When you’ve explored six continents, the seventh feels like a myth—a place of extremes, whispers of blizzards, and the dream of standing where few have. In December, that dream became real. We packed our warmest gear, our adventurous spirit, and boarded a cruise from Ushuaia, Argentina, bound for the great white wilderness: Antarctica. Aboard the expedition cruise – Ocean Endeavour, navigating icebergs, meeting penguins, and literally chilling at the bottom of the Earth.
Here’s our detailed journey across the Antarctic Peninsula, filled with landings, zodiac rides, surreal silences, and wildlife that made us feel like extras in a BBC documentary.
Ushuaia: The Edge of the World
Ushuaia, the southernmost city on Earth, greeted us with crisp air and dramatic scenery. Nestled between the Andes and the Beagle Channel, this little port town is the jumping-off point for most Antarctic expeditions. We wandered its steep streets, sipped hot chocolate in cozy cafés, and soaked in the feeling that something incredible was about to begin.
Crossing the Drake Passage: Not for the Faint-hearted
Then came the legendary Drake Passage—a two-day rollercoaster at sea. You either get the “Drake Lake” (calm) or the “Drake Shake” (chaos). We, of course, got the shake. But once you surrender to the sway of the waves and remember you’re sailing to the bottom of the Earth, every creak of the ship feels like a badge of honor.
First Glimpse of Ice
There are moments in life that imprint on your soul. Seeing your first iceberg floating silently in endless water is one of them. Like shards of frozen time, they drifted past in ghostly stillness—massive, glistening, and humbling. That’s when it hit us: We were in Antarctica.
Icebergs and Penguins: Welcome to Petermann and Pleneau
Our first steps in Antarctica were on Petermann Island, a rocky, snow-draped land home to both Gentoo and Adélie penguins. They waddled between nesting sites, honking and flapping as if welcoming us into their icy world. We also stumbled upon a historical cairn from Jean-Baptiste Charcot’s French expedition (1908–10)—a silent reminder of early Antarctic explorers.
Later that day, we cruised among icebergs in Pleneau Bay, known as the iceberg graveyard. These grounded giants, sculpted by time and tide, made us feel tiny. We kayaked silently between their glacial spires, sharing the water with curious seals. Some brave souls including us even camped onshore that night—on actual Antarctic snow, beneath the midnight sun.
This wasn’t just a bucket list. Reaching our seventh continent was a dream we carried for years—an icy reminder to stop waiting and start truly living.
Gustave Flaubert
Science, Vodka & the Polar Plunge
At Vernadsky Station on Argentine Island, we met the team of Ukrainian scientists who study everything from climate to cosmic rays. The base was once the British Faraday Station—famous for identifying the ozone hole. We toured the labs and yes, sampled the bar’s homemade vodka—because why not toast to science in Antarctica?
Sailing through the Lemaire Channel felt like floating through a snow globe—towering cliffs, mirror-calm waters, and icebergs drifting like ghosts. Then came a highlight: the Polar Plunge in Decloncle Bay. We stripped down, jumped in, screamed, and came out feeling more alive than ever.
Mainland Landings and Christmas with Ice
Landing on Neko Harbour was special—not just because of its incredible landscape of glaciers and peaks, but because it marked one of our few steps onto the actual Antarctic mainland. We watched penguins march across fresh snow and paddleboarded past sleeping seals. This Christmas Eve was unlike any other—calm, wild, unforgettable.
That same day, we visited Useful Island, a rocky lookout offering 360° Antarctic views. We hiked up for a better vantage point and found ourselves surrounded by penguins and skuas engaged in noisy territory disputes.
Christmas Day on the Ice
Our Christmas morning began at Portal Point, once used by British survey teams in the 1950s. The snow here was untouched, the silence near complete. We hiked, paused, and soaked in the otherworldly peace. A more meaningful Christmas gift would be hard to find.
We ended the day at Two Hummock Island, named after its twin snow-capped peaks. The landscape was cinematic—cliffs plunging into icy seas, penguins dotting the rocks, and our zodiac weaving between floes. It was the perfect finale to a dream.
Final Reflections: A Place That Changes You
Antarctica isn’t just a destination. It’s an emotion. It’s the silence between snowflakes. The echo of calving ice. The raw reminder that some places still exist on Earth where nature rules completely.
We left behind cities, emails, and deadlines. In return, we found something timeless—something pure. We didn’t just see Antarctica. We felt it. If you ever get the chance—go. Because some places don’t just take your breath away. They teach you how to breathe differently.
Wildlife We Encountered in Antarctica
Antarctica wasn’t just about glaciers and silence—it was teeming with life. Here’s a list of the remarkable wildlife we saw, along with moments we’ll never forget:
🐧 Penguins
- Gentoo Penguin – Recognisable by their bright orange beaks and quick waddles. They’re the fastest underwater swimmers among penguins.
- Chinstrap Penguin – Named for the narrow black line under their chin, they’ve got big personalities and louder voices.
- Adélie Penguin – The classic Antarctic penguin, often marching in groups like commuters on a snow-covered subway.
- Magellanic Penguin – A special sighting from our Drake Passage crossing, usually found further north near Argentina and Chile.
🦭 Seals
- Weddell Seal – Known for their gentle faces and haunting underwater calls, often lounging near mainland landings.
- Crabeater Seal – Despite the name, they feed mostly on krill, using specially adapted teeth to strain food from the water.
- Leopard Seal – Sleek and powerful, and every penguin’s worst nightmare. We spotted one resting on an ice floe, staring like a true apex predator.
- Southern Elephant Seal – Enormous and oddly endearing, we saw one snoozing in the sun like it owned the ice.
🐋 Whales & Dolphins
- Humpback Whale – Frequent companions throughout our voyage, often seen fluking, spouting, or gliding just beneath our zodiacs.
- Antarctic Minke Whale – Smaller and quick, a few surfaced briefly during our coastal cruises.
- Southern Right Whale – A rare sighting—large, slow-moving, and unmistakable with their rough skin patches.
- Orca (Type B) – One of the most unforgettable moments of the trip. We witnessed a pod of orcas working together to hunt a whale—a real-life Nat Geo special unfolding in front of us. The coordination, power, and speed left us speechless. It’s a memory seared into our minds forever.
🦅 Seabirds
- Wandering Albatross – With wingspans over 3.5 meters, they soared effortlessly around our ship—true giants of the sky.
- Black-browed, Light-mantled & Grey-headed Albatrosses – Graceful gliders, barely needing to flap their wings as they rode the wind.
- Cape Petrel, Snow Petrel & Antarctic Prions – These white-and-black patterned seabirds trailed our ship like confetti in the wind.
- Wilson’s Storm Petrel – Tiny but mighty, zipping across the surface of the ocean like dancers.
- Antarctic Tern & Kelp Gull – Common sights near shorelines and penguin colonies.
- Brown & South Polar Skuas – Bold and opportunistic, often seen swooping over nesting grounds looking for unattended eggs.
- Snowy Sheathbill – Antarctica’s quirky scavenger bird, known for walking right into penguin rookeries like it owns the place.
Must-Do Moments
- Camping on the ice: We slept in bivy sacks under the midnight sun—no tent, no noise, just us, the cold, and the crunch of snow.
- Polar plunge: Yes, we jumped into sub-zero Antarctic water. It was insane. It was exhilarating. It was over in about 3 seconds.
- Kayaking between icebergs: Floating silently among blue-tinged giants, surrounded by nothing but snow and sky, was spiritual.
