Enjoy Antarctica While It Lasts

Before doing anything, I had to wait for the waves to break after stepping carefully down the gangway of the cruise vessel. I settled into a small rubber boat with one quick stride. We went bouncing by floating chunks of brilliant blue ice and even a napping seal in a matter of minutes. I take the cue as my boat stopped along a rocky beach, putting my legs right above the zodiac to get to the Antarctic Peninsula’s northern area.

As I walked along blocks of ice in the shore, my nose is struck by a stinging guano smell and a remarkable sight. In front and around me, hundreds of adelie penguins waddled. As far as what I could see, their numbers rose up a craggy slope. This is a momentous day as we finally land in the farthest of all continents and this two day cruise from Ushuaia, Argentina is simply rewarding even as it had to course through the unknown perils of the rough seas. More tourists are beginning to see that it is truly worth visiting this vast crystalline jungle underneath the Earth. Further information on Antarctica cruise can be found there.

Some 26,000 visited in the past year, and the number increases annually. Lectures on global sneaky penguins seem to break swirling blue patterns. It may be the coldest continent in the world, but the weather can be surprisingly pleasant during the December days of the austral summer. Going above the 40s on the peninsula, temperatures can become cruelly way beyond freezing point. Trips usually run from November to March.

This ship, 100 meters long goes on an 11 day cruise with its tough exterior and is always almost full, capable of welcoming around a hundred passengers on board. Comfort, not fanciness is the ship’s best feature. It has a cozy bar and lounge, plus an auditorium and library. On board tiny yachts, many people travel to Antarctica. Friday is when we bid the port farewell. We cannot wait for the next day for it is when we get to see glorious birds in flight from the southern seas, especially the strong albatross.

On board, experts help in passing time while such as an artist that teaches passengers to paint and draw icebergs or even penguins, exciting and informative talks from a renowned historian, geologist, bird specialist, marine biologist are just a few tricks tour guides have on their sleeves to keep people from getting bored as they sail across the seas. Even as a favorite topic of discussion was global warming, it came a surprise that this did not show up during the trip. You can get resources on adventure Antarctica cruises by visiting this site.

The highlights of the trip mostly happened while we were in small islands or as we landed on the continent. Seeing an avalanche in action or perhaps listening to the boisterous sound produced by a calving iceberg will never be forgotten. However, much can still be viewed from the ship’s glorious decks. This season, darkness occupies shorter hours so many tourists revel in their sightseeing spree.

So long as you’re heavily dressed to keep warm from strong winds, it’s easy to spend a couple of hours on deck watching a large array of wind carved icebergs floating by, some bright white, others various shades of blue. Passing through breathtaking landscapes, high mountains brimming with jewel like glacier caught our eyes as they hang. Once in a while, whales would show themselves. During long lasting sunsets, the sky is painted with fierce red and mellow orange.

Upon returning to the cruise liner, we heard that an old passenger got so sick and needed evacuation and all of us got alarmed.This means we will make a long detour overnight and go back to the South Shetland Islands to get to an airstrip. Such cases, when emergency evacuation is needed, make those going on trips truly consider the need for a medical evacuation insurance.

The passenger finally got evacuated to Chile and as for us, we just had to see how the newly Gentoo penguins were being fed by their parents as we went to Ardley Island. An adult penguin delicately puts in the head of its young chick to regurgitate a snack of krill unto its mouth and a gooey strand from beak to beak follows after.