What it feels like to chew 5 Gum.
Regardless of your plans to visit, we highly recommend reading about the early Antarctic explorers. Each explorer experienced both wonderful and terrible adventures, and the sheer sacrifice they overcame is astounding. One of the better documented examples is the book South by Ernest Shackleton. It began on the eve of World War 1, Shackleton pulled together some of the greatest polar explorers, a huge team of dogs, and a massive amount of provisions and gear. They struggled greatly from snow blindness, frostbite, starvation, dehydration, sleep deprivation, and their ship being crushed by pack ice. These conditions had always prevailed, but they kept going back. After seeing just a sliver of that strange world, we began to understand why.
Unfortunately, nowadays, the main mode of getting to the “Great White Continent” is usually by tour ships filled with lots of people. There are several companies and options, all are fairly expensive (Google review = $$$$), but you can travel down to Ushuaia and try catching a deal on boats needing to fill empty spots. The boats can vary between ~50 – 1,000 guests. We were on a 120-person vessel with Oceanwide Expeditions on the M/V Plancius. The size of the boat allowed everyone to get off two times each day to explore (or go for a zodiac tour if weather was too rough to land). But if you prefer to stay on the ship to simply watch the wildlife and take in the views, a bigger boat might suit you better. There are rules and limitations regarding the amount of people that can land on Antarctica at a given time, which makes landings more challenged for a larger boat. If you prefer to go on the actual cheap and have no time constraints, however, we hear you can sometimes hitch a ride on cargo ships or join up with nuts-o sailors crossing the Drake via monohull.
We started planning and booking this December 2019 trip in June of 2018, a year and a half in advance. Spots fill up fast, so if you have a particular trip in mind, you have to lock it down way early (you also get discounts for early booking!!). It was at the beginning of 2019 that we found out we’d be relocating to Abu Dhabi for international assignments in January 2020 (Nick went earlier in September 2019). More than once we considered postponing our trip since the bulk of the move would, of course, happen immediately after this trip. But, we held true. Now who knows when we would have gone, since the COVID-19 pandemic has locked down the planet.
Pre-trip Notes
Given the struggles the early expeditioners endured and uncertain weather patterns, we, mere “ope”-ing Midwestern mortals, made sure to follow the suggested gear list to a “T.” Thankfully the weather was mostly agreeable, so we only used about half of our gear.
We wanted to have a very active experience, so I did a lot of research. I contacted several booking agencies, and many came back with the same expedition recommendation: Antarctica Base Camp by Oceanwide Expeditions. It was a 10-day trip that included (weather-permitting): camping, snowshoeing, kayaking, and mountaineering. So on June 18, 2018, we booked our Antarctica adventure with Expedition Trips for Christmas 2019. When onboard, we found out that about a third of the boat was booked before us by a group of doctors that was having a traveling conference (lol). This comes into play later when signing up for activities.
The Antarctica portion of our trip cost about $9,000/person (excluding alcohol, souvenirs onboard, and tips). The other guests were a good mix between older (50+; mostly doctors taking their families on holiday) and younger couples (25-45). Those of the “younger group” all had the same philosophy: Do this trip when you’re younger to really take advantage of all of the activities.
What We Did
Oceanwide Expeditions: We ventured on the M/V Plancius (apparently one of the quieter ships in the Oceanwide fleet) for the Antarctica Basecamp Expedition from December 18-28, 2019. We arrived in Ushuaia about two days prior to our departure (for Ushuaia details, see the Argentina & Uruguay page). On December 18, we left most of our luggage at the specified drop-off location. This way, we could explore Ushuaia most of the day before boarding the ship at 4 pm.
Upon boarding, we were greeted, provided with room key cards, and shown to our rooms. Our accommodations were pretty comparable to a standard cruise ship-sized room. Just enough to move around in: two twin beds, one closet, a corner desk, and a bathroom (just add “small” to all of those). There was an even cheaper option, which catered to solo travelers for a more hostel-like experience. And of course, higher-priced rooms had (at least) a single large bed, a couch, a table, and more room to generally move around. Each passenger is provided with a voucher for a small amount of free Internet access. You could purchase additional Internet access, but most took advantage of the off-grid time. A friend we met onboard works for a global communications company and had his own satellite receiver. He was so kind to let us use it to wish our parents a merry Christmas. As the ship set sail around 6 pm on Day 1, we were provided with champagne along with a safety briefing (which also included a life boat drill).
Activities: Overall, the experience was top-notch with a focus on safety. Be warned, however, that the activity schedule sign-up was in-person on the boat. It was organized in the way Black Friday sale openings are organized: you were allowed to sign up according to your booking date. So, obviously, the group of doctors with their families got first pick. We provided Oceanwide with our personal feedback regarding the sign-up, and they were incredibly responsive and understanding. Here are brief summaries of the activities in which we partook, as well as lectures provided while onboard the ship:
Mountaineering: Experts explained the fun and realities of mountaineering (they even had us fill out a survey to better understand our fitness levels). They did a great job making sure to check the quality of everyone’s boots. This was especially important for the mountaineering levels for each outing. Basically, Level 1 was for anyone who only wanted to snowshoe or for the people who didn’t have adequate boots for Level 2 or 3 (rigid soles, crampon-compatibility, and ankle support). There were actually quite a few people who didn’t have the right boots, so for safety-sake, they were only allowed to participate in Level 1. Level 2 was for people like us: we wanted to ice climb and generally learn mountaineering skills, but we don’t (yet) have mountaineering experience. Level 3 was reserved for people with ample mountaineering experience.
Snowshoeing: The snowshoes were shown and explained by one of the people who actually helped develop the shoe! So, that was pretty cool. They were explained to be fairly out-of-date, but I loved them. I wish I could snowshoe every day.
Camping: Bivy sacks - Yes! You could choose to bivy or use a tent. Bivy sack set-up: 2 inflatable pads, 2 sleeping bags, all in a bivy sack. The camping leader demonstrated the steps to put it together, and he briefly explained how to make our igloo-walled pits to sleep in. You shovel out about a 6’ x 6’ hole. The blocks you excavate become the building blocks for your perimeter wall, and voila!
Kayaking: The kayaking guide explained all the gear we’d be using. He stressed that you don’t want to over-layer since you’d be doing quite a bit of moving, increasing your body temperature. We were also provided with special jackets, pants, shoes, and a skirt that created a water-catching canopy between you and the opening of the kayak.
Zodiacing: We learned the sailor’s grip, which was one of the most important rules of the trip. They also went over how to enter and exit the zodiac properly. Multiple times. Once, there was a woman exiting a zodiac, and she kept grabbing onto the zodiac guide by the shoulder. He gave a loud, Russian-sounding “NOOO.” She quickly obliged. Otherwise, there were always ample staff around to help you in and out of the boats, which was so appreciated. Some of those landings can get dicey!
Lectures
IAATO briefing and gear cleaning: The International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) was created in 1991 by seven companies. The spirit of the collaboration was to uphold strict regulation to ensure the preservation of Antarctica. We were taught how to properly clean our boots before getting on and when we got off of the zodiacs. They use a special pink soap solution (Virkon S, also used in laboratories) that we would use to clean our boots (with brushes). We also had to vacuum ALL of our gear to remove seeds. This was mostly important for any used gear with velcro and dirt. So, if you’re going to Antarctica, a little pre-cleaning might be a good idea. No fuzzies in velcro, and no dirt on your boots. It may be a pain for most, but we really liked that we had to do this. We also learned that you are allowed to dump food overboard until latitude 6* N. South of that must be kept on ship not to tarnish the Antarctic seas with our human food waste.
Glaciology: We especially enjoyed this lecture, and found ourselves wanting more information. The talk was led by a glaciology student who taught us about how glaciers form, how they flow, their different forms, and how they break apart (crevasses, calving, etc.).
RECOGN.ICE: In an effort to catalog glaciers and monitor them over time, the glaciologist has started his own company/movement through social media. Check it out on Instagram to see some cool glacier photos!
Photography: The photography guide shared with us some helpful tips on-ship for shooting photos in Antarctica. The biggest tip pre-outing was to adjust your exposure compensation, which helps keep the snow looking white instead of gray in your photographs. There were so many different “Fancy” cameras onboard, and the guide did a great job helping everyone remember some of the mechanics of each type/model. He really helped me out when I couldn’t remember how to adjust the focal point location.
Antarctic Treaty and Gear (Past and Present): The treaty is four pages long. Or, at least the original that was signed in 1959 was that short. So many countries had gone down to “claim” areas of the uninhabited continent, but there was a lot of overlap, and it quickly became a geopolitical mess. So, 12 countries decided that no one “owns” land in Antarctica, but the countries also don’t have to give up their claims. Yep, confusing. But, in addition to maintaining geopolitical peace, it was also agreed that no country was allowed to explore for minerals or hydrocarbons, and warfare was also a big “no.” We also learned about the gear used by the initial expeditioners: lots of fur and leather. Gear today is much more durable and long-lasting, but we still tend to dispose of it quicker than intended due to easy accessibility.
Colors of Antarctica: We learned about the two main colors animals use to camouflage themselves from predators. White to hide in the snow. And, black to hide in the water. So, we got to see a lot of beautiful photos of these animals in their natural habitats.
Seals: The main thing I took away from this lecture was how deeply these seals can dive. Weddell seals can dive up to 2,000 feet, and elephant seals can dive up to 5,000 feet! We also learned a bit about the ferocity of orcas and leopard seals. A previous trip had a leopard seal pop one of the zodiac tubes! And, we learned that orcas can get very creative with how they hunt for food. For example, if a seal is lying on a sheet of ice, orcas will sometimes swim in pods underneath the ice’s edge to destabilize it and create a large wave to fluster the seal. They will continue to do this until they either capture the seal or get bored of trying.
The people of Tierra del Fuego and maté (tea): Our Argentinian kayak guide gave us a lecture on the people of Tierra del Fuego, the Yaghan. It was a great supplement to what we had learned at the Museo Marítimo y del Presidio de Ushuaia. The women rowed the canoes, and the men stood at the front of the canoe to spear fish. They wore no or hardly any clothing, but they kept warm by maintaining several bonfires (even on the boats!). Hence the name “Tierra del Fuego” (Land of Fire) when the Europeans arrived. In classic European fashion, they newcomers offered clothing to the natives which made them all very sick. Thankfully, their story still lives on in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Our guide also taught us how to prepare and drink mate. The main rule is that you must finish your cup before you give it back to whoever prepared it. If you don’t, you might offend your host!
Daily recaps: Our expedition leader went through everything we did and saw each day. This is a detail that could easily be taken for granted, but we loved every bit of it and recognized the amount of thought and preparation put into these expeditions.
Locations:
After experiencing a calm passage, or the “Drake Lake,” our first Antarctic land sighting emerged: Smith Island, starboard side.
Drake Lake = Calm seas
Drake Shake = Not-so-calm seas (As Nick wished, we got a bit of this on the way back…)
We loved watching the birds draft off of our boat. Not only does the boat provide them uplift, but the boat also churns up a lot of food for them to eat. The “normal” we experienced on this trip was our leaders constantly having to consider “Plans B-Z” options when the wind was often too strong in certain places for zodiac landings (30+ knots). If they hadn’t told us, we would have never known. Full Antarctic Site Inventory
Cuverville Island: It was our first outing, and we all gently explored like we had just landed on the moon. Okay, maybe just me but, it was SO surreal. Adhering to the wildlife distance rules (5 m), we saw a couple of gentoo colonies (rookeries), with some commuters using the penguin highways in between. We took a short trek up the hill to get a magnificent view of the iceberg-filled bay (one of my favorites).
Neko Harbor: Our “official” non-island continental landing, where we observed Weddell seals and a couple more gentoo colonies. We took another short trek up a nearby hill to view the bay and nearby glacier (from afar the surface of the glacier reminded me of ice-cream). The glacier is very active, so we were able to experience a few calving events: crack, boom, splash!
Kerr Point: Our camping site! It was also the winter solstice (longest day of the year in the southern hemisphere, so the sun never really set). We had dinner on the ship and were only allowed to bring water with us onshore. The colors in the sky were some of my favorites all-trip: Orange, yellow, pink, and purple (often the colors described by Shackleton during his expeditions). First our camping guide provided us a demonstration on how to create our igloo-walled pits, and showed us where they would build the temporary outhouse. Then, we set off to find a camping spot (obviously the farthest away from everyone else). Nick dug the pit, and I very carefully put the bivy sacks together. The wind was so strong that two groups nearly lost their bivys. Some Weddell seals were nearby, and there were some curious gentoos that often waddled between pits. After we all had our sleeping arrangements in order and did a bit of exploring, the guides erected a Christmas tree from snow, and one of the guides brought a strand of lights to complete the structure. The night was filled with active glaciers, and the temperature had gotten just below freezing. There were a few times I got worried a penguin would jump into our pit - they got so close! The following morning, zodiacs picked us up at 5:30 am. We obviously didn’t get a great night of sleep, so we slept a good chunk of the morning on the ship.
Port Lockroy: Originally constructed as a research base and post office (the British way to “claim land”), the three-building base now consists of a storage facility, living quarters, museum, and a shop from which you can still mail postcards (the most southern post in the world). Gentoo chicks had just hatched a few days prior to our visit, so we were really excited to see our first tiny penguins. Fun fact, because of tourism at Port Lockroy, predation is down (skuas and kelp gulls, the egg stealers), so penguins tend to have better breeding success. We saw the skeleton of a minke whale, as well as our first snowy sheathbills (aka shit chickens). We’ve learned a lot. We got to talking with one of the three people staying at the base, and apparently anyone can apply to work here. It’s obviously competitive, but still. What a cool experience that would be.
Damoy Point: This was our first snowshoe experience. The views were indescribable. The cloud patterns were at their best, we saw a gentoo colony, and the sun made for some stunning views. It actually got so warm that we took off our parkas. We walked up a hill and explored around some abandoned, colorful Argentine huts. We got to talking with the kayak guide about Antarctic tourism and climate change. It’s really nice having these conversations with new people once in a while.
Danco Island: Using snowshoes again, we trekked up a hill for another great view. The landing was snow-less and mucky with penguin poo, but that’s to be expected in the summer. We crossed some major penguin highways, so we had to stop for several minutes, multiple times. We obviously didn’t mind. We loved watching them waddle past. We even saw a pair have the zoomies! This is also where we did a true polar plunge. At the time, we were the largest group to take the plunge (20+ people!). We all walked in and out of the water like our bodies were slowly shutting down. The footage is so great. Check it out below.
Paradise Bay (Near Stoney Point): Wind conditions were not optimal, but we were able to find a safe harbor here to zodiac around giant, serene icebergs to see krill and humpback whales. When we saw the humpbacks, we often observed their bubble-feeding technique. They swim under a swarm of krill, then release air underneath the krill. The krill get trapped in the bubbles’ upward trajectory, followed by the krill being eaten as the whale breaches the surface with open mouths (you can sometimes see their baleens).
Orne Island: We finally got to see some chinstrap penguins (or ringed penguin)! It was another rocky landing, but most of us were fairly used to it at this point. And, the staff were always there to help. We did the usual short hike up a hill, this one being quite windy. Here, we saw our new chinstrap friends, the usual gentoos, and even an adelie penguin (similar to gentoo but with a black beak instead of orange). Nick and I helped the effort of closing any large boot holes we left behind, because they can easily become “penguin coffins.”
Wilhelmina Bay: The bay was so calm, at times it looked like glass. The snow was falling, we were surrounded by icebergs, and we were able to witness about three pairs of humpback whales bubble feeding. It was unbelievable. Each boat also kept quiet for several moments to hear the crackling noises caused by millions of popping air bubbles from the melting ice floating all around us. Check out the video below. This outing was one of the more memorable moments of the trip.
Ketley Point: We walked in so much penguin poo here, skirting around multiple gentoo penguin colonies. But once we cleared it, and likely slipped on a few wet boulders on the way, we finally arrived at the top. Once there, we all watched our expedition leader conduct a wedding ceremony for one of the couples in our group. It was really cool! Here we also saw some of the most exposed solid rock on the trip, so Nick and I took time to marvel at the geology. We even spotted some moss, lichen, and (a tiny amount of) grass here!
Foyn Harbor: Here we were able to zodiac around the famous Governoren shipwreck. (In 1915) When the crew were celebrating the end to their hard work aboard the Norweigan whaling ship, someone knocked over a lamp. Full of whale oil, the ship quickly caught fire. Thankfully, the captain was able to get the crew ashore in time. When we visited the wreck, a Coloradan-based monohull was moored to its side. We thought that to be a poor-mannered thing to do. But, apparently, private boats (not part of IAATO) can pretty much do and moor to anything they like.
Yankee Harbor: We FINALLY were able to kayak! It was cancelled multiple times due to wind. But not only did we get to see humpback whales right next to our kayaks, we saw one partially breech. We could see its baleens! This was another big highlight for us. We saw a Weddell seal swimming nearby while we rowed between small icebergs, and we boated past a colony of Elephant seals while taking in the beautiful coast. Side note, Elephant seals are...noisy. Our kayaking adventure culminated at the face of a glacier. To see such things up close is truly amazing.
Half Moon Bay: Our arrival was met by the three red Argentinian huts (with flags) near the beach. The huts were empty during our visit, but they would be inhabited later in the season for research. The landing spot harbored several penguins (of all three types we had seen), as well as a small water boat that was once used to move fresh water from glaciers back to whaling boats. We hiked up to see a chinstrap colony where several chicks had just been born!
*Mountaineering: Unfortunately, due to poor weather and a scheduling mix-up, we weren’t able to go mountaineering. But, Oceanwide handled our feedback very professionally, and we were provided appropriate compensation.
Wildlife: Here is a helpful chart of all the wildlife recorded during our expedition ->
Staff: The leaders and guides really are (what I imagine) some of the best. They truly love polar exploration and want others to experience it, too. From several different countries and backgrounds, these intelligent and thoughtful people are what make such a trip so memorable. And, the staff who cooked, cleaned, and made us drinks were so friendly and always willing to accommodate.
People: We met so many like-minded people. We met doctors, (several different types of) engineers (two of which were at the end of their year-long travel sabbatical), a physical therapist, physicists, a psychologist, other oil and gas workers, an event producer, an acupuncturist, consultants, an asset management director, a professional ice dancer, and so many others I can’t remember. I look forward to seeing them again someday.
Food
Oceanwide Expeditions: We felt a little spoiled given how great the food was, but Nick made a great point, good food is the best way to keep morale up. There was fresh bread EVERY day (Joshua was a crowd favorite), and there was always a vegetarian option (and vegan if you asked for it). Breakfast was always a buffet, and lunches and dinners were usually plated. Lunch and dinner were only ever a buffet when crossing the Drake or other times when conditions were too rocky on the boat. Almost every night ended with drinks from our favorite bartender, Raquel. And, we were served special Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners, which was a really nice touch.
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