Although wildlife can never be guaranteed in any location, in a place like Antarctica no wildlife sightings would certainly be unusual! On my Antarctic journey, I saw many species of penguins, whales, birds and seals. In fact, we were able to check off most of the creatures on the wildlife list provided by our expedition leaders. While I was expecting to see wildlife, I wasn't truly prepared for just how incredible it would be. You just have to go see it for yourself! At times, I felt like I was watching a live episode of Animal Planet- a seal here, a skua there! But the two animals that I was most excited to encounter were whales and penguins.
Gentoo making noise! (Jane Packer)
Whales are most commonly sighted later in the Antarctic season (late February and March) so if whale watching is of importance to you, later in the season is a great time to go! Whales have always been a bucket-list animal for me to see in the wild and all my dreams came true on this trip. The expedition team was really wonderful at pointing out whales, and by the end of my trip, I was able to spot their distinct spouts from quite a distance. One of my favorite days was when we spotted a pod of orcas. As we were lining up to get on the zodiacs, our eyes were drawn to movement in the water. There must have been 10 or more orcas in the water, and they were hunting a seal!
Humpback whale tail (Jane Packer)
We also saw quite a few humpbacks throughout our journey and even a young minke whale!
The stars of Antarctica, however, are penguins! I was fascinated by the three species we saw- Chinstraps, Adelies and Gentoos. It was interesting to watch how each species interacted with its environment in a slightly different way. The Gentoos seemed to be in the water more, while the Chinstraps were waddling around on land and were great climbers! I later learned that Gentoo penguins can actually reach the speed of 22 miles per hour in the water!
Chinstrap friends (Jane Packer)
In February or March, you won't see penguin chicks, but rather "teenaged" penguins that are curious and active. Some of the penguins were fluffy and molting- constant bad hair day! I could sit for hours and watch these curious and clumsy creatures hop around the rocks!
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
2 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
3 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
