Antarctica Trip Log

We journeyed to the Antarctic Peninsula in December, 2003. The trip across the Drake Passage was uncomfortable in both directions (worse on the return) - but it was not as bad as it could have been. The ship, the World Discoverer II was small for a cruise ship (150 passengers), but was very comfortable and had a wonderful crew and expedition team. Ninety of the passengers were German-speaking and the balance spoke English, but were from around the world - South Africa, England, Australia and other European countries (but fluent in English). Some of the Germans also spoke English. There were scientists, teachers, naturalists and adventurers aboard. The oldest were in their eighties, the youngest was 6 years old. The group was wonderful and we had a marvelous time. It truly was a trip of a lifetime.

The only life seen on the passage were sea birds - including magnificent, huge frigate birds. Once across the Drake Passage, we passed through the convergence, which is the limit of the pack ice that surrounds antarctica. The waters when we reached that were calm and remained so the rest of the journey (until we left it again).

We landed first on the Shetland Islands. We began a series of zodiak trips ashore (2 - 3 times a day) that allowed us a first hand view of Antartica and the animal life that frequents the land near the seas/oceans. We first saw Gentoo Penguins, various types of seals and many sea birds.

After traveling around the islands, we then proceded to enter the Antarctic Channel, which is the waterway that connects the Weddell Sea with the South Atlantic Ocean. It is filled with tabular icebergs which have broken off the ice shelf in the Weddell Sea. As it was December,t was still late spring in Antarctica, so we only were able to travel 3/4 of the way through the channel. We stopped there to visit an Argentinian research station called Esperanza Station. It is a family station. Families stay for 2 years. There is a doctor and schools as well as the research areas. We later visited 2 other research stations: a closed Argentinian station which only opens in summer, and a former British fort, Fort Lockroy,that is now a museum. Two men live at the fort. It contained many artifacts from whaling station days when there were more people living there during the summer months.

Next, we traveled down the side of the Antarctic peninsula throught the LeMaire Channel where we saw the most spectacular scenery as well as killer whales. We stopped at several islands and visited two more research stations. We saw lots of penguins (five varieties in all).

Frequently Asked Question's

What cities did you visit?
There are no cities in Antarctica. There are several research colonies that have been established by various countries. UCSB has several professors that spend half the year in Antarctica doing research.

Did you see any polar bears?
No animals reside on Antarctica permanently. There are no land mammals. In fact, the only mammals are whales and seals. All animals that live there are dependent upon the sea for food. There are only 2 categories of life: sea birds (penguins, sheathbills, etc.) and sea animals (such as seals, whales and fish).There are simple plants (lichen) that emerge in late spring. There are no other plants or any trees or flowers.

Was there anything to do and see?
Well, of course, we saw spectacular scenery. Since it was light almost 24 hours a day, the best pictures were taken between about 1:30 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. when the shadows were the best. It was fun to see the sun setting on one side of the ship and sunrise starting on the other side. The ship also provided many activities. Their were "debriefings every afternoon by the various scientists who explained what we saw in more depth. There were also daily lectures. The ship also provided some cocktail parties - inside and out. The people aboard the ship were very interesting and came from all over the world.

As I mentioned above, we took many zodiak trips ashore. We also had open air cocktail parties and had a swim party on Deception Island in the cone of a volcano. The water was warm near the shore (the ground was too hot to walk upon), but it quickly became frigid. One couple went the whole way just to take a dip in the water down there. The volcano last erupted in the early 1960's when it destroyed much of the island. There are still remnants - an airplane hangar, a cemetary, etc.

The biggest thrill was seeing the newly hatched gentoo penguin babies. When we first arrived, the hatchlings had just been born and were little mounds of fur nestled against the mother. After about 45 minutes or so, they began to emerge and became curious about us and the surrounding. We got some marvelous pictures of them.

What did you miss the most?
Actually, we didn't think we missed anything. We were very busy. When we returned to Ushuaia, South America, neither of us could believe how thrilled we were to see flowers and trees again.

Antarctica is really beautiful - but it is a stark, raw wilderness type of beauty.