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Antarctica - pure awe for 19 days...

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by: K. Peyton
Awe -- "an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, etc., produced by that which is grand, sublime, extremely powerful, or the like." Yep, that sums up my ~3 weeks in and around Antarctica. Always at the top of my must-do list, I decided to stop talking about it and start living it! The following journal recounts my incredible journey. I hope it inspires you to take that leap!

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Antarctica - pure awe for 19 days...

Want to go? Ortelius: Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Antarctic Peninsula

I went to: Argentina, Ushuaia, Antarctica, Falkland Islands, East Falkland Island, Stanley, South Georgia, Salisbury Plain, Stromness, Gold Harbor, Antarctic Peninsula, Brown Bluff, Port Lockroy, Drake Passage, Weddell Sea, South Orkney Islands
A curious Brown SkuaSetting off towards the Falkland Islands on OrteliusSunset our first night at seaSunset reflected in the Ortelius windowsOne of many navigational map photos I took along the wayCommerson DolphinsGiant PetrelCormorantAlbatrossMagellanic PenguinShip graveyard in Stanley, Falkland IslandsLayers of paint on old shipAbandoned ship in StanleyRusted ship in Stanley Gentoo Penguin feetGentoo Penguins in Lagoon Bluff Cove, Falkland IslandsFriendly Gentoo PenguinKing Penguin and chickGentoo PenguinKing Penguins, Right Whale BayYoung Fur SealField of fur seals, Right Whale BayPosing King Penguins, Salisbury PlainKing Penguins challenge the cameraKing PenguinsThe King Penguin strutA lucky morning at Salisbury Plain, South GeorgiaSalisbury PlainA particularly adorable fur seal pupKing PenguinsKing Penguin couple positioningKing Penguins as far as the eye can seeFur Seal, Prion IslandWandering AlbatrossMaccaroni PenguinsAbandoned ship in GrytvikenThe grave of Ernest ShackletonElephant Seals in GrytvikenElephant Seals and King Penguins in Gold HarbourElephant Seal moltingEntering Drygalski FjordDrygalski FjordThe might Ortelius which kept us safe throughoutCombatting 100km/h of windTypical view from our room porthole while heading SouthIcebergIceberg near Paulet IslandZodiaks and Ortelius from Paulet IslandUnreal iceberg, one of thousandsIce near Paulet IslandAdelie PenguinsYoung Adelie PenguinEnormous icebergBeautiful ice formationA friendly iceberg, "hello!"A Gentoo Penguin gets VERY close at Brown BluffKelp GullsLeopard Seal, Cierva CoveLeopard SealLeopard SealOrne Island viewSunset from the Ortelius deckHumpback whaleHumpback whale rainbowHumpback whaleHumpback whale posturingHumpback whale diveSunset reflections, Errera ChannelLemaire ChannelIncredible morning light, Lemaire ChannelSunrise, Antarctica styleWhale carcass, Port LockroyBergy bitGentoo Penguin playing in the sunGentoo Penguins, Port LockroyHumpback whale, Gerlache StraitFeeding at the water surfaceWeddell seal relaxingHumpback whale and baby swim past OrteliusBlue-eyed shagOur final sunset as we leave for Drake's PassageI finally made it to Antarctica!My bunkmates - from Germany, Norway and NetherlandsEntire crew at Brown Bluff, photo courtesy of Rolf Stange

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