No two days are the same on an Antarctica vacation – but every day is an exciting new adventure that brings you closer to understanding the most remote wilderness in the world. Wander shorelines teeming with penguin rookeries, sit in on fascinating lectures by onboard experts and circle majestic glaciers as tall as skyscrapers. For a taste of what’s in store, read a day’s account of an Antarctica expedition with Abercrombie and Kent tours.
7:30 a.m. We awoke to ice-covered mountains reflecting off the surface of Paradise Bay. We dressed and made our way to the dining room for breakfast.
9:00 a.m. Our cruise director assisted us onto a Zodiac. As we motored ashore in our small group, we had one thing in mind: we were about to set foot on Antarctica. We touched terra firma at the Argentine Almirante Brown Station in Paradise Bay, on the mainland of the Antarctic Peninsula. As we planted our feet on the continent itself, many of us were overwhelmed by the emotion of this milestone. We hiked up the peak behind the station for a view of Paradise Bay, which sprawled out below us.
11:00 a.m. We re-boarded the Zodiacs for a tour of the bay. Some of us stopped at a colony of blue-eyed shags tending to their young perched on cliff ledges high above us. Patches of ice and colossal icebergs dotted the bay. We came across what seemed like a Zodiac in distress – but it turned out to be a bar full of bubbly. We toasted our continental landing with champagne, reflecting on the incredible morning.
12:30 p.m. We enjoyed lunch on the deck, scanning for seal on ice floes and watching the ever-changing mountains along our route through the Errera Channel. The executive chef had prepared a delicious hot soup and chili, which we enjoyed by the pool deck so we didn’t miss any wildlife sightings. As lunch drew to a close, a call came from the bridge that a large group of humpback whales was feeding up ahead. We grabbed cameras and made our way to watch the show.
3:00 p.m. Following a briefing by our expedition leader, we went to the deck to watch our approach to Cuverville Island. Upon landing, we decided to simply sit on the cobble beach, taking in the sights all around. Many of us spent as much as two hours watching thousands of gentoo penguin that surrounded us, strolling by and feeding their chicks. Some of us also took a hike up a ridge to a point where we could absorb the immensity of the penguin colony.
5:30 p.m. The ride back to the ship was bumpy, yet another face of Antarctica revealing itself. After warming up with a shower, we joined our shipmates in the bar, where storytelling and laughter filled our early evening.
8:00 p.m. After a gourmet dinner, some of us lapped the outer deck, with spectacular mountains wherever we looked. We retired for the night early – we would be entering the stunning Lemaire Channel by 8:00 a.m. tomorrow, and we didn’t want to miss a thing.
Courtesy of Abercrombie & Kent
