Three Visits to Antarctica
- Sal Schmidt
- Feb 20, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: May 13
Admiralty Bay | Paradise Bay | Half Moon Island
Welcome back to Antarctica; something we never thought was possible, three visits this Summer!
It had only been a few months since we last set foot, kayaked, and sailed through Antarctica (pictures below from our first visit). To have the opportunity to cruise through the last unspoilt and southernmost continent, another two times on our 110-day voyage with Oceania Cruises, was a dream come true (again and again).
This is a brief journal of our second visit to the stunning Antarctic Peninsula. It includes many videos and photos that allow us to reminisce about the beautiful collection of moments.
Wilhelmina Bay (January 2023)
Antarctica, you have continued to provide a mystical environment. This morning, as we woke in Wilhelmina Bay (the same place we navigated the icebergs in zodiacs, feeling the full brunt of the snow and rain as Summer approached Antarctica in November), Antarctica filled our hearts and all senses with pure joy!
Oceania, you have genuinely brought Antarctica's breathtaking and moody beauty to our balcony, its magnificent raw nature, and the incredible marine life of this world wonder to us in all its glory.
We were grateful for Dr Peter Carey, the Antarctic Zoologist, who introduced us to our surroundings and all the wildlife sightings they had experienced this morning in dulcet tones at 7 am.
We showered immediately and were on the top deck to immerse ourselves in the serene waters and magical Antarctic scenery, as we recalled, but even more awe-inspiring this time.
In November, we were too early for the whales, but low and beheld late January, all these majestic creatures surrounded us; there were humpback whales bubble feeding, listening to them as they alert us to their presence with their blowholes, watching their graceful moves through the water was another moment we would keep with us forever, the moody skies were a perfect backdrop as the whales nourished themselves around the ship and followed us, we were all mesmerised.
We returned to our room later in the morning to enjoy passing by the enormous icebergs enveloped by the continent's mainland, passing Orne Harbour and cruising Curverville Island, more whale sightings and rafts of penguins porpoising along. It was pure joy, and it wasn't even lunchtime.
At lunchtime, we were spoiled with more majestic white wonder landscapes, with the sun filtering through, Gentoo and Chinstrap penguin colonies, and more whales passing by over yet another delightful meal as we made our way to Paradise Bay for the evening.
Antarctic Sound & Deception Island (January 2023)
Antarctica showed us her true colours once again today. The skies opened up, and snow blessed us all with its presence. We couldn't be more thrilled; you don't come to the South Pole without experiencing the white magic glitter!
Last night, we enjoyed the most fabulous dinner at Polo Grill on the best table at the Bo. We had an incredible evening view, more delicious culinary dishes, a mouthwatering Italian red wine, and beautiful service from our dear cruise staff and friends.
To close the evening, dusk time shared more moments of pure beauty as she spotlighted the scenery and spoilt us with a rare but beautiful sunset at 11 pm (with whales passing) over the bergs as darkness was upon us!
As we entered Antarctic Sounds, we pulled the drapes open early. The atmosphere was moody and overcast, yet the sun was fighting through to shine on the gigantic icebergs scattered around us.
The ice display provided us with a beautiful morning entertainment show. As the ship sailed around these sparkling and colourful pieces of ice, we enjoyed Dr Peter Carey's narrative on all the details about the bergs!
Later in the morning, we headed westward towards Deception Island to glimpse the active volcanic island, also home to a vast penguin colony and other sea life. With two visits, we were able to experience it under very different weather conditions.
Over our slow lunch, we enjoyed more delicious bites in the grand dining room, where Antarctica came out to play and made sure we were fully aware of her as the snow joined us.
It continued to get stronger and heavier as we approached Deception Island, hindering the view. Fortunately, the captain was an expert, and using his skills and expertise, he held us in a stationary position. It cleared up just enough so we could all catch a glimpse or two of the thousands and thousands of penguins and fur seals decorating the volcanic earth on the water's edge. Even better glimpses if you had super-powered binoculars, which we are fortunate to have in our little hot hands.
Deception Island is home to 140,000 pairs of chinstrap penguins. Penguins are always counted in pairs. It was quite the sight, and we were all buzzing with joy.
The snow and wind were picking up, and the ocean showed us who was boss. It was time to forge our way to the Drake Passage. Wish us luck over the next 36 hours as we cross the Great Drake Shake. Will we be blessed with Drake Lake? I will let you work out which one it was this night.
A fun fact: Antarctica has the highest average elevation in the world. The mountains are dripping with glaciers, and the landscapes are breathtaking. Giant icebergs and a nesting pot of marine and bird life will mesmerise you for days.
You can spend hours watching the dramatic splashes on the bergs, the waves breaking over it, the ice calvings whilst the ship navigates through the calm (and suddenly not so calm) waters and all the bergie bits, as you are joined by Wilson's storm petrel dancing and gliding around the ship. To top it off, you have rafts of penguins porpoising alongside seals and whales feeding in the icy cold waters, too! Pure joy!
Let's not forget the Drake Passage. The Drake Passage is the body of water between South America's Cape Horn, Chile, Argentina and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica, 1000 km wide, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Three visits to Antarctica this Summer means six sailings of the Drake Passage; some would say we are a glutton for punishment; surprisingly, three of the four on these past two sailings were a Drake Lake, and only one Drake Shake with 6-7m waves, it was a rough night, but thrilling all the same.
The weather is always unpredictable, with icy, cold wintery days in the depths of Antarctica, followed by glass-like waters and sunshine the following day, or rapidly changing winds accompanied by snow. There is something unique about being in Antarctica and experiencing snowfall; we were all like kids in a fun park when it happened while sailing through. We loved seeing it change over the three months from November to February, the change of scenery, and the snow disappearing on some of the mountains.
We hold this bucket list adventure very close to our hearts. Thank you, Antarctica, Oceania and Hurtigruten, for the opportunity and memories we made.
So awe inspiring — thank you for all you do to inspire us.