The crystal-clear water takes on a deep, dark blue hue, reflecting the shimmering sea ice and offering sweeping panoramic views of the stark, barren landscape that is Antarctica. The beauty of Antarctica is truly breathtaking, the sheer size and scope of the surrounds, the vast expanse and huge icebergs are much bigger and more impressive than I’d ever considered, making me acutely aware of my insignificance.
It’s obvious, Mother Nature is in charge. And oh, what a job she’s done—the shades of blue, from electric to turquoise, deep, dark, royal, are absolutely exquisite. Standing on the deck of the Nat Geo Resolution and looking up, way up, at the enormous icebergs floating past, the sheer cliffs that drop straight down into the endless horizon give a real sense of scale. The journey through narrow passages, gliding by walls of ice and snow, soaring peaks, and steep glacial cliffs, it is surreal, enthralling, and simply impressive. It’s nature at its rawest, undisturbed, untouched, and stunning,
When the cloud’s part the sky is clear, bright, luminescent blue. The sun is severe, the rays bouncing off the white surrounds producing a glare that combined with dazzling glints of light that sparkle on the snow and bounce off the icebergs. It doesn’t feel like the end of the world at this time, there’s a promise of what’s to come. These are the moments you imagine the great explorers lived for… discovering new worlds, new life, taking in the stark simple wilderness with all its secrets, set to be revealed.
The pure silence of Antarctica is calming and cleansing, it gives a sense of peace. Standing on the deck of the boat, breathing in the pure icy cold air, it’s liberating. And then there’s a thunderous crack of a glacier calving or the roar of an Antarctic avalanche… the wild, volatile forces of nature are ever present. The sound experience is all around. On land, the penguins bray, trump and honk, the seals grunt, groan and growl. Around the penguin colonies the Sheathbill’s harsh, high-pitched calls ring out, the Albatross mew occasionally and the Petrel swoop in silence. Hanging over the side of a zodiac I’m mesmerised by the blowing sounds of a pod of humpback whales, it’s intense and raw. Occasionally there is a thunderous tail thwack, the world seems to stand still, it’s only about the sight and the sounds of the whales… It’s captivating and cathartic.
Landing, which we do nearly every day, is a spiritual experience, the continent is unspoilt, pristine, virginal. Sure, you’re on ship that’s been here time and time before, but there’s no paths, fences, gates, signs or roads… it’s stepping back in time where we, as humans, are of no consequence and the circle of life is spinning around, not needing, or wanting us. This is the way of the world, and how pure it is without human intervention.
The hikes and beach landings are superb, it’s incredible to share the space with these absurd, but adorable creatures, and that they just do their thing, regardless of our presence. The penguin highways are a brilliant procession of these delightful little animals trudging up and trudging down. They don’t acknowledge each other; they don’t acknowledge us. It’s nature at its finest, timeless and automatic. It’s a precise and purposeful march down to the water’s edge, their white feathers a dirty red from the scat they excrete and live in… they are disheveled, a little out of sort, and not too happy. The return trip though, they emerge out of the clear, icy waters gleaming. Their white feathers pristine at the front, their impressive back a shining black… it’s extraordinary and as they head home you know they have defied death once more. The predators of the polar ocean have to wait for another chance to nab themselves a snack because once on land these little guys are safe.
Our interaction with the seals, both on the Zodiacs, and on the hikes, is plentiful and rewarding, even lazing around, they provide an endless source of entertainment. My favourite, the fabulous, fat, furry Antarctic fur seal, is followed a close second by the great dappled Weddell seal – simply stunning. Even as they shed, lying on the rocks, hauled out on ice floes or basking in the warmth, they just look like the good guys… sweet and scrumptious (although not so cute to cuddle)! The Elephant seals are true freaks of nature, and contrary to their lumbering name, they are real athletes that dive deeper, swim further and hold their breathe longer than any other seal. But it’s hard to find any charm in the Leopard seal, these guys, they are the only natural predator of the orca, and have a liking for penguins. They are superb animals to observe, sleek with large heads and huge jaws, every ounce of them is made for killing… it’s unnerving to be so close.
Another outing on the zodiacs takes us to a pod of humpback whales, yes, the sounds they make are truly magical, and it’s matched by their grace in the water. As they glide, diving and surfacing, blowing to breathe, it’s mesmerising. They are coming so close we can see the barnacles attached to their face, flippers and tails. One swims directly for our zodiac like it is playing chicken, then it dives beneath the boat, we’re scanning the ocean for it to appear but all we see are bubbles surfacing right near us… still scanning… then there’s a big blow 20 metres away, we hear him before we see him. This guy is having a whole lot of fun. The pod moves in scattered chaos, there’s a little breaching, a couple of the whales look like they’ve decided to sleep as the ‘log’. That’s right it called logging because that’s exactly what they look like lying in the ocean, floating among the blocks of ice.
The sleek black body of a pod of Orca’s is sighted off the ship, they are moving quicker than the humpbacks. They glide gracefully, effortlessly, they are a sight to behold. We don’t witness their killer instincts in action… I’m not disappointed as clever as it sounds, it’s also terrifying and traumatic!
A big surprise for me was the birds of Antarctica, full disclosure I do not like birds, but to see them soaring above the ship, gliding across the icy waters, and hearing from our Nat Geo experts, just what these birds are capable of… well that was magic. The incredible Arctic Tern flies over 900,000 km from Pole to Pole each year, then there’s the black-browed albatrosses with a wing span of up to 2 metres, throw in the unassuming sooty shearwaters to the predatory squawking skuas… I can’t say I love them, but I am now a fan!
The penguins, whales and seals are abundant, but most curiously they have no fear of humans. It’s the land where time has stood still and the animals still have a beautiful naivety to them.
Avarian flu is a real concern in the region, and it’s not just the birds, it’s affecting seal colonies too. We are not allowed within 5 metres of the animals, nothing can be placed on the ground, and we scrub in and out when we go on-shore. It’s all a part of keeping the area disease free, but the funny side is that it results in a daily dance off between the penguins and us… they move one step forward, we move one step back. I’m hyper-vigilant about where they are because they don’t know and don’t care!
The bonus of being aboard Lindblad’s National Geographic Resolution is the expertise, passion and knowledge of the Operations team and Captain who take every opportunity to have us exploring and observing the beauty all around. After dinner one night, we’re called outside to witness the passage through the Lamaire Channel, it was spectacular… surrounded by towering cliffs and calm waters that mirror the snow and ice of the rugged peaks, it was superb. Then your pointed to the pure majestic beauty of the iceberg graveyard in the Pleneau Bay. It’s filled with enormous tabular icebergs and older, rolled icebergs that have been caught in the polar currents and find a resting place in the graveyard, waiting for the heat of the summer sun to melt them. They make sure we witness it all.
Another day has us cruising in the zodiacs to take look at the Ukrainian Verdansky Research Base, it’s stark, isolated and barren – hard to imagine spending a whole lot of time there, but it’s better than what’s to come. We head to the old research station Wordie House (Hut) where we land and go inside. Now this place is something else. It’s tiny, low ceilings, small rooms, few windows and narrow bunk beds, so basic, yet the staff who were here, researching and working, they wintered-over, facing months of darkness and some of the coldest temperatures on the planet. These were true explorers, their dedication and passion for research is truly remarkable, considering the physical and mental toll it likely exacted.
The Nat Geo Resolution also has a couple of Undersea Specialist – Clara Fuquen and James Hyde, while we put our feet firmly on land, they don wetsuits and explore what lies below the deep, dark, glacial waters. They document their dives using a range of underwater imaging tools like Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) to uncover what lies beneath – it’s an honour to share their insights and observations in the comfort of the Ice Lounge!
This truly was a trip that surpassed all expectations. At the end of the earth, the world’s highest, driest, windiest, coldest, and iciest continent delivered more than I had ever hoped to experience. The wildlife abundant, the barren landscape far from being lifeless has flora that’s vital to the ecosystem, and then there’s towering mountains, vast glaciers, and azure iceberg.
The guides say you go to Antarctica for the penguins but you return for the ice. I fell in love with it all – the flora, the fauna, the landscape, the ocean. To witness the marvel of Mother Nature unabated… pure, pristine and wonderous, it was an awakening.
