BY SYDNEY HORAN, Special Correspondent
About the Author: Sydney Horan is the eldest daughter of Travel Beyond Owners, Craig and Kay Beal. In 2016, Sydney and her sister Kyndall embarked on a holiday cruise with their parents. This is their story!
I still remember the thrill of setting sail on an expedition to Antarctica with my family over Christmas eight years ago. During one of our winter breaks in college, my sister and I joined our parents on a journey filled with exceptional wildlife encounters, upscale accommodations, and impactful lessons on conservation.
We spent one night in Buenos Aires, Argentina, before making our way to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in South America. After a brief bus tour of this unique city, we boarded Le Boreal. Operated by Ponant and curated by Abercrombie & Kent, the ship carried about 200 passengers, split into two groups for landings to minimize our impact on wildlife. We set sail with a champagne toast and tried on the bright red parkas delivered to our staterooms—required for all passengers to signal to the animals that we came in peace!
As we navigated through the channels of Tierra del Fuego, past Cape Horn, and into the open ocean, the captain or expedition leader would make excited announcements over the PA system whenever we passed a landmark or spotted wildlife. Each time, we rushed to the deck for a closer look. Whether it was humpback whales off the port side or a lone iceberg larger than the ship off the starboard side, the excitement was contagious among both crew and passengers.
On Day 3, we arrived at the Falkland Islands and stepped off the ship for the first time. Stanley, a small town rich in history, offered numerous tour options. Our family chose to visit a Rockhopper penguin colony—our only chance to see this species. One down!
During the days at sea, we balanced relaxation with learning. We attended lectures and documentaries on photography, seabird behavior, and geology, gaining insights into what we would encounter on land. Other activities included photography workshops, exercise classes, and musical performances. My family and I spent hours reading, sorting through photos, or standing on deck with naturalists pointing out whales and seabirds. Every evening was filled with laughter, shared meals, games, and conversations with newfound friends on the observation deck.
On Day 5 (Christmas Eve), the crew hosted a festive gala dinner and celebrations for both Christmas and the first night of Hanukkah. It was a surreal way to mark the season—surrounded by endless ocean, with blasts of icy air greeting us whenever we stepped onto our balconies.
By Christmas Day, we were eager to set foot on land again. After two days at sea, we arrived at Salisbury Plain in South Georgia. The ship anchored offshore while the expedition team scouted our zodiac landing spot. Stepping onto the beach, we found ourselves in the middle of a massive King penguin colony. Hundreds of thousands of penguins roamed the grassy shore and stretched up the rocky hillside.
The adolescent penguins, in their molting phase, remained still to conserve energy while growing new feathers. We kept our distance, but the adult penguins were curious and unafraid, waddling over to inspect us playfully. Between the penguins, fur seals, and lounging elephant seals, our South Georgia landings provided countless photo opportunities and stories that still make us laugh.
At one stop, we paid our respects to Sir Ernest Shackleton with a toast at his grave, followed by a Christmas Day church service at an ancient Norwegian chapel—an unforgettable pair of events. More landings with guided walks took us through beaches, glacial streams, and grassy plains, where we spent more time with gigantic King penguin colonies, nesting Gentoo and Macaroni penguins, seabirds, seals, and whales. With four penguin species now checked off our list, the ship headed back out to sea.
We sailed the Scotia Sea for a couple more days before reaching Antarctica’s outlying islands. Landings on Half Moon Island and Deception Island introduced us to our fifth penguin species, the Chinstrap, and a walk along a volcanic black sand beach. As we neared the Antarctic mainland, the landscape changed dramatically—South Georgia’s rocky, lush terrain gave way to towering blue-white ice floes, shimmering aquamarine iceberg fragments, and snow-covered mountains.
Our first few expeditions were zodiac cruises through icy channels, where we drifted past penguins, seals, and the occasional breaching whale. I’ll never forget watching playful penguins leaping from iceberg to iceberg, belly-sliding like they do in the movies, swimming and flipping through the water. I’d go back to that moment in a heartbeat.
On New Year’s Eve, we made our first zodiac landings on the Antarctic mainland—an iconic milestone for many travelers, including our parents, who were celebrating their seventh continent. That night, we counted down to midnight under a sky as bright as day, thanks to the near-constant daylight at this latitude during the summer.
Our final landing offered breathtaking views of endless snow-covered mountains, glaciers, and deep blue ocean dotted with icebergs. The “kids,” including my sister and me, had a blast climbing hills and body-sledding down through the deep snow. A word of advice: the sun exposure that day was intense, amplified by the reflection off the snow and water. SPF and polarized sunglasses are a must!
That evening, we sailed as far south as the ice pack allowed before turning north toward home. Just as we thought our wildlife sightings were complete, a final surprise came over the announcement system: a solitary Emperor penguin standing on the ice pack off the port side—the only one of its kind we saw. A perfect finale, as our sixth penguin species seemed to wave goodbye.
Our last day at sea was spent crossing the Drake Passage, which was much calmer than expected. We attended the expedition recap and farewell party, saying our goodbyes to the crew and our Antarctica family. I felt a mix of sadness that it was ending and gratitude for everything we had experienced.
I would absolutely recommend an expedition to Antarctica to anyone looking for a family vacation that blends adventure, wildlife, luxury, and entertainment. It’s not just another continent to check off your list—it’s an experience that stays with you long after you leave.
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