Russians in Antarctica
Russians in Antarctica. Anna Ilyina's story
Our journey to Antarctica aboard the Silver Explorer began on February 26, when we set sail from the coast of Argentina from the port of Ushuaia. Our group was the first large (27 people! ) Russian group as part of a SilverSea luxury cruise. Before the cruise, some of our tourists, as part of the land-based tourism program, managed to visit the Iguazu Falls, someone was able to see the sights of Buenos Aires.
But we all waited for a cruise to Antarctica as a special, unlike anything adventure! We had many expectations - and they all came true!
Our trip was in many ways unique: according to the crew of the ship and our expedition leader, it was in every way the most successful cruise to Antarctica in several years.
What was so special about our trip?
First, we had perfect weather every day (with the exception of the treacherous Drake Passage), which is a miracle in itself in Antarctica, where the weather can change several times a day. Secondly, all the planned landings took place, we saw seals, penguins, had the opportunity to swim in the Antarctic waters, saw whales and much, much more! We can say that we were lucky in everything - we did the maximum and even more than what is usually planned on such a trip.
I would like to note the most memorable places of our route: the Argentine scientific base "Camara", where the hospitable hosts showed us how the harsh life of the scientific base works; the abandoned British Base W on Detail Island, where we got into the past, into a real time capsule - since 1959 the base has been mothballed in its original form; Port Lockroy - here is a real post office of the English post, where tourists can send postcards to relatives and friends with the brand name and postal seal of Antarctica; the “cemetery of icebergs” in the bay of Pleno Island is a unique place where wandering icebergs are carried by currents and winds, which remain forever in a narrow bay... The mountains offer stunning views of icebergs of all possible shapes and colors; volcanic island Deception with its hot sand and springs.
One of the most remarkable events of the cruise is the crossing of the Antarctic Circle! This was an unplanned bonus, so we can consider ourselves lucky! On March 2, we crossed the Antarctic Circle and landed on Detail Island. Each tourist received a beautiful certificate of crossing the Arctic Circle as a keepsake.
Of course, communication with animals delivered the most positive emotions. And here we are also lucky! Crab-eating seals, leopard seals, fur seals, several types of penguins: gentoo, Adelie, Antarctic and even a lone funny macaroni penguin with yellow bangs : )
One day during the Zodiac boat cruise, we observed a cluster of whales: they circled around us, dived, swam under the boats and demonstrated their beauty and power in every possible way. It was a real whale show! We watched another killer whale whale show already from the deck of the ship. We happened to swim very close to seals and seals, everyone especially liked the sea leopard - we had been waiting for a meeting with him for a long time and were finally rewarded with a “close” acquaintance.
Penguins were beyond competition, and every tourist must have collected an impressive collection of photos and videos of communication with penguins - they are curious and do not mind talking to a person.
Our life on the ship and vacation were organized perfectly, the comfort and excellent level of service corresponded to the status of "luxury": the cruise was organized on an "all inclusive" basis. We took care of the guests and tried to make landings more interesting, and the rest more pleasant and comfortable. Our Russian group was accompanied by an interpreter from the Special Travel Club, so the lectures were dubbed in Russian, for which separate time and space were allocated. Programs for every day were also translated into Russian, and tourists were provided with all kinds of organizational support.
Our last landing was Deception Island, where everyone had the opportunity to swim in the Antarctic waters in Whaleboy Bay. But in relatively warm water! Deception is a volcanic island, the black coastal sand is warm and even hot there, the water is also slightly heated by internal sources. It was a fun end to the cruise, diving into the water was recorded by a cruise photographer and each brave "bather" was given a personalized certificate certifying his Antarctic feat!
Our trip can hardly be called a relaxing holiday - we did two landings a day, or combined landings and cruises on Zodiac boats. Thanks to our expedition leader, we were able to see and do so unexpectedly much. Not every cruise has time for tourists to visit all the planned landing sites! Sometimes in the evening tourists fell down from fatigue and an abundance of impressions.
Do not be afraid of a long journey and the Antarctic "cold weather"! When we set sail, each of us was waiting for something special, each had his own Antarctic dream... There were adventures ahead, but we still did not know what our way would be. As a result, this cruise exceeded all our expectations - all dreams came true!
Feel free to go to Antarctica, you will be rewarded with breathtaking landscapes, a huge and unique world of wildlife and remember this trip for a lifetime!
