Conquest

We lived!  We managed to set foot on the Antarctic continent and come back with all our digits.  I would characterize the trip as a fantastic success.  The expedition leader even commented that our trip was the first of the season where all planned activities were completed as conceived.  Nick and Hemant have now been to all seven continents.  All of the rest of us have six.

The ride across the Drake Passage on the way there was very smooth and we had a following sea which allowed us to make good time.  This gave us the opportunity to squeeze in an extra landing.  Over the next four days, we had to get up early on most days, go out in the cold and in several cases, get wet.

The reward for the effort was worth it.  On the wildlife side, we saw several types of birds included albatross with wingspans of almost 10 feet.  We also saw three types of penguins, at least three types of seals and two types of whales.  However, nothing can compare to the magnificence of the landscape.  Among the six people in our group, we shot thousands of pictures and several hours of video but none of it will be able to adequately portray what it was like to be there.  

The ride back to civilization was not nearly as civil.  A storm blew in and our ship was rocked back and forth for over 2 days.  During some periods, it was hard to do anything but lie in your bunk.  The ride wasn’t as bad as depicted on YouTube, but we’re glad to be back on solid ground.  I’ve included a few snapshots for now, but I’ll post more pictures later.

Shipmates (and roommates)

It's all fun and games until someone gets seasick

Happy New Year fom Arctowski Station (at Midnight)

Gentoo Penguins

Chinstrap Penguin

Adelie Penguins

Leopard Seal

Humpback Whale

Unknown wildlife on the Antarctic continent