Latitude: 61 10.0' S, Longitude: 64 16.0' W, Wind Speed: 14 knots NW, Weather Conditions: Fog, rough seas, Distance covered in previous 24 hours: 228.5 nautical miles (nm), Air Temperature: 1 C, Sea Temperature: 1 C
There was a sense of melancholy as we left Antarctica and were now traveling northbound. Did we all just fall in love with Antarctica and were not ready to leave? Had we enjoyed the comraderie that developed with our fellow travelers of varying age and nationality? Were we all beginning to worry the re-entry into the "real world" and forecasting a rude awakening of heading back to our jobs and other tasks that make vacations all the more important?
I think it was all of the above, but it was good to feel this way. It was the experience of a lifetime that we shared with others. Many of us commented that we only wanted to come back to Antarctica again and that this was not our last time to experience a polar region. We learned a lot, laughed a lot, ate too much, and took a lot of pictures.
The next few days of the Drake Passage were quite pleasant with relatively calm seas combined with travelers having developed their sea legs. We stayed active with wildlife sightings on the bridge, having some free time to view our photos, and catch up in our journals. We were privileged to have some final lectures that recapped our experiences, and we learned about Trevor's expedition that followed Shackleton's footsteps in a modern day replica of the small boat, the James Caird; he navigated from the peninsula to South Georgia and then overland across South Georgia Island. Trevor had impressed us the entire trip with his experience and knowledge of the region's history, but we hadn't realized how hardcore he was!
And so we sailed north with a great experience behind us, rolls of photos and digital cameras full of the memories; and the smell of penguin scat stuck in our clothes.
Adventure Life has a great team. They were very knowledgeable and responsive and helped us choose the right Arctic Expedition for us. We would recommend them.
Kbear
3 months ago
Friendly representative, ease of booking and bountiful information along the way.
Gary Brodarick
3 months ago
Erin was really helpful during the booking process! She met with me, answered all my questions and made the booking process really easy!
Adrianne Trogden
5 months ago
This was a life changing trip of a lifetime and exceeded my expectations. No details were left out during the planning of this trip by Adventure Life. The entire crew on the ship could not have been more helpful and kind. Everyone went out of their way to make this trip as pleasurable as possible.
Charles DeVito
6 months ago
The team at Adventure Life is amazing. From the planning process to the support once on the road, it's flawless. Highly recommend that you use them to plan and support your trip of a lifetime!