1. I have a knack for missing the whale-sightings.

Not once, but twice, I missed a close encounter with humpback whales. As my zodiac was taking me to shore, a humpback visited others right outside the ship's gangway. And the kayakers where greeted with a humpback and her calf as they made their way around Half Moon, our last day on the continent. But don't feel too bad for me, as we approached Neko Harbor I was out on deck enjoying the view when I was surprised by two humpbacks who accompanied us through the channel. The landscape can change in the blink of an eye. Wildlife suddenly appear out of the water and around the corner. In Antarctica, you can expect the unexpected.