A totally different holiday
October 2022 was a totally different holiday for me. Anyone who knows me will tell you I am not one for cruises, but this was no cruise; it was an expedition, and I was fully aware that the rewards waiting for us after living on a ship for 20 days would be priceless.
Throughout the year, I frequently get asked “Where are you going next?” and I wish you could have seen the faces of people when I replied very non-chalantly “Antarctica” – it was priceless.
After the initial shock wore off, then came the questions. “Why would you want to go THERE?” “Do people even GO there?” “You sure about that? It’s hella cold there”. To which I would always answer, “Why not?”, “I heard it’s beyond beautiful”, “I’m absolutely sure. I won’t be digging ditches in the cold – the ship is heated, you know”. However, upon my return and after seeing images from the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Antarctic peninsula, they instantly understood my desire.
What exactly IS Antarctica?
Before I get into my trip, let’s understand WHAT and WHERE Antarctica is. Antarctica is Earth’s southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent. Measuring about 40% larger than Europe, it has an area of 5,500,000 square miles. Most of Antarctica is covered by the Antarctic ice sheet, with an average thickness of 1.2 miles.
Antarctica is the largest desert in the world, spanning approximately 5.5 million square miles.
Antarctica is, on average, the coldest, driest, and windiest place on Earth, with the highest average elevation. It is mainly a polar desert. When most people think of a desert, they think of sand. A desert is technically defined as an area of land that receives no more than 10 inches of precipitation a year. With annual precipitation of just over 8 inches along the coast but far less inland, Antarctica definitely qualifies.
About 70% of the world’s freshwater reserves are frozen in Antarctica. If these reserves melted, they would raise global sea levels by almost 200 feet, easily submerging almost all coastal cities. Antarctica holds the record for the lowest measured temperature on earth, a balmy (−89.2 °C/−128.6 °F. The coastal regions can reach temperatures over 10 °C (50 °F) in the summer. Native species of animals include mites, nematodes, penguins, seals, and tardigrades. Where vegetation occurs, it is mostly in the form of lichen or moss.
First sightings of the continent
The ice shelves of Antarctica were probably first seen in 1820, during a Russian expedition led by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev. The decades that followed saw further exploration by French, American, and British expeditions. The first confirmed landing was by a Norwegian team in 1895. In the early 20th century, there were a few expeditions into the interior of the continent. British explorers were the first to reach the magnetic South Pole in 1909. The geographic South Pole was first reached in 1911 by Norwegian explorers.
Antarctica is governed by about 30 countries, all of which are parties to the 1959 Antarctic Treaty System. According to the terms of the treaty, military activity, mining, nuclear explosions, and waste disposal are all prohibited in this territory. Tourism, fishing, and research are the main human activities in the region. During the summer months, about 5,000 people reside at research stations, this figure drops to around 1,000 in the winter. Despite its remoteness, human activity has a significant impact on the continent via pollution, ozone depletion, and climate change.
First impressions
The temperature wasn’t much different from what one could expect in New York in winter. I mean, it wasn’t like we were ashore for extended periods of time or forced to survive in that climate indefinitely, like Ernest Shackleton in 1915. We geared up, and when conditions permitted,d we ventured out via zodiac. We explored the different landing sights for a few hours, then returned to the warmth and safety of our ship, The Expedition.
Nothing can prepare you for the sheer, untouched beauty of this region or the tempestuousness of the seas for that matter. Antarctica is hauntingly beautiful, and the serenity of it makes you long for it once you’ve returned home.
Port Stanley, Falkland Islands
The Expedition arrived in Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands at 6:30 AM on Saturday, October 29th, and entering the bay from a distance, the colorful expanse of housing along the waterfront reminds you of a colder, flatter version of Cinque Terre in Italy. This city has an extensive history and served as a very safe port-of-call for many a whaler and sealer since the 1840s, where water and fuel (peat) could be obtained. In 1981-82, the Falklands were embroiled in a conflict with Argentina over sovereignty, which is way too sad and involved to re-tell here.
Right Whale Bay
Our first landing was at Right Whale Bay Here where we would have our first encounters with the majestic king penguins.
Right Whale Bay is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide and is located on the north coast of South Georgia, between Nameless Point in the West and Craigie Point in the East. The name dates back to at least 1922 and was most likely derived from the southern right whale, which was extensively hunted in the rich waters around South Georgia in the 19th-20th centuries. The bay was so named because that particular whale was the right whale to kill, especially in the early decades of whaling before the use of steam ships and explosive harpoons. Southern right whales are slow swimmers and had thick layers of blubber, causing them to float on the surface of the water once killed – easy catch. Our second landing was in Rosita Harbor, a cozy cove etched into the western coastline of the Bay of Isles.
Salisbury Plain
Wednesday, November 2nd we visited Salisbury Plain – home to the most king penguins on the planet! (She said in her very best David Attenborough impersonation).
Salisbury Plain is a vast expanse of glacial outwash plains on the southern shores of the Bay of Isles. It lies between the mouths of the Grace and Lucas glaciers and was formed by the retreat of the Grace glacier with Mount Ashley lying south of it. Home to the second largest king penguin colony on the island (Second only to St. Andrews Bay, which we visited later), with an estimated 60,000 breeding pairs, which swells to 250,000 individuals in total during the molt. The penguin population here has exploded since 1912, when they numbered a mere 350 breeding pairs. Historically, Salisbury Plain was a favored hunting ground for sealers during the 19th century,y where both fur and elephant seals were killed in large numbers.
St. Andrews Bay
St. Andrews Bay is home to the island’s largest king penguin colony in the world, first described in 1883 during a visit by the 1882-3 German International Polar Year (IPY) expedition. 1,100 birds were recorded there in 1925, when it was believed to be the largest colony on the island. The population has increased dramatically over the years to more than 32,000 breeding pairs in the winter of 1985 and over 150,000 breeding pairs in 2002. Consequently, the colony is not only increasing but at a faster rate than any other colony on the island. The reasons for this increase are not entirely clear. In addition to king penguins, St Andrews Bay is also home to over 6,000 southern elephant seal cows during the pupping season, making it one of the largest elephant seal breeding beaches on the island, with a total population of over 12,000 strong.
Gold Harbor
Next up on Friday, November 4th, was an area regarded by many as one of South Georgia’s most beautiful sites. Gold Harbor on the southeast side of the island was indeed stunning. A snow-swept landscape under a bright sun and a cloudless expanse of blue sky greeted us as we peered through the portholes and took it all in from the decks of the ship. While not as large a bay as St. Andrews or as broad a landscape as Salisbury Plain, it was undoubtedly more beautiful with rugged, icy ramparts and the steep Bertrab glacier overlooking a tussocky green hillside. Mt. Paterson formed an unforgettable backdrop to a shore full of seabirds and seals.
Tuesday, November 9th, was a red banner day. The continent of Antarctica is one of the most forbidding places on earth and, despite its enormity, it remains uninhabited other than by teams of scientists. Even wildlife is almost nonexistent throughout much of the continent. However, one part of Antarctica reaches northward like a huge finger pointing toward the southern tip of South America. This region is now known as the Antarctic Peninsula and it extends for 1,300 km. or 800 mi. far north of the Antarctic Circle.
Cuverville Island, Antarctica
Upon landing at Cuverville Island, we had to cross a “penguin highway”. A penguin highway is a stretch of snow that the penguins use to travel from one side of the island to the other. Taking care not to block their path or leave large footprints in their path that could prove deadly to them, we went ashore and many of us simply stood there in awe of our surroundings and the immense beauty of it all. The dazzling white serenity overtook us all at one point or another. Thousands of gentoo penguins went about their daily activities largely ignoring the “red coats” gawking at them. Our final views of the peninsula were from Neko Harbor.
I can truly tell you the Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica were absolutely amazing.
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