resource.
Captain James Cook sailed to the nearby islands of Antarctica in 1773 and within 80 miles of the coast, but no one actually laid eyes on the continent until 1820 when it was spotted by the Russian Captain Bellingshausen. John Davis, an American sealer is said to have made the first recorded landing in 1821 although some suggest that early Polynesians may have discovered it in or around AD 650. Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen was the first man to reach the actual South Pole in 1911.
The lowest recorded temperature in Antarctica was a staggering -128°F (-89°C) recorded at the Russian Vostok Research Station. The largest iceberg was discovered in 1956 and measured 12,000 square miles (the size of Belgium!) With nine-tenths of the berg submerged, this tabular iceberg towered 130ft out of the water and had a total thickness of about 1,050ft.
There are actually five South Poles: The Geographic South Pole, the Magnetic South Pole, the Geomagnetic South Pole, the South Pole of Inaccessibility, and the South Pole’s ceremonial post (which is the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station that travels with the moving ice sheet up to three feet per year). The station erects a temporary post every year to identify the accurate position of the Geographic South Pole.
Well, enough facts and on to the trip and the wildlife!
Deciding how to get there
We had researched various Antarctica options before booking and there are multiple ways to see this remote continent.
- Some cruises simply sail by and do some scenic cruising in the area; this includes the cruises that sail past Cape Horn around the southern tip of South America.
- Some cruises allow for an airplane-based day tour from Ushuaia, Argentina, or Puerto Natales, Chile, allowing one to land on King George Island about 75 miles north of the mainland of the White Continent.
- Some expeditions actually fly there bypassing the notorious Drake Passage. They start their cruising from King George Island saving some time (and the worry of getting caught in the Drake Shake!).
- Then there are the smaller expedition ships that cruise through the legendary Drake Passage and spend time cruising around Antarctica and its islands allowing for local landings and tours.
- There are also more lengthy cruises that add ports in the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and more territory.
- There are even small sailboats and other vessels that offer private tours; however, we could not imagine navigating across what may be 30ft waves with some of those!
- We also know of some divers that have come to Antarctica to scuba dive on specialized diving charters or expeditions and found it incredible. This requires a lot of expertise and a lot of preparation (and a lot of equipment!). To scuba dive you have to have logged at least 30 dry suit dives with 10 or even 20 of these in water that is 39°F (4°C) or colder!! Brrr…
Well, we can safely say that we have enough scuba diving experience to know that we are NOT qualified or prepared for diving in Antarctica yet!
As much as we would have loved to also see the Falkland Islands (that’s where many of those big King penguin colony pictures are taken), we simply could not be away for so long. The Antarctica expedition with travel was already longer than a two-week trip for us.
Ultimately, we chose Viking as the new Octantis and Polaris expedition ships looked really amazing. They also had a submarine on board that would give us a view under the water (the closest we could come to diving on this trip). More on the ship and our thoughts further down.
The preparations
Being so remote, it’s not surprising that explorers are required to go through a medical assessment before being accepted on the voyage.
While this was not all that rigorous, it did involve either talking to the expedition doctor (for a fee) or bringing your own medical form filled in by your doctor listing medications and anything that could potentially be or become a concern. This is actually quite important as we heard of one ship that had to cancel a big part of a cruise (for everyone) so it could return to port to address one passenger’s medical issue.
There is also a long packing list that included numerous items such as goggles and all manners of layers to be worn. We were happy we brought these along as it really did get cold in the small boats and on the landings.
One packing note about gloves
We had purchased heated gloves and socks thinking these would be a good idea for the extreme weather but after checking with the expedition team we were told these were not permitted (probably due to safety concerns regarding the batteries getting submerged or overly wet). Good thing they were returnable!
We had to laugh however when we did see more than one pair of these with the visible on/off button being worn on the cruise (some people just didn’t ask I guess!).
Instead, we ended up getting some really nice leather photo gloves where the thumb and forefinger tips actually fold back and are held down by magnets so you can take pictures with the exposed finger and thumb.
Other packing notes
- We also brought a more extensive medical kit along and enough meds for a month. Just in case! The ship itself we heard kept many weeks of spare supplies as a precaution. I’d hate to imagine it, but if we got stuck in the ice or had some kind of ship failure or something. Perhaps we were being overcautious, but these don’t take a lot of room.
- Another thing many don’t realize is that the UV rays are very strong in Antarctica and reflect off the snow and ice. While our expedition crew supplied sunblock and lip balm, it’s a good idea to bring your favorites along with some good after sun and moisturizer.
- We also found some nice warm hats that incorporated a visor and covered our ears.
- Ski goggles were recommended and we were also happy to have these on the fast-moving boats (especially in the rain and snow). Ours fit well over our glasses and it was actually pretty incredible how well they worked in the wintery mix without fogging up and not getting spotted up with drops like our glasses would have.
Lastly, as I said we kept our distance from everyone and everything as much as possible to avoid catching any bugs before our departure. With all that travel and preparations, the last thing we needed was to get called out and quarantined or even refused boarding!
Viking Octantis Antarctica itinerary
Our itinerary on the Viking Octantis was an 11-day cruise that would bring us to the Antarctic Peninsula sailing by various research facilities and outposts. We loved that most of the time was spent looking for wildlife in pristine bays surrounded by soaring snow-covered cliffs and blue ice. Often, we would spot penguins or seals resting (or molting) on an iceberg. Absolutely breathtaking!
What we quickly learned however was that the weather in Antarctica is unpredictable and while it can be calm as a mirror lake in the morning, within an hour there could be gale force winds, snow, hail, rain, or fog! It was incredible how fast things could turn and we experienced this firsthand on more than one outing.
For this reason, our expedition leader explained that the original itinerary was really considered merely as a suggestion! When the weather acts up, which we understood was often the case, the captain and expedition leader look to find sheltered pockets of calm (blue on weather map) where they can go so that the ship’s activities can be offered safely.
While this meant some of our landings were replaced with zodiac scenic cruises, the expedition leader told us that this was much preferable to going to the original site only to be stuck on the ship because the zodiacs and kayaks could not go out in the weather!
We often found ourselves in a spot with dark clouds all around but a nice quiet sea and a patch of blue sky in a small bay sheltered by mountains. Hats off to the navigator and weatherman for sure. Thanks to them we did get to experience outings at every stop!
Viking Octantis expedition ship
The ship was all brand new and beautiful. Tasteful European style decorations were everywhere in the numerous lounging areas all about the ship. It was stunning, really.
Our suite was surprisingly large with plenty of storage such that even with our overpacking we had ample room to put everything away and even lots of space to spare. It seems like every nook and cranny was put to good use to offer storage.
A heated floor in the bathroom, USB’s plugs, and a big flatscreen TV were just some of the creature comforts.
A towel warmer along with a huge shower and a double sink were wonderful. They even had a drying closet with a boot rack and hangers that worked surprisingly well. There were also some binoculars in the cabin to use during the expedition.
One of our favorite features was the huge motorized window. We at first thought that this may be a step down from a balcony but to be honest it worked way better in the freezing temperatures. Had we given up the space for a balcony that we would rarely (or never most likely!) used the room would have been smaller and the view less spectacular!
The motorized window would come down to the perfect height with the small counter being ideal for leaning our elbows and taking photos. A motorized blackout shade was also great to have for the extended summer daylight hours (4am-midnight!).
There was no usual sit-down dinner restaurant like found on the larger cruise ships, but they had two specialty restaurants (that needed reservations) and a huge buffet. Within the buffet there was also a sushi station and a grill available every night. The food was great and there were ample selection and variety over the length of the cruise.
It was also nice to have everything included. A Nespresso machine with an endless supply of pucks was in the room, lots of drinks in the minibar which was refilled daily for free. And even free Wi-Fi which was surprisingly good for being in the middle of nowhere.
Everyone had at least one free excursion per stop and we often got out twice or even three times some days. All included (except the submarine which was an added cost).
For the expeditions and landings, the ship provided everyone with a bright red Helly Hansen winter outer shell and puff jacket which we could keep (very cool!).
They also provided waterproof pants and rubber knee-high boots (which they took back at the end of the cruise). This really meant that we could have gotten by without the thicker jackets and boots we had purchased ourselves. But then again it was nice to have them when the decks got slippery or when it wasn’t quite as cold in the sun on the ship to warrant the heavy-duty gear!
The experience
The beautiful scenery of Antarctica and the wildlife were the real reasons we came. And Antarctica did not disappoint! We loved the scenery and all the picturesque vistas you can really only see here during Antarctica’s summer.
Most cruises only operate between November and March. We went in mid-January, which was a great time to go. This was the time the penguin chicks would’ve been born, and weather was supposed to be as good as it gets.
We were quite surprised to see other cruise ships and many small sailboats as we cruised around the northernmost upper peninsula of Antarctica. We didn’t expect to see Antarctica this crowded.
Sailing to Antarctica
As we sailed along the Beagle Chanel from Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost town, huge albatrosses were following us gliding and soaring effortlessly riding the wind currents off the waves. The expedition was already under way. With the built-up anticipation of the trip, it was really amazing to see our first iceberg, our first whale tail, our first seal, and our first penguin. The adventure built up special memories quickly for us.
Crossing the Drake Passage
So, would we get the Drake Lake or the Drake Shake? This was the question! The captain said we had some 10-15 footers during the night but aside from a gentle rocking we didn’t find it bad at all.
At the beginning of the night, we had some hangers that were rattling in the closet. After separating those I slept like a baby to the gentle rocking of the ship unlike penguins that we learned only sleep 4 seconds at a time!
The first day at sea on the Drake was still action-packed with a number of mandatory briefings and tests that had to be done.
1- Test to qualify for the submarine dive
This was quite easy basically just making sure your weigh is under 250lb and that you can get up from a squat position to prove you were agile enough to get around in the tight space. They would also record your weight to balance the submarine with the right group of guests (keeping couples together on the same dive if they requested this).
2- Kayak boarding test
This test was done in the hangar and was to check if you could basically roll into the dingy from the kayak and slide down into the seat of the kayak from the zodiac with ease. Some simple guidelines really but a mandatory test (and better to find out in the hangar than on the icy cold seas!!)
3- Even a clothing check
In order to approve what could be worn ashore to protect the fragile ecosystem at the landings and ensure no contamination would come off the clothing we brought with us that might affect the local wildlife.
The crew went through the inspection and cleaning of all the guests outer layer clothing to ensure that the various hats, gloves, and scarves (all the outer layers) would not add any materials to the ecosystem. Feathers, pet hairs, and all organic matter were being cleaned off and vacuumed out.
The only questionable item we had was a pom-pom on a hat that seemed to shed nylon strands. They offered to cut it off, but we simply agreed not to wear it for the landings.
Activities aboard the Viking Octantis
The usual activities consisted of one or more of the following:
1- Zodiac cruises
Zodiacs cruises lasted about 45 minutes. This was often around the ice looking for wildlife such as penguins and seals.
2- Landings
Where possible, a landing on shore which lasted about an hour. The zodiacs would shuttle passengers ashore 10 at a time based on prebooked reservations. Antarctica has strict rules whereby no ship could have more than 100 people ashore at any given time. There was also a rigorous boot cleaning upon return to the ship to prevent the spread of any potential disease across sites (and penguin colonies).
3- Special operation boat tours
A special operations speed boat tour that lasted about an hour. With the speed boat we could go further from the ship and explore different areas. Again, the main goal was to enjoy the spectacular scenery and look for wildlife.
Take a look at the penguins jumping on and off the iceberg here
4- Kayak tours
We almost didn’t do this thinking that being in the kayak in that freezing cold water could be risky if one were to fall in. While this remains true, the expedition team provided dry suits and life vests, and the kayaks were actually quite stable. There was a zodiac following the group ready to pull anyone aboard should there have been any issues. Fortunately, there were none.
This turned out to be a really pleasant experience as it got us right to the water level and we didn’t have the motor noise of the boat. We really felt close to nature in the kayak.
I did keep looking at those huge precarious glaciers that looked like they were about to fall any minute. Should that happen there would be a real wave that would definitely rock those kayaks!
5- Submarine dives
The expedition ships also offer an optional submarine dive experience which we opted to do. This was also about a 45-minute dive. The sub had two huge domes where three guests could sit on each side.
The submarine was fun and we knew the only diving we would do in Antarctica on this trip. We dove down to 111 meters (365 ft) for 40 minutes and saw a huge octopus, a sun star, a crocodile icefish, a few cushion stars and brittle stars.
The seafloor was covered in barrel sponges that looked tiny through the dome, but our pilot told us they were actually 1 meter (3 ft) or more. We also spotted sea lemons (a type of nudibranch) as well as some old whale bones and a sunken barrel (likely from an old whaling ship).
Going ashore in Antarctica
On one of the landings we did, we went to Nickelson Harbour which is on Trinity Island in Graham Land along the coastline of the Antarctic Peninsula.
We did a beach landing where there were an old emergency shelter and a colony of what we were told were many thousands of Gentoo penguins. It sure looked like more than that to us! They were everywhere making squeaking and squawking sounds, and the area was red with poop! (red because of all the krill they eat!). You could definitely smell it as soon as you approached the shore.
Penguin chicks were getting fattened up and we could see them everywhere.
There was also an old wooden shipwreck by the colony from ancient whaling times.
They sure sprayed us down and washed our boots when we came back on board from this one to ensure no cross island or cross landing contamination would occur with all that penguin poop!
There was also a bristle (carwash-like machine) that everyone walked through to clean their boots good and remove any organic matter that might spread diseases across colonies.
Memorable moments
We also did a special operations speed boat tour in Nickelson Harbour and saw some cute penguins trying to get up onto a small iceberg.
We also saw numerous humpback whales showing their tails and fins.
We also saw some whales feeding at the surface from up close on one of our zodiac cruises.
One day we were looking out our window, and we saw some orcas. Our pictures showed there were at least two calves in the group, and the expedition crew told us this was a really rare sighting. They thought it was two pods of Type 2 Antarctic small orcas (also called Gerlache killer whales). Their main diet in Antarctica is penguins. Beware little guys!
One day we came to Enterprise Island where there was an old metal hull of a whaling ship (The Governoren) that had run ashore. Well, more specifically it burned down and the captain ran it ashore. Miraculously all aboard survived.
As we approached, we saw it had three sailboats moored to it. We couldn’t imagine crossing the Drake Passage with one of those small sailboats, but I guess many do it as we saw more than a few of these small pleasure craft. At one point we started our marine traffic app and saw how crowded Antarctica actually was with all those ships!
On the zodiac we also saw some nesting cormorants and some Gentoo penguins. Our naturalist guide told us these little guys can swim at 22 miles per hour and that they are the fastest swimming birds that exist. It’s funny to see them jumping out of the water, porpoising they call it. It looks like they are having fun, but I think they may have been coming up to take a look at us!
We also saw many Chinstrap penguins so named because of the funny black line across their necks as if they had a chin strap.
On another zodiac expedition we also saw one of our wish list leopard seals. What amazing creatures. Next to the orcas they are the second predator species here that hunts penguins and other seals.
Surprisingly they also eat a lot of krill (a small shrimp-like crustacean) that most of the Antarctica creatures feed on. The leopard seals have evolved to have their teeth in a shape that allows them to filter out the water from a mouth full of krill. Isn’t nature amazing!
One guide told us that once a leopard seal had actually chased the zodiac and punctured one of the tubes. Fortunately, we were told that these military grade zodiacs had five inner tubes and could operate well with only two so… a little piece of mind should we have to outrun a biting leopard seal.
One night the snow was so thick that the decks were quickly covered, and the windows had snow stuck to them. We were amazed to see a really weird phenomenon in that the sea around the ship looked like a slushy! We watched what looked like peaks and valleys of snow moving all around the ship as the waves underneath moved up and down. Very beautiful and mesmerizing!
Continental Antarctica landing
At our third site, Recess Cove, we made our first and only continental landing in Antarctica! While we had been in Antarctica for days we had been exploring the islands. This landing took us to the actual shoreline where we put our feet on the ground on the actual Antarctica continent.
The ship pulled out all the signs and markers for us to take pictures and capture that “I am in Antarctica” mood.
We were not alone at the small pebble beach. Some sleeping Weddell seals were zonked out on the snow.
At one point we heard a deafening thunder and turned just in time to see a large chunk of snow and ice carve off the side on the shoreline. It didn’t take long for the waves to reach us, and all the zodiacs were paused for a bit on shore as things settled down. It did make us think that should that fall when we would’ve been in the water it could surely shake things up. Even more reason to give the shoreline an ample berth.
While we were amazed to have seen this spectacle, one of the guides was actually really sad about it and explained that it was an indication of accelerating global warming and further habitat destruction for the local animals here.
Unpredictable Antarctica weather
Site number 4 was at Dallmann Bay. It was also changed from a landing to a cruise due to weather. The captain had to bring the ship into a sheltered cove due to 20-30 knot winds. There did not seem to be any good sites for disembarking.
The huge ice sheets hung precariously over the beaches, and we would not have wanted to take a chance landing under one of those. It was a beautiful area where we saw Antarctic fur seals sleeping on icebergs or rocks and lots of cormorants as well as some whales in the distance.
Did you know that ice weighs almost 1000 kg per cubic meter? Some of those sheets looked to be 100s of square meters. That’s a lot of weight, and that could really cause a lot of waves.
The ice itself
It’s impossible to talk about Antarctica and leave out the ice itself. Frankly, it’s a lot more colorful than we expected. The shapes too are fascinating and with a little imagination we saw icebergs that looked like cats, whales, cruise ships, and more. Just like watching clouds.
- Pink ice: The pinkish color is the result of a natural phenomenon caused by blooms of cold-loving algae species.
- Green ice: The greenish hue is cause by iron oxides from rocks and sediments that get trapped in the ice.
- Black ice: It’s ancient and hard. No light goes through it as there are no bubbles from centuries of compression.
- Blue ice: Also compressed with less bubbles than the white or clear ice this gives a blueish tint to icebergs and creates beautiful blue lines in the ice.
Antarctica wildlife
Of course, the main reason we were there was to see some of Antarctica’s wildlife. Seeing these resilient birds and animals that call the White Continent home was by far the highlight of our trip. And we also learned so much about them too. A fantastic experience!
We saw three types of penguins
- Gentoo penguins (by far the most frequent type)
- Chinstrap penguins (easy to distinguish with their black chin strap)
- Adélie penguins (only one, as they are usually found further south)
Penguin chicks (yes, penguins are birds even if they can’t fly!) can’t go in the water until they have their waterproof feathers. Some poor babies were covered in poop! I bet mom can’t wait for those feathers to come in to give them a bath!
While you can sometimes see emperor penguins, these are generally further south from where our expedition went.
Some of the other birds we saw
- Giant petrels with their signature tube noses (opportunistic carnivores preying on penguin chicks)
- Snowy sheathbills (chicken or pigeon-like birds and the only land birds in Antarctica)
- Snow petrels (small white birds about the size of a dove)
- Antarctic terns (seemingly weightless birds standing on the slushy ice)
- Antarctic shag (also known as the Antarctic cormorant is the only type of cormorant found in Antarctica)
- Kelp gulls (a type of seagull)
- Huge albatrosses with 11-ft wingspans (These can amazingly stay at sea for years without touching land)
We also saw four types of seals
- Antarctic fur seals (unlike all true seals they have ears and can get around on land using their flippers and tail)
- Leopard seals (fierce and feline-looking with their black-spotted coats)
- Crabeater seals (also known as the krill-eater seal due to their diet of krill)
- Weddell seals (these stay in Antarctica year-round and are the only mammals to breed on the continent)
Some seals were also molting. Where they change out their fur for a nice new tight waterproof one. This period is supposedly very uncomfortable for them, and they can’t go in the water to feed.
Ross seals with huge eyes and elephant seals can also be occasionally found. Some in our expedition claimed to have seen an elephant seal on one of the landings but we didn’t get to see it.
Whale species we saw
- Humpback whales (baleen whales famous for showing off their tails or doing acrobatics with huge breaches)
- Minke whales (one of the smaller baleen whales)
- Type 2 Antarctic small orcas (also called Gerlache killer whales. Apex predators at the top of the marine food chain)
We saw mostly humpback whales, and these were spectacular. We loved how they would stick out their tails as they dove deep after a few breaths. The expedition desk told us we had also seen some minke whales, but we could not really tell the difference ourselves. One must know the various fin shapes and positions, and you rarely see a lot of the whale on the surface.
Evening lectures and scientific research
The ship also does scientific research in addition to providing a pleasure cruise. The on-board scientists were also giving lectures on various topics as per their specialties. We enjoyed many lectures on local birds, seals, whales, and even krill, ice, fin designs, and more. Also interesting were the tales of hair-raising survival stories told by the onboard historian.
We got to participate in the synchronized launching of a weather balloon. We also had some wonderful lectures by the expedition team including topics such as the changes in the weather, the physics of why ice looks blue (hint: it’s due to the bubble concentration) and the physics behind the fins of whales (with comparisons to airplanes). Every evening one or more of the team would share their knowledge and experience making this a wonderful educational and fun adventure.
Even a Bridge tour
We were also able to participate in a ship’s bridge tour with the captain (who first said he was from King’s Landing (Dubrovnik)!
Amazing that the large ship is all controlled by a joystick nowadays. Huge azimuth propellers turn 360 degrees to help the ship maneuver. Overall, the ship packed well over 25,000 horsepower and it was designed to be able to cut through up to 3.5ft of ice. It can operate with 100 knot headwinds and 55 knot side winds. Most boats will not operate in those conditions.
Our return though the Drake Passage was more of a shake. We had 17-meter swells and 50-70 knot winds. It unfortunately threw off our plans to cruise around Cape Horn, but we made it across safely and it was actually not that bad. I took a precautionary Dramamine as things started to get livelier. The captain told us that in the old days with the small ships they would actually have people wear seatbelts in their beds for the rough crossings.
The captain’s briefing also described the technology that goes into the newer ships which make the ship so much more stable in rough seas. There are stabilizer fins measuring 5x15ft that come out from the sides. There is a huge anti-heeling tank (that has seawater pumped-in that is moving between two sides to offset the rocking motion of the waves. There is also a U-shaped anti-rolling tank which basically reduces over 50 percent of the wave induced side-to-side motion.
Despite all that it was kind of weird to see the water pooling and moving back and forth on the shower floor when taking a shower and it was a little shaky walking the halls where everyone looked like they had been drinking, walking in a synchronized weaving pattern as we went to dinner or to the nightly lecture. Honestly not bad at all considering the monster waves and wind out there.
Why we chose Viking
The Viking Octantis and Polaris are new ships having been launched in January 2022 and September 2022. The sister ships are specifically made to explore the polar regions and are polar class 6 rated.
The timing mid-January worked well for us and the itinerary was not overly long but, yet, sufficiently long to make some landings and explore multiple areas.
We were also quite keen to try the submarine and enjoy the naturalists and scientists on board that were going to not only show us Antarctica but also teach us about the area and the animals and birds.
We flew direct with AA from Miami to Buenos Aires where Viking put us up for one night before taking the 3.5-hour charter flight to Ushuaia, Argentina.
On the return we were able to add an excursion to visit the Tierra del Fuego National Park which was well worth the visit if your flight time allows it. It’s about a 3.5 hour tour out of Ushuaia.
Viking organized a charter flight on Jet Smart to Ushuaia which was a single class and fully packed 737 for the 3.5-hour flight. Leaving at 7am required a 4:50am bus transfer to the local domestic airport which is much closer than the international airport in Buenos Aires. The Viking team took care of the luggage for us directly from the hotel to the cabin of the expedition ship.
Aside from being herded like sheep we have to say that the Viking transfers were well organized with lots of staff holding signs making it very easy to follow. Everyone was excited about the itinerary.
An Antarctica expedition is definitely like a once in a lifetime journey. We had many guests older than us and even some with mobility problems that took part so, overall, it’s not a difficult trip.
Arriving at the small airport of Ushuaia was easy (aside from the luggage carousel confusion where multiple flights were getting their bags simultaneously). But from there, once on board the bus to the ship everyone was giddy with anticipation cracking jokes and laughing out loud. A trip of a lifetime for sure!
Conclusion
When you mention Antarctica, many think simply of an inhospitable bitter cold endless stretch of snow and ice surrounded by freezing cold water. Clearly not somewhere you would think of going for a vacation.
Antarctica turned out to be so much more than just pretty scenery to us and unexpectedly we fell in love with it.
Being wildlife enthusiasts seeing the animals was amazing. Like we had seen in the Galapagos, the animals were unafraid of humans and didn’t mind us in their midst. It was pretty special. Of course, the guides kept a good handle on things to make sure no one tried to hug a penguin or take a selfie with a leopard seal!
The weather is unpredictable so every day the schedule changed. Unfortunately, some landings turned to cruises because of the weather but kudos to the captain and his crew for finding protected coves where we could at least get out and look for seals and penguins resting on icebergs or spot for whales and birds.
Our favorites were always the landings as we could take our time on land to take pictures by getting closer to the animals and seabirds.
Ultimately even when weather was good the excursions were limited. The ship’s crew blamed this on the Antarctica rule of only allowing 100 people ashore at any time. Most days we had a 1-hour excursion. Sometimes two but we were limited to one per day when prebooking and despite being on a ‘waitlist’ only received one additional add on excursion.
Some tips
- Load the Viking app and refresh it regularly. Our 2pm landings got changed to 8am cruises and there were changes to both times and activities every day. Because we had asked to be on the waiting list for more activities, we also got some surprise additions that showed up in the app. We understood that we had to be flexible due to weather and other operational factors but all the same you have to stay on your toes.
- Be ready for the cold. Even with the insulated pants and the waterproof covers it was very cold some days. Even with the insulated undershirt, base layer, sweater, puff jacket, and heavy-duty cover, hat, insulated neck gaiter, goggles… it was cold (my husband always gets colder than me!). We were glad we brought all those layers but even then! Be ready.
- It was also important to wear sunscreen as the sun was very strong and reflected off the ice. We could tell as our glasses got dark really fast. We applied lots and lots of sunscreen to be safe!
- Pack less. We had too much but we did appreciate the warm layers. The laundry on the ship also helped to allow reuse.
- Maybe plan an extra day or two at the end in case of weather delay if booking your own international flights. The day before we arrived there were 70 knot winds and the port was closed. It may be wise to plan some buffer days like we did for the international flights.
We would highly recommend the kayaking. At first, we were worried about falling into the freezing water, but the kayaks proved to be surprisingly stable and being that close to the water silently rowing so close to nature was really an amazing experience.
In retrospect
Consider the ship. We picked Viking which was luxurious but because of the larger number of guests on board we probably spent less time ashore. Some days we were limited to a single 1-hour excursion. We believe that had we gone with one of the smaller ships, we may have given up some of the onboard luxuries but gotten more time with the wildlife and on shore. The smaller ships can probably also get further into the various coves and areas where the big Viking Octantis couldn’t fit.
Also, while Viking Octantis was a polar class 6 ship others like the National Geographic are class 5 so a bit more sturdy for the ice. Perhaps unimportant unless you’re going the first or last week and weather can turn dramatically for ice to build up faster. They told us Octantis could cut through 3.5ft of fresh ice… hopefully not something you’d have to do.
We don’t have any regrets with our wonderful cabin, the great crew, and what proved to be a super expedition to Antarctica. But, if we could do it all over again, we might have put more emphasis on the smaller ships and the availability of shore excursions and landings.
While some passengers on our cruise had been to Antarctica many times, we don’t know that we would return. There are so many other destinations we want to visit. We may one day try to go to the Falkland Islands or even Saint George Island and see King and Macaroni penguins. That would be pretty cool, and you can actually fly there too.
It was definitely a trip of a lifetime and an amazing adventure. While you can argue that with the heated bathroom floors and scrumptious seafood buffets, we were definitely pampered in comparison to some of the earlier explorers we had heard about!
We still felt like explorers in our bright red Helly Hansen jackets wearing our goggles braving the ice and show in our kayak or getting ashore with seals and penguins. Having made the trek to the end of the world to start our adventure across the Drake is something that few get to do. We have a lot of great memories from our Antarctica expedition and we were thrilled to be able to experience it.