Simon Flower

The five ‘must sees’ of an Antarctic cruise

There really is nothing quite like Antarctica - an experience of a lifetime and those lucky enough to make the trek there would have some very jealous friends for sure!

Ok this is subjective of course but we reckon most (all) of this list is unarguable.

You will see lots and lots of penguins….

1. PENGUINS

Penguins, penguins and more penguins!

Normally this is most people’s number one ‘must see’ and don’t worry – you’ll see lots of penguins; probably from the first landing to the last.

In practice penguins have no real predators in Antarctica. On land the biggest danger is from sea birds attacking the chicks. Sometimes you’ll see penguins congregate in tight groups with chicks in the middle for safety. At sea they are vulnerable to leopard seals perhaps.

But they have no specific fear of humans so they’ll barely notice as you trudge up the snow for a close up photo or ten.

Realistically you will see three types of penguin – Adelie, Gentoo and Chinstrap on an Antarctic cruise.

For King Penguins you’ll need to include the wonderful island of South Georgia on your itinerary. There are many, many King Penguins there; again completely unbothered by the presence of (well behaved) humans.

Emperor penguins are normally at the top of the penguin wish list but this is not so easy. Despite often being on the front cover of many travel company’s Antarctica brochures, Emperor penguins are not easily found especially in the Antarctic Peninsula where most cruises operate.

If Emperor penguins are a ‘must’ then prepare for a more extensive adventure.

….and they really aren’t bothered by humans

2. WHALES AND SEALS

The Blue whale, one of the largest mammals ever known to live on this planet! They are over 30 metres long or roughly the size of 3 school buses. They are one of the loudest animals in the world, moaning and groaning can reach up to 1600 kilometres away to communicate with other whales.

Seals along with penguins tend to dominate this area, with 6 species living in Antarctica. Leopard, Fur, Wedell, Crabeater, Elephant and Ross seals will often be lazing about on the shores, doing not very much at all. The main predator for the seals that inhabit Antarctica are the Orcas or Killer Whales which will rarely show their face but could be lingering below the sea.

On a number of occasions, perhaps while waiting for a landing, you might take a zodiac cruise through the bays……see seals and whales

Plenty of whales and seals

3. ICEBERGS & ICE FORMATIONS

These incredible ice formations, their mass largely below water and completely unseen by the human eye from an expedition ship. As we all learnt from the famous ‘Titanic’ we understand just how dangerous it is to travel through these areas unaware of the ice formations above and below ground. Some Icebergs are so large you can land a helicopter on them to explore the terrain.

On top of this, the sea ice covers around 25 million kilometres or around twice the size of Canada. Just simply the sea freezing over the Winter period. Appearing in the early days as a slushy until temperatures dip so low it freezes over.

Then we come to ice shelves which are the floating shelves of ice you see in your mind when you think of Antarctica. Weaving in and out of the ice shelves on zodiacs to get as close to a landing as humanly possible.

Wedell sea icebergs

Even an iPhone can take great pictures of iceberg

The icebergs in the Weddell Sea are awesome

4. ZODIAC LANDINGS

Where would an expedition cruise be without their ‘zodiac’ inflatable landing craft? In Antarctica, zodiacs serve as transportation to, and from, the ship for shore landings. Since there are no ports in Antarctica, cruise ships anchor in small bays, requiring passengers to utilize zodiacs to safely disembark onto the land. A few warnings here:

Itineraries on expedition cruises are always flexible and subject to change due to weather conditions or similar. For example if the waves are too strong for a safe landing at one site then you’ll move onto another. It’s remote – that’s what you are there!
Being able to safely exit a zodiac is perhaps the most basic level of fitness and mobility required to take such a trip. Of course there are staff to assist you but you do have to be able to swing your legs around and drop onto the shore unaided if necessary.
Antarctic regulations are that only 100 passengers can be on land in Antarctica at any one time. This should be an important factor when choosing your expedition vessel. We think any ship of around 200 or less is the best option as a staggered system of landings means that everyone will get an opportunity to experience every landing.

Some people even go that one step further and ‘camp’ in Antarctica, which is becoming more and more popular; so popular that it needs to be booked well in advance. A safe area is located, and you can choose where you would like to camp within the space. Imagine waking up on the ice in Antarctica wrapped in a sleeping bag!

5. DESERTED HUTS FROM THE GOLDEN AGE OF ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION

An absolute must is to go and see these abandoned huts that were built over a hundred years ago by explorers and whale hunters who visited these lands. It is quite incredible to think of the journey these men took to even reach such remote areas but then to try and build some sort of infrastructure here, with the harsh conditions and very little equipment is mind blowing. Often referred to as the ghosts of Antarctica.

The huts that served as pivotal bases for the early explorers’ South Pole expeditions remain intact today, designated as registered historic monuments and safeguarded by New Zealand’s Antarctic Heritage Trust. Each year, a fortunate handful of tourists embark on the remarkable journey south to the Ross Sea to pay them a visit.

The renowned base linked with Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s British Antarctic (Terra Nova) Expedition 1910–1913, as well as his second and final celebrated endeavor to reach the Geographic South Pole, is Scott’s hut at Cape Evans.

Another famous hut to visit is on Ross Island where you will find Sir Ernest Shackleton’s hut.
Shackleton constructed this building during his Nimrod expedition in February 1908. Housing fifteen men, it is notably smaller than Scott’s hut at Cape Evans, yet still exudes a captivating atmosphere. Unlike Scott’s hut, all of Shackleton’s men departed from here unharmed. It seems they left in haste: when members of the Terra Nova expedition visited in 1911, they discovered socks left hanging to dry and a meal abandoned on the table.

There really is nothing quite like Antarctica – an experience of a lifetime and those lucky enough to make the trek there would have some very jealous friends for sure!

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About Simon Flower

Originally from the United Kingdom, Simon has worked in the travel industry for over thirty-five years. Widely travelled, he is passionate about genuine expedition style travel — cruises and rail journeys.

Expedition Partners (formerly Flower Travel) specialise in expedition style travel by small ship cruise and private rail journeys.

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