My colleague Kayla Parrack and I had the privilege of visiting Antarctica in December 2024. Honestly, it was on the back burner of places to visit as it’s usually the last continent for most people to check off on their seven-continent conquest. But, I can wholeheartedly say, “Go! It’s a must see, do, feel and taste. It’s unlike anywhere else on earth.”
As someone prone to motion sickness (even rides as mild as the Scrambler and Tilt-A-Whirl make me queasy and dizzy), I was apprehensive about spending two days at sea, crossing the Drake Passage, the body of water between South America and Antarctica. Luckily and thankfully, it was a relatively smooth ride, what they call the Drake Lake (as opposed to the Drake Shake). Nowadays, there are options to visit Antarctica via the traditional way, by ship, or by plane. Read more about the latter option in my colleagues’ Adventure in Antarctica blog and Flying to Antarctica blog. Both, of course, are great options, and in the end, I was grateful for the experience, as it gave me a taste of what the original pioneers and explorers endured on their voyage south.
We were aboard the stunning and luxurious Abercrombie & Kent Le Lyrial for 10 nights. All staterooms have private balconies with floor to ceiling sliding glass doors, so you always have views to take in. Additionally, there are several observation areas, lounges and decks around the ship to snap photos, capture videos or simply digest all the beauty that surrounds you. We were accompanied by seabirds soaring nearby, penguins diving in and out of waves, and humpback and orca whales blowing puffs of air as they swam along.
Zodiac rides allow you to navigate around icebergs and sea ice to get an even closer view of this supernatural place. This is also how we were able to make landings. Where Le Lyrial wasn’t able to access tight squeezes, a zodiac could easily zip in and out of small places. We had encounters with seals resting on icebergs, humpback whales diving deep below the surface and curious penguins jumping in and out of the water onto icebergs. While it was amazing to see these animals on the ship, it was even better seeing them from the zodiac because you were much closer to them.
Landings were my favorite because they usually led to the closest animal encounters. During this time, the penguins were nesting, and boy were they busy. Busy taking care of their nest. Busy socializing. Busy, busy, busy and you could watch them for hours if given the chance. Check out Kayla’s blog for more about our wildlife encounters.
Another highlight from the trip was the kayaking excursion. You board a zodiac and zip out a few hundred feet from the ship to where you then hop into tandem kayaks. We kayaked in a quiet protected harbor area on the most gorgeous sunny day. Sometimes penguins swam by to take a peek at us and surprise us too. What stood out most was the calmness and quiet that only Antarctica provides. So, if you’re contemplating or keep pushing Antarctica off for a later date, do not. It truly is a one in a lifetime experience, and I can’t wait to go again.
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