Antarctica Safari with Swan Hellenic: Lindsay on Location
Going to Antarctica has always been on my travel list. But, I never thought I would have the opportunity to travel there. Who gets to go to Antarctica? I am going to tell you not only how you can go, but all the reasons it needs to be on the top of your list NOW! This is one of my favorite trips. It felt like we were traveling and exploring another magical planet.
How to get there: An Expedition Ship
We sailed with Swan Hellenic and our Ship’s name was Vega. Swan Hellenic is a company whose motto is: "See what others don't" because that is their goal. To take you to areas of the world that are truly off-the-beaten path destinations and cultures. All with the mission to discover our spectacular planet. They lead with education through expeditions. With small expedition style ships built to be able to handle the most extreme routes. Our ship Vega is only 1.5 years old and is an ice class-5 ship. Meaning it is only one class below an ice breaker. This gives her the opportunity to dive deep into Antarctica. You want to go with a smaller ship. No ship with over 500 guests can debark in Antarctica. You have to be on a small expedition ship to be able to access the peninsula. We only had 90 people onboard, which gave it a very intimate feel. Our ship felt like a 5 star boutique hotel on water - fireplace in every room, balconies, hot tubs, saunas and Michelin quality food. Even though you might be a world away and in freezing temps, Vega and the team do an amazing job by making you feel like you are in a home away from home. And their crew in every department go over and beyond to make your experience one that you will never forget.
Onboard Vega we had a full expedition team. Each of which were experts in their own field. We had scientists, master explorers, and expert kayakers. We had daily lectures and discussions about the animals we will encounter, how to keep Antarctica protected, climate change, wildlife photography, etc. I learned so much about whales, seals, penguins, all birds, and the impact Antarctica has on the world. This was far from a cruise. Don't even say that word! This was a journey, an expedition like no other. Their goal is for you to leave the journey being an Antarctic Ambassador.
We journeyed on Swan Hellenic Vega for a 9 days to the southernmost continent on Earth. You leave from Argentina to make the journey south. It takes 2 days if you are lucky with the weather. You have to travel through Drake's Passage. The Drake Passage is considered one of the most treacherous voyages for ships to make. I had heard rumors about Drake Lake vs. Drake Shake. If its smooth then you got lucky and its Drake Lake. Those not so lucky get Drake Shake and you better hold on. You could get waves up to 40 feet high. We got so lucky and got Drake lake both ways!
Highlights:
-Lemaire Channel - Best sunset I have ever seen. And when I travel I seek out all the sunsets I can find. So this is saying a lot. The water and timing has to be perfect for it to create the magical colors that we witnessed. I felt like we were heading to the end of the world. The highlight of Lemaire Channel was all around 10pm. It would only get dark for about three hours a day. Captain Tino said he had never seen the channel this colorful in his 30 years of experience. It is Nicknamed "Kodak Gap" by some, it is one of the top tourist destinations in Antarctica.
-Who knew I loved zodiac cruising so much. We took daily zodiac cruising to see seals, penguins and looking for whales. And I loved cruising around the giant icebergs.
-Each day we took two expeditions to different places on the Antarctic peninsula. Surrounded by penguins everywhere we went. We saw chinstrap and gentoo penguins, which might be the cutest things I have ever seen. There are over 18 different species of penguins. They live in colonies, some of which are larger than cities. They have to lay their eggs on land they can find without snow. The earliest known penguins date back to almost 70 million years ago. They walk the land on their "penguin highways.” We all took a lesson on how to respect animals. How far away you need to stand. We do not want to disrupt their life.
-Port Lockroy- run by UK Antarctic Heritage trust. Around 5 people live here for the season (5 months) . There is no running water, they eat dried and canned goods. They are doing research, upkeep and running the post office. Could you do it?
Port Lockroy is the most southern post office in the world. It’s called the "Penguin Post Office.” I had to mail a few postcards. They said that it could arrive in 3 weeks, 3 months or 3 years. Fingers cross they arrive!
-Kayaking was on the top of my list to do while in Antarctica. If you really want to get a feel for a place, then get out on the water. No matter where you are in the world, immersing yourself on the water gives you a new perspective and outlook. We got to kayak through icebergs, get close to wildlife, and really feel Antarctica’s beauty and magic. Dympna and James our kayak experts, took great care of us and they also have kayaking trips through Georgian Bay in Canada that is next on my list.
-How do you Polar Plunge? I do it in Antarctica. Am I crazy? Probably. But I did a polar plunge in the Antarctic waters. Freezing yes, but life changing. You don't get chances like this again. It was worth the chill and how great of a story. They greeted us with a little shot to warm up our insides when we got out.
- I’m now a Birder! Lars the ornithologist, told us that we were all now officially Birders. A Birder- someone who travels for over a mile from their home to see a bird.
- A huge reason I wanted to feature Swan Hellenic is they focus on everyone being a Citizen Scientist. It gets the guests onboard involved in scientific studies. Happy Wale- Started in 2015. It was all about identifying humpback whales. Now it also features a wide range of marine mammals. How does it work? If you have a photo of an animal you can upload it to their site. You just need the photo to include unique markings. For example the underside of a humpback whale's tail is like its own fingerprint. Meaning no two are alike and this is how they can identify each one. Through uploading your image you can see past sightings, they will alert you in future ones. This gives scientists the ability to track their populations, migrations, and even rate their survival rate. Through Happy Whale we can all be citizen scientists.
Every trip changes me in some way. I try to learn and grow each time. But Antarctica was over and beyond all my expectations. It was truly a life changing adventure that I want you all to experience. It was worth the long travel days and every single dime. Antarctica blew me away, but so did Swan Hellenic. The ship was first class pulling out all the stops. The crew and expedition team started out as strangers but we all left as close friends.
Trust me you will not regret it. Go get lost in Antarctica and tell me all about it. Or maybe I just might join you..again! Chin Chin!
