Antarctica Trip Riffs. . .Endurance!

If you ever have the chance to take a small ship, such as a National Geographic/Lindblad expedition, to Antarctica, take it!  It will be one of the most incredible journeys you can undertake.  Just be prepared to pay the Drake tax –put the patch on before bed the first night!

We have done a wider variety of activities involving mammals, birds, and of course, penguins (they deserve their own special category!) then I ever could have imagined when we signed up for this trip.

One source of constant wonder for us are what I call the “rando penguins” – those who are randomly on an iceberg that is heading north, those are swimming near the ship when it is out in the middle of nowhere.  The show the penguins put on as they jump out of the water, through the air two, three, or four times in a row is quite impressive – and I had little luck catching the buggers on film.  It’s called “porpoising.”

I set a new record yesterday (Sunday) by taking 1832 photos.  Most of them are burst shots of whale tails as they fluke.  More on that in another post.

We’re back on the Drake Passage heading north.  Between slightly lower waves, having our sea legs, and wearing the patch, I’m not feeling any seasickness at all.  As we head further north, I hope to be able to post more pictures on the blog, and on Facebook.

Our expedition team, led by Shaun Powell has done a great job of having us do a variety of activities – penguin rookeries, visits to Palmer Station and Port Lockroy, enjoying time on the fast ice, a hike up to a ridge with great views in Neko Harbour, kayaking, the polar plunge, whale watching, presentations, zodiac cruising among the icebergs and also through Hidden Bay, taking the ship through the massive mountains of Lemaire Channel.  Heck, I’m sure I left something out.

Captain Martin Graser has been fabulous, working with Shaun to give us great opportunities to see and do things.  The captain lives life with gusto, and he was very aggressive about taking us to the best places.  He’s also been very friendly to Carol and I – each time I’m up on the bridge, he carries on a conversation even as he guides the ship through some tricky bits.

Our Inspirato rep, Holly Bryan, has done a great job arranging the best food we’ve ever had on a cruise, afforded extra fun things such as having the hotel meet us on expeditions with glug wine, whiskey or other spirits (I had the wine, skipped the rest – but it’s the thought that counts!).

By no means have we gotten to know all 96 passengers, much less the expedition personnel and crew (although we have met most of them).  Everyone is quite nice, and the expedition personnel keep saying they really enjoy this group of people because, since we are all connected with Inspirato, there is a unity and camaraderie that is stronger here than on other trips.

The facilities on the ship are first rate, and the zodiacs are great for getting quickly from ship to shore, or for zipping around a bay.