Several times, I was asked why I would want to make a trip to Antarctica. I also asked this same question of my fellow travelers. The answers were intriguing.
“This was the last continent I had to visit to complete travel to all seven continents,” commented several passengers. “I prefer adventure and nature trips,” responded another. My wife liked the Galapagos Islands and the closeness to the wildlife, so why not Antarctica? “Because it is there,” according to a quote by a rock climber. Finally, I believe several older travelers wanted to prove they could still take an adventure trip.
For me, this was the land of the pure, which hasn’t changed since it was discovered in the 17th century. The scenery, wildlife and photography would be unparalleled with any other trip we had taken. And I was impressed by friends who had been there and who unanimously endorsed the trip.
But we had to pay a price. After embarking from Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world, we had to negotiate through the infamous Cape Horn and Drake Passage on an 800-mile voyage to Antarctica. It was rough at times but after applying various patches and wrist bands to prevent seasickness, most passengers adjusted (an old Navy man like me didn’t need one or wouldn’t admit it).
Antarctica is about three times the size of the 48 states in the lower United States. It is the highest, driest, coldest and windiest continent on earth. But it is crucial to the ecological system of the world. It is a land of extremes. There are about 1,500 people, mostly scientists, who inhabit Antarctica year-round. During the summer months of November through March, the number increases to 12,000. Tourists number about 35,000 a year, a relatively small number considering the interest in this continent. According to one of our lectures aboard ship, there were many sightings and landings on this continent prior to 1900 but it wasn’t until 1912 that Roald Amundsen and Robert F. Scott reached the South Pole.
After three days at sea, we arrived at our first port of call at Petermann Island. We began a procedure that would be repeated many times during our five days on the continent. I was glad my wife, Sheila, prepared so well. She rented the thick boots, waterproof pants and storm jackets — all of which were put on and taken off several times a day. Then it was man the lifeboats, or the Zodiacs as they were called, and head for shore. It was cold with temperatures hovering around 20 degrees. Up early every day, we visited the seals and a few Gentoo penguins, surrounded by the pristine setting of Antarctic glaciers. Overhead we would observe an occasional bird — the blue-eye cormorant and Kelp gull were the most common. On each trip in the Zodiac, and we made eight, we would be accompanied by one of the 12 naturalists aboard. They put the whole trip in context. Nature at its best.
Back on board our ship, the recently built Le Boréal, the 200 passengers would review the sightings of the day and receive a briefing by a naturalist. We hardly had time for the four-course dinners and shows, both of which were excellent.
Capt. Etienne Garcia, a Frenchman, treated the ship as a small yacht, pulling the anchor several times a day to make sure we took advantage of the sea life around us.
“Dear passengers”, he would say, “there is a humpback whale off the starboard side.”
Garcia was our leader during this adventurous cruise. “We are on our way to Paradise Bay and Neko Harbour” came the call from the bridge.
Neko Harbour had a large population of Gentoo penguins. We must have observed more than 300 of them. And they were up close and personal, perhaps at times only a few feet away. During our expedition, we would see more than 1,000 penguins representing three types — the Gentoo, chinstrap and the Adelie. We watched penguin mothers feed their chicks, and penguins molt, chase each other into the sea and ultimately swim like porpoises looking for krill, the staple of their diet. We also saw a leopard seal attack and kill a penguin before our eyes — the food chain at work.
Our day at Portal Point was devoted to touring in our Zodiacs. The small station on the mainland was a good picture opportunity as were the cascading glaciers. Garcia surprised us by sending out a Zodiac with champagne as a celebration of the wonderful sights of the snowcapped mountains, up-close icebergs, and the occasional seal wandering about or catching some sun on an iceberg.
Our final stop, before heading home, was Deception Island, one of the South Shetland Islands. This contains a volcano in its center that has erupted about eight times over the last two centuries. A hike to the top was equivalent to 40 minutes on the ship’s treadmill so we took advantage of the exercise and the view. It was a tribute to the diverse scenery of this unusual continent. Close by we observed another cluster of penguins.
“Dear passengers” came the call from the bridge, “we will experience some rough weather tonight on our return to Ushuaia so be prepared.” It was the understatement of the century. We experienced up to 80 mph winds and 30-foot waves between 2 and 6 a.m. But we all survived and have another extraordinary story to take home from our trip to Antarctica.
1. Antarctica,
land of the pure
Hardly been touched,
that’s its allure
2. Nature regenerates,
the ice cap returns
The penguins have two eggs,
no need for concern
3. The end of the world
like when life began
Pristine in every way
One spot saved from Man.
— Frank McGinity
— Frank McGinity is a Santa Barbara resident.