The travel from Atlanta, Georgia required stops in Miami, Peru and finally to Ushuaia, Argentina where we began our adventure. The nine day tour with Albatros Expeditions was four days travel and four days in the Antarctica Peninsula. Aboard the Ocean Albatros our ship carried about 200 passengers. Leaving Ushuaia on a beautiful sunny day we sailed peacefully through the feared Drake Passage and arrived in South Shetland Islands and Antarctica Peninsula waters two days later.

So a typical day: After a buffet breakfast the exceptional and knowledgable guides (mostly college degrees, one Phd) provided a briefing on the agenda of the day.  Interesting and factual, workshops throughout the tour shared information on Antarctica history and geology, continental drift theory, climate changes, animals and habitat and so much more! Additionally, an onboard library was fully stocked. Exercise classes like yoga and learning to Tango, guided bird and animal sightings, knot tying, the Captain’s bridge tour, and my most adventurous experience, “A Polar Plunge” are treasured memories  And the food! Exquisite presentations of a wide range of appetizers, salads, main courses, and desserts were expertly prepared suitable for at least a 4.5 star review.

My particular focus was photography and the 8 member team was lead by an amazing photographer.  At our destination we spent 1/2 day on land, and 1/2 day cruising in a Zodiac for three days. By land we walked through large penguin colonies, observed a myriad of birds and watched seals bask in the sun on the rocky shore. By sea we watched penguins effortlessly follow the speeding boat jumping and diving and spent nearly an hour with a curious whale “spy hopping” (checking us out), emitting a visible mist from its blow hole (it stinks) and diving under the raft. We got a close up view of enormous icebergs, glaciers, the historic outpost of Base Brown and scanned the icy, rocky shoreline for wildlife.

Because of a massive storm, (think magenta on the weather screen), the typical fourth day of excursions were cancelled. Opting for prudence, the captain battened down the hatches and we embarked on a perilous journey through the Drake Passage to the relative safety of the Beagle Channel. The terror of the pounding seas, pitching, and rolling in massive swells and large, crashing waves did not diminish our experience – perhaps even added to recollections of this incredible trip.  The voyage to Antarctica completed my visits to all seven continents and remains one of my favorite destinations ever!