Antarctic Peninsula, is an endless white mountains roll to the horizon and massive glaciers churn icebergs into the sea where, nature reigns, penguins gush along the shore, seals loll on ice slabs, and humpbacks and killer whales break the water’s surface. The most rugged, remote, ice-filled and unexplored regions in the world are waiting to deliver the richest travel experience we ever had—intimate wildlife encounters, diverse landscapes and exquisite natural beauty. Antarctica is an environment of exquisite isolation—rich wildlife, stimulating history, and majestic topography. Our voyage to the end of the Earth yields unparalleled adventure in every sense of the word. We booked this voyage with Quark Expeditions through their India Agents a year in advance, to get the best of the stunning Antarctic Peninsula in 15 days. Conquer the infamous and dangerous Drake Passage, polar-class vessel ‘Ocean Endeavour’ explore majestic natural environments by zodiac and on foot; get up close and personal with penguins, whales and other wildlife; and enjoy talks on history, biology and glaciology by onboard polar experts all these my dream came through.
At the beginning of the 20th Century, Antarctica was the last untouched continent on Earth. No man had set foot on the frozen Continent. During the first few decades of the century, adventurers discovered more and more of Antarctica’s secrets. The mapping of the continent claimed many lives, and bred stories of courage, danger and heroism, played out in the many attempts to reach the South Pole. It was the ancient Greeks who first came up with the idea of Antarctica. They knew about the Arctic – named Arktos – The Bear, from the constellation the great bear, and decided that in order to balance the world there should be a similar cold southern land mass that was the same but the opposite “Ant – Arktos” – opposite The Bear. In 1773 James Cook circumnavigated Antarctica and although he did not sight land, he found deposits of rock on the icebergs showing that a continent must exist. The next to cross the Antarctic Circle was Thaddeus Bellinghausen. He made the first sighting of the continent in 1820.
We left Mumbai on 21st January 2016 to Doha, then Doha to Buenos Aires in Argentina. We were required to report to Quark Expeditions office in Buenos Aires and checked in along with other passengers. We were given 2 nights accommodation near Airport. Then all the passengers were taken by a Chartered Flight from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, a port city of Argentina at the southern most tip of the country nick named “End of the World”.
USHUAIA 22-01-2016
We started our journey in Ushuaia, a small but bustling port town at the tip of South America. This Argentine town is an ideal gateway for to explore the southern extent of Patagonia. Embarkation to our ship ‘Ocean Endeavor’ stared in the late afternoon, after which the vessel sailed down to the historic Beagle Channel, which transects the Tierra del Fuego archipelago in the extreme south of South America and next is our world’s most southern continent Antarctica.
THE BEAGLE CHANNEL
23-01-2016
Beagle Channel is a straight 240 km long sea route running through the Tierra del Fuego Archipelago at the southern tip of South America emptying into the Drake Passage – which is the gateway to Antarctica. It took 2 days sailings to cross the Drake passage.
AT SEA TO ANTARCTICA – 24-01-2016
AT SEA TO ANTARCTICA – 25-01-2016
Crossing the Drake Passage
The 500 miles between Cape Horn and Livingston Island (Part of the Shetland islands) is the shortest distance from Antarctica to another landmass. The powerful Antarctic Circumpolar Current Squeezes water through this small gap towards the Scotia Sea and South Atlantic Ocean, and as you cross over to Antarctica, you are traversing this current at right angles. There is no perfect time to cross the Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula, the weather can be extremely unpredictable throughout the season. However, captains don’t sail blindly, and accurate systems are used to predict what’s coming, and to allow them to change course.
AT SOUTH OF THE CIRCLE
26-01-2016
Setting foot on the 7th Continent is a polar achievement relatively few people experience in their lifetime. Even more rare is the incomparable milestone that’s achieved when a traveler crosses the iconic Antarctic Circle. Navigating south of 66°33′ S is—for most guests—the highlight of the 14-day itinerary Crossing the Circle: Southern Expedition, which rewards passengers daily with views of dramatic ice formations, humpback whales swimming alongside the ship, leopard seals diving beneath your Zodiac, penguins sliding off icebergs into crystal waters, or giant petrels soaring above the crackling sea.
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands with a total area of 3,687 square k.m They lie about 120 k.m north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between 430 k.m. (270 mi) to 900 k.m south-west from the nearest point of the South Orkney Islands
The experience is beyond words, since few places are as untouched and enduring as Antarctica. You will begin to appreciate why this region has long captivated the attention of explorers and travelers alike. Every time we visit Antarctica, we witness something new or unexpected, which means that your expedition will be unlike any other—creating a unique, personal experience. Each day, you will take Zodiac excursions from the ship to explore local bays, channels and landing sites. Your Expedition Team will take care of you at each landing, whether you are hiking the Antarctic landscape, visiting a research station or consorting with chinstrap, Adelie and gentoo penguins, all of which can be found here. Keep an eye out for Weddell, fur, crabeater and leopard seals as well as curious whales, such as humpbacks, fins, or perhaps orcas while on a Zodiac cruise. Each excursion will present a new collection of creatures to delight you and keep your camera busy.
Amid the serene silence of Antarctica, noisy interludes become indelible memories, such as penguins squabbling over prized pebbles, or the boom and crack of a calving glacier. Every day will be different, having been carefully crafted by your Expedition Team to inspire and educate you about this wonderful part of the world.
PETERMANN ISLAND & PLENEAU BAY
27-01-2016
Our first outing was in Zodiac cruising in an iceberg graveyard in Pleneau Bay. By far one of the highlights of our entire trip, there is a place in the bay where the currents have driven lots and lots of icebergs around. Many of the icebergs are very old and have come from as far south as the Ross Ice Shelf. We also saw Penguins and Seals swimming right next to our Zodiac, including one Leopard Seal that was having Penguin for lunch. In the afternoon landing was at Petermann Island where we saw our first large groups of Penguins, mostly Adelies and Gentoos Penguins. Once back to ship we cruised through Lemaire Channel which was quite beautiful as it was pretty narrow with towering glaciers all around.
LEMAIRE CHANNEL & PARADISE HARBOUR
28-01-2016
From the Lemaire Channel we travelled to Ferguson Channel that would lead us into Paradise Harbour, a wide bay formed by islands close to the Antarctic Peninsula. It was an easy landing at Base Brown, the Argentinean summer station that sits on a rock outcropping overlooking the bay. This landing saw us go ashore on the mainland! No personnel were there at this time of year, only the resident Gentoo penguins . A short, steep climb top of the peak gave stunning panoramic views around the whole of Paradise Harbor.
In the afternoon, we had sightings of both Minke & Humpback whales. They then made their way through the ice as they headed for Stony Point. The conditions were perfect – flat calm, no wind and the sun bursting through every now and again. Their seal sightings included Crab-eater Leopard Weddell& a grumpy Fur Seal – they were spoilt for choice. The dive team explored a steep wall that was festooned with colorful life, including corals, sponges and tunicates. Large sea-stars grazed over the rock wall in waters at near-freezing temperatures.
NEKO HARBOUR & CUVERVILLE ISLAND
29-01-2016
Our next stop was Cuverville Island, named in 1898 after Vice-Admiral Jean Marie Armand Cavelier de Cuverville of the French Navy. It is a 2km by 2.5km island, two-thirds of which is covered by a permanent ice-cap. The island is home to breeding Gentoo penguins, kelp gulls, Antarctic terns, snowy sheathbills, blue-eyed shags, Wilson’s storm-petrels, skuas and the beautiful snow petrels.
There were so many penguins in one spot, all Gentoo groups. The snow was tinted red, the color of the penguin’s excrements (because of all the krill that they eat). The penguins were walking right past us on their little penguin highways that would lead them to the nesting areas. We also spotted a few birds stealing their eggs.
EXPEDITION DAY – 30-01-2016
ANTARCTIC SOUND 31-01-2016
Antarctic Sound is about 60 km long and at its narrowest less than 15 km wide. Antarctic Sound is nicknamed “Iceberg Alley,” as it is sometimes blocked by enormous tabular icebergs that bottleneck ship traffic to the Weddell Sea. These icebergs break off from the Ronne, Larsen, and Filchner ice shelves at the Weddell Sea’s southern edges. Antarctic Sound is a wild place, its cathedral-like icebergs and glaciated mountains of Trinity Peninsula imparting a distinct appearance unlike that of the northwestern Antarctic Peninsula.
SOUTH SHETLAND ISLANDS 01-02-2016
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands with a total area of 3,687 square k.m. They lie about 120 k.m north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between 430 k.m to 900 k.m south-west from the nearest point of the South Orkney Islands.
CROSSING THE DRAKE PASSAGE 02-02-2016
AT SEA – Return journey to Ushuaia
CAPE HORN AND THE BEAGLE CHANNEL 03-02-2016
AT SEA – Return journey to Ushuaia.
USHUAIA – 04-02-2016 – DISEMBARKATION.
USHUAIA city tour:
Ushuaia is at the southern tip of Argentina in Patagonia region and being a port, all the Antarctica expeditions start from here. On return, we had enough time before our flights to Buenos Aires, therefore, we went around the Ushuaia city and nearby places.
USHUAIA – BUENOS AIRES BY CHARTERED FLIGHT
4TH FEB. BUENOS AIRES TO DOHA – DOHA MUMBAI