Anna Ivleva about the expedition to Antarctica, the land of penguins and icebergs
I hope my review of the trip to Antarctica will be useful to someone, I will try to convey the atmosphere and unforgettable impressions that capture all participants of the Antarctic expedition. And I really want someone to get excited about this unique journey and make their dream come true.
First, it is very important to choose the ship and operator on which you will cruise. Since the outcome of the entire journey will depend on this. Fortunately, there are many options now and for any wallet. These are luxury class ships (Sea Spirit, Ocean Diamond, Silver Explorer), and real expedition ships (Ortelius, Plancius, Ocean Nova), and ships of the so-called economy class (for example, Ushuaia, Polar Pioneer... ), on which I would not recommended to travel, tk. tourist reviews and price-quality ratio are poor. And such a trip as to Antarctica should be remembered only by the most positive emotions. Therefore, I recommend choosing operators with many years of experience and a professional forwarding team.
Secondly, the timing of your trip to Antarctica also matters. And it's not just about cruise prices. It is clear that in the peak season (December-February) the cost is higher, the factor of the New Year holidays also plays here. At the beginning of the season (November - early December), nature is just waking up, the ice conditions are still difficult, ships can not always enter small bays, penguin cubs have not yet hatched. In late December - early February, there are much more sunny days, icebergs shine, snow blinds your eyes, you can already see cute fluffy penguin cubs. And towards the end of the Antarctic season (end of February - March), although the weather is not always happy with sunny days, you can watch whale safari from the decks of the ship. The snow has already melted in many bays, many broken icebergs have appeared, the penguin cubs have grown up and show their lively character, and walruses and harbor seals pose for tourists without any fear. Of course, it is impossible to predict the weather, especially in the Antarctic, sometimes nature throws up surprises (both pleasant and not so), but still you need to understand what to expect, at least approximately.
My cruise to Antarctica was in the middle of March. Honestly, I expected the worst: a storm of 10 points in the Drake Passage, constant snow, squally wind and boring pensioners on board, but everything turned out to be exactly the opposite! Well, maybe, except for a storm on the way back (and then, of course, not 10 points). Well, it shook a little, the doctor on the ship fed everyone with pills, but she slept well. By the way, I highly recommend stocking up on motion sickness pills in advance. Moreover, do not bring them from Russia, but buy local ones in Ushuaia. They are much more effective and help better!
Since the cruise was one of the last of the season, the price was low, and there were almost only young people on the ship! This surprised me a lot, because. I expected to see wealthy American grandparents. It turned out that mostly pretty Australians, British and Americans aged 25-40 years. Our Russian group (from Special Travel Club) didn't let us down. The atmosphere was very pleasant and friendly. The expeditionary team did everything possible to make the landings as frequent as possible. I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that there were Russians in the crew of the ship. So we were provided with an individual tour of the ship and sea stories. It is a pity, of course, that we did not manage to swim on about. Deception due to heavy fog, but until the last moment, hope did not leave.
After the first two days in the Drake Passage, where we were entertained only by whales, the first ice-capped rocks and drifting icebergs seemed something extraordinary. Finally land! We waited for the first disembarkation like manna from heaven. How much joy and delight was at the sight of penguins! Everyone rejoiced like small children, posed, flirted. But the members of the expedition team strictly ensured that in no case did they touch them. The rules of conduct on the White Continent must be strictly observed by tourists!
After a couple of landings of thousands of penguin colonies, we were no longer delighted with calves. Everyone got used to them and took them for granted. Well, a penguin ran by your side, well, okay, let it run further. But sea leorpards are something new! Yes, even on a delightful turquoise iceberg! While cruising on the zodiacs, we got so close to them that we could see in all the details. For photographers it was heaven!
Another tip for those who go there: after disembarking, do not forget to take a piece of the purest iceberg with you on board the ship. An exotic cocktail in the bar is provided for you.
There is another myth that it is constantly -50 degrees in Antarctica. Of course, in the depths of the continent it is true, but cruises are carried out only along the Antarctic Peninsula and only in “summer” (ie our winter), when the temperature is about 0-5 degrees. So you don’t need to stock up on five sweaters and two down jackets to be comfortable there. Well, if you decide to climb the mountain to photograph the amazing view, then you will have to sweat at all. In general, you should not be afraid of the brutal cold and buy overalls. All tourists are given insulated rubber boots for landings, and some operators give branded polar jackets.
Those who collect stamps in the passport will be pleasantly surprised by the unusual stamp with a penguin. This is quite the official seal about visiting Antarctica. It is affixed in the port of Locroy. So don't forget to bring your passport with you!
I think it's time to wrap up, because. You can write about Antarctica endlessly. Remembering the expedition now, I live all the emotions again and again. It is impossible to appreciate the whole scale, beauty, silence, spirit and atmosphere of such a distant and harsh continent from photographs. I wish everyone to visit there once, and Antarctica will forever remain in your heart.
