Antarctica - pure awe for 19 days...

After several days of travel adventures from the US, including a major plane delay mishap, I finally arrived in Ushuaia and prepared to board my home for the next 18 days, the Ortelius. The stress of simply making sure I didn't miss that boarding time was tremendous. You'll hear stories of internal Argentina flights canceled for no reason, luggage restrictions, weather issues, etc., but my only issues were in the dear old US, in DC in fact, so be ready for the unexpected, but enjoy the journey, it's part of the fun! I was so excited for the adventure ahead! I traveled alone, so there I was, dragging my roller duffle and backpack behind me, making the long journey down the pier. Out of nowhere, the two friendliest people I've ever met just appear, strong Australian accents in tow, and we figure out we're all on the same ship. Instant friends, a mother/daughter duo. We took our obligatory photos by the ship then walked the ladder stairs to our new home. I chose a quad room for the obvious financial reasons, plus the social adventure of it all, so I was pleased to be the second to arrive in my room, securing a bottom bunk. The room was clean and effective for our needs, though squeezing four 30/40-something females and their winter luggage all together certainly makes for fast friends and a learned art of compromise. Everyone was delightful and we all hit the top deck to wave goodbye to Argentina. You don't go to Antarctica without camera equipment so that instantly bonded the group, talking lenses and gear selection criteria. I loved that the US was a clear minority. I was the only American girl. We had ~50 passengers, from all over the world, and an eclectic crew equally diverse. Generally folks were quite well traveled as well, which makes for commonalities and mutual respect from the start. The rolling of the ship started during the night. I was one of the lucky ones, I loved every roll, jumping for fun when it got particularly aggressive, but probably 1/3 to 1/2 of the passengers had pretty severe seasickness, so come prepared. If you think I'm kidding, note there were barf bags (pardon the term) positioned on the railings throughout the ship every 10 feet or so. They were utilized... for me, however, wheeeee!!

Day 2 was spent at sea, getting adjusted to the rolling boat and enjoying the excitement of each new bird species flying overhead. The zoom lenses were everywhere, with panicky blurry shots in the distance. Ultimately patience won the war and the birds would eventually come quite close to the boat, pause, smile, position appropriately to the sun, wink, and fly off on their journey. The weather was quite nice. Our crew delivered a couple lectures and we learned the proper procedures for the rest of our journey. Meals were an adventure, especially when the ship was rolling, with people catching each other and learning the art of stable-walking while holding a plate of food and precarious liquid. I'm still not sure how the waitresses did it with trays of wine glasses -- they were SKILLED. The age range of passengers went well into the 70s/80s, including a fellow with Parkinson's, but they were just as agile as the 20-something traveling with his father. I checked my presumptions at the door and was amazed by the adaptability and adventurous spirit of all the passengers.

So..... our first landing at Carcass Island was planned, excitement was in the air, as was the wind, unfortunately. The crew sent out a test zodiac and they determined, correctly, that landing was just not going to be an option. Honestly dread was in the air. You're thinking about all the money and time invested, the dream, all coming down to luck of weather. You're wondering if we will ever land... We thought the Falkland Islands were just done. As we were lamenting our misfortune out on the deck, a little sign of luck emerged, pods of Peale's and Commerson's Dolphins, swimming around and under our ship. They were beautiful, unlike any I'd ever seen. Quickly you realize where you are, the beauty of this distant land, the wildlife surrounding you, new friends with which to celebrate, and hope and excitement for the days ahead.

The winds calmed and we had our first zodiac boarding experience. I felt surefooted throughout, but was more concerned about sea spray on the camera equipment. That over-paranoia eased as the days went on, but protecting equipment was critical and with proper planning, certainly doable. I had two camera bodies in a sling bag which fit down in a waterproof backpack, plus a water point-and-shoot camera which was very convenient on the zodiacs. If we did zodiac tours I would risk the big zoom camera with a plastic sleeve, but if we were just landing somewhere the water camera worked out just fine. On land I kept the zoom and wide angle cameras at the ready, one of only 2 of us with two camera bodies on us, but I think I was able to get shots others missed so would recommend that method if within your financial scope. I bought a used mid-range body as my second, so not a major expense, plus it served as backup for the larger camera. This came in handy after a particularly rainy humid day... all worked out in the end however. Couples traveling together had the advantage of course, sharing the camera load. I did not use a tripod nor did I think it was necessary, basically great light throughout the trip. My zoom was 70-300 which I felt was the perfect balance of zoom vs. weight. Others had 500 zooms but they were huge and cumbersome and the wildlife just wasn't that far away. My wide angle, 10-22, took some of my very favorite photos, especially of the wildlife if they got really close to me. Highly recommended! I also had a couple small backup lenses in tow, just in case. Finally, bring TONS of storage. I chose lots of mid-size cards and a waterproof case for them, no computer, no backup drive. I guess we all choose our financial priorities and risk points for travel. Enough about cameras..... just wanted to provide my thoughts as I looked for this info in advance and never quite found the detail I was looking for.... anyway, Stanley. Beautiful community filled with my favorite cars, Land Rovers, and tons of wildlife and creepy shipwrecks with cloudy skies, a photographer's dream. A few of us elected to self explore instead of a walking tour. I was pleased with that decision. After a group packed lunch, most of us chose a Land Rover adventure to the other side of the island. It had everything I wanted -- bumpy racing, crazy locals, and tons of friendly penguins at our destination, Lagoon Bluff Cove. They pecked at our feet, chicks nestled their mothers, Gentoo penguins frolicked in the waves, it was just magical! You couldn't get that smile off my face for anything...

We departed the Falklands and headed for legendary South Georgia. Our birders emerged from the crowd fairly quickly, we had 3, who spent endless hours trying to identify if there was a dot on that bird's chest or if that bill had a slight curve to it, etc. I respect birders, I enjoy looking at birds, but I'm not as particular as these three individuals. That said, I learned a ton from them, and you can't help but respect passion. This was their day, Wandering, Royal, and Sooty Albatross surrounded our ship, along with some prions, petrels and shags. A bit of advice... even the most expensive equipment won't do you any good if you don't know how to use it. If you have your camera on the automatic setting you're doing it wrong. If you can't quickly adjust your settings without looking you haven't practiced enough. Antarctica is not the time or place to read your manual, so practice practice practice! Beware there will always be people who judge photographers, citing the need to just enjoy the experience. My take on the debate? If you're quick and know the shot you want and how to get it, you can snap and then put it down and enjoy the view for a bit. It's not an exclusive choice. Don't miss the rainbow or the whale cause you're trying to shoot the small bird in the distance! Also don't judge others for enjoying their vacation in whatever way they choose... we're all different, that's what makes us interesting!

Today our fabulous tour leader, Rolf Stange, taught us about the rules and regulations on and around South Georgia. The rodent eradication project was particularly fascinating (additional detail -- http://www.sgisland.gs/index.php/(e)Eradication_Of_Rodents). We all had to clean our bags and clothes with a vacuum and pass inspection in order to participate in the excitement of the days ahead...

Finally, a landing on South Georgia! It was a rainy day, but a mystical dreamy kind of rain... we felt like explorers trying to find land through the fog all morning. Finally there were shadows, and more importantly tons of noise - skwawk, ooot oot oot, we knew something new and fabulous was out there. We donned our rain gear and camera protection and hit the zodiacs. It was truly amazing how the king penguin white bellies and orange touches just glowed in the misty rain. Beads of water formed on their weatherproof feathers. We were able to get extremely close to both the penguins and huge colonies of fur seals. There were some white morph seal pups that were just adorable, and a few elephant seals patrolled the beach. The sand and rocks were all black which creates the perfect backdrop for all the animals. We did a short landing to practice procedures, getting our first glimpse into the psyche of adult female fur seals with pups... do NOT get too close, they're quite protective! Penguins and seal pups all swam around us as we returned to Ortelius. It was a beautiful day.

We must have done something right in our lives up until this moment, as all the collective karma on the boat merged and the skies parted in just the right way as we did a sunrise 6:00am landing at Salisbury Plain. I was on the first zodiac, and literally as soon as my feet hit the land, huge rays of light emerged in the sky, surrounding an enormous rainbow with a bright blue sky and green water and black rocks, and oh, did I mention, thousands and thousands of king penguins?? It was the most beautiful place I've ever seen, the light was magical, and the penguins were posing left and right. I love using wide angle lenses on animals and these Kings didn't disappoint. There were glaciers in the background, tussock grass with fur seals, just pure magic, truly. We spent a few hours at Salisbury Plain, but there was more excitement ahead! Later that morning we visited Prion Island, climbing to the peak among hundreds of fur seals to arrive at the primary Wandering and Sooty Albatross breeding sites. The Albatross bumble-landed to feed their chicks, swooping within a few feet of our heads so you could hear the air moving. 360 sprawling views of South Georgia surrounded the nests. Finally, we made a third landing at Hercules Bay to see the Macaroni penguins hopping up sheer rock cliffs to their nests. They were quite comical and noisy. What a day!

On this morning the weather had turned again and was quite rainy. We still went ashore at Whistle Cove where evidence of reindeer lingered and a wide variety of wildlife fought the weather. Some elephant seals expressed their dislike but somehow they're still just charming. I had a personal setback on this beach. Cameras were challenging in the rain and I had to decide what to do as the rain continued to fall at a more furious pace. Equipment was getting wet, despite all precautions, and I decided to put it all away in my waterproof pack. However, once wet, it's now trapped with moisture in a non-breathable space. The alternative of just letting it get soaked wasn't an option either, so really no good option. Others struggled as well, and when we got back on board I discovered my camera was kaput, no reaction whatsoever. To add to the problem, wet clothes now covered the rooms and hallways trying to dry out, so humidity on board was up. I laid everything out open to dry and tried to think positively, but was honestly very upset. I had the backup camera body but the vast majority of my storage was in the large body format so I would be limited from here on out, and we hadn't even reached Antarctica yet. I share this emotional journey as I know others who love the art of photography can relate. Most of the group went for a short hike early that afternoon but I stayed on board and was treated to beautiful views as we made our way among harbors and whaling stations until we reached Grytviken, our meeting place for the hikers. On land, we saw Shackelton's grave and even drank a shot of rum for him, sharing a bit on his grave just prior. The elephant seals outside this settlement were fantastic, surrounded by lush green grass. The buildings were wind and salt sprayed giving them character and charm, and the few people who lived there (maybe ~20) were so welcoming! Our crew invited them all back to Ortelius in their harbor for a BBQ and dancing late into the cold night on the top deck. All the Russian crew who were typically elusive came out in full force, teaching us all some fabulous moves. It was fascinating to hear the tales of the locals and how they ended up on this island on the fringe of the world. Finally, at the end of the night after much turmoil, my broken camera came back to life! Will wonders never cease....?

In the morning we took the zodiacs to Gold Harbour where huge elephant seal males grunted and sneezed and fought each other for the nearby females. They were molting as well with shaggy bits of fur crusting on their backs. A sight to behold, and humorous as well. There were also tons of King Penguins at this site, and several skua, two of whom paid me a very close visit and created some of my most memorable photos of my trip. One came within a millimeter of my wide-angle lens. Worth the risk! Once back onboard the Ortelius, the wind picked up dramatically as we entered Drygalski Fjord. Several of us had to be rescued from the bow of the ship, as winds were at 100km/h and could easily have blown us off. A bit scary but I love that sort of thing so it was all good. The sea took on a ghostly appearance with the wind, and our first large glaciers emerged with bright turquoise accents. We were heading out to sea for a long voyage south to Antarctica, and our departure from South Georgia was simply spectacular.

The first of three consecutive days at sea, Valentine's Day was quite uneventful. I found the severe rolling of the ship to be soothing and took many naps on our sea days. It was just so cozy! These days were when the friendships really flourished. We had a library/computer area on top deck, movies and lectures in the bar lounge, lectures in the dining hall, good bird viewing up on the bridge with the captain, and a tiny movie room for DVDs up on top. You had to steady yourself, and your constant hot tea, for huge swells. Taking the stairs was particularly fun as you 100% HAD to use both railings at all times. We all closed the night with a showing of Life in the Freezer, rather appropriate! Note all outer decks were closed for our sea passing given the weather and crazy rolling and pitching... showers weren't really a safe option either...

Generally speaking, today was similar to my entry for February 14, but on this sea day, we also saw our first whales! They were difficult to see in the weather and being a bit from the ship, but it was still exciting. I can still hear Rolf's voice on the loud speaker telling us whales were starboard... then the subsequent squealing and running to the top deck to then hear oh, you just missed them! Alas... our time would come...

Finally, the doors were opened and we were allowed back on deck. It was freezing but the fresh air was fantastic! We spotted our first tabular icebergs and endless pack ice. Our sturdy ship just barreled through the ice, with broken pieces scraping down the side of the ship by our windows reminiscent of that scene in Titanic when the bergy bits are landing on the deck. Given there were no other ships in sight, you just had to trust the old Russian engineering and remember the many voyages of Ortelius prior to our trip. Okay, now JUMP! Enjoy those waves! We spotted our first Adelie Penguins and some Humpback Whales.

Our day started with a beautiful zodiac cruise around some unbelievable icebergs. The hues of blue are just spectacular! We landed on Paulet Island where several groups of juvenile Adelie Penguins patrolled the beach. It was a rocky beach, covered in pink penguin remnants, so slick and not somewhere you want to land face first. The smell was overwhelming, but the charming Adelies sported mohawks and fluffy wing puffs which made it all lighthearted. In addition, there was a small mountain literally covered in Blue-eyed Shags. Stunning landscape, but smelly and challenging! That afternoon we landed again for the first time on Antarctica proper, Brown Bluff! We took an obligatory group photo, including many of the crew, then set off in groups to explore the area. We found a Snow Petrel nest, and had many close encounters with funny Gentoo Penguins chasing each other around the beach. Seals also abounded. We had made it! We were finally in Antarctica!

Wow! We started the morning in what would be our coldest adventure - a couple hours in the snow on the zodiacs... just a thin piece of rubber between you and the icy depths! That said, this might have been my favorite adventure to date! Icebergs covered in fluffy snow surrounded by mysterious fog, and then out of the darkness a leopard seal appeared! It taunted us circling the zodiacs, breathing loudly at the surface, jumping up on ice floats, gracefully sliding back in.... it was beautiful. They average around 10 feet in length, and are voracious hunters, so to be so close was frightening yet fantastic. We saw several more en-route back to the ship. Thinking all was perfect in the world, from on deck a warning call was made that whales were nearby. Nearby is an understatement! We had five Humpback Whales circle the ship for about 30 minutes. We all just followed around in circles with awe and excitement! I finally got a great photo of a whale tail as they were diving below the surface! I had a similar poster over my bed as a little girl so this was one of my personal missions for the trip. And just when you thought you couldn't believe there could be more, we landed at Orne Island in the late afternoon. The weather was glorious, and Chinstrap Penguins waddled about. From the peaks of Orne, you could see for miles and miles the beauty of Antarctica. We had a full minute of silence during which a pod of whales breached the water surface below and albatross swooped overhead. I will never be able to recapture that moment in time but it left me breathless and so appreciative of the journey that took me to this beautiful place. We found out after the trip that two of my friends from the ship actually got engaged at that beautiful peak. They were traveling around the world together for a year and I can't imagine a more memorable location to plan their lives together. Sunset as we sailed through the Errera Channel just capped off what was indeed a magical day!!

We started the morning early at sunrise with a spectacular still sea with mountains of the Lemaire Channel reflecting their beauty. It's quite odd, you constantly feel like you're headed in a direction with no out, but somehow we always made our way through the islands and icebergs. We saw Crabeater seals on some ice floats and a few more Humpback Whales. We then landed at Port Lockroy where a small shop sold trinkets and t-shirts, closely guarded by Gentoos out front. It was a sunny day, effectively hot, so I was glad my new ski pants included optional vents down the legs -- one of my best pre-trip purchases. This site featured a Blue Whale skeleton and hundreds of fluffy Gentoo chicks. As we departed land for the last time, mixed emotions emerged. We did one final zodiac cruise around Melchior Sound and Gerlache Strait, finding Weddell Seals and being surrounded by Humpback whales. The water around us was boiling with their bubbles under our zodiacs, it was unbelievable! We feared the worst, being overturned by an angry whale, but they just posed for us in the mystical light and ended our Antarctica voyage with a bang. We were so lucky at many points along our route. Generally speaking the weather was on our side and the animals of the deep south came out to play throughout. I certainly hope to return one day, but for now, I'll live with the memories of this glorious adventure.

The infamous Drake Passage... we slept late after our crazy last few days, and what was disappointing to me, the sea was quite calm. I was ready to rock at least as much as our trip down, but it was simply quite pleasant. Light rolling among a day of lectures as we contemplated the journey to return home. We just weren't the same anymore, we had all changed for the better. Many of us worked on this day to finalize our entries in the Ortelius photo competition. Given I didn't have a computer with me I bargained with our leader, Rolf, for a few minutes on his. Thanks Rolf!

After endless sea for hours upon hours, Cape Hoorn was a welcome sight. We sailed the entire day which ended in a fun evening ceremony thanking the captain for his safe leadership, and our tour guides singing some funny tunes about our voyage. Rolf showed a great slide show of our entire trip, almost bringing me to tears. He then revealed the winners of the photo competition. Amazingly, I won the wildlife category for my Skua close up photo (first one in this journal photo album). Yippee! We all stayed up late into the night enjoying the friendships we had made and recounting the tales of our journey. Sadly, the end was near.

Argentina, a beautiful land on its own. We disembarked the ship fairly early, then had some teary goodbyes on the dock, beginning our very long journey home to our various ports of call. I had the lucky pleasure of traveling with a new Canadian friend to DC, so we spent the long hours laughing at our memories and enjoying the passenger lounges. How odd, driving a car again, checking the mail, opening that work computer for the first time. I miss Antarctica.