First landing! Posted up next to a penguin rookery. (Rachel Short-Miller)
Lots of things about this adventure were great, but can you blame me if I say that this was by far my favorite aspect? I mean it helped that our expedition guides were cool, but I think it made a world of difference that our captain and our expedition leader both had a sense of adventure at the center of their hearts. The whole ship made us feel like what we had just experienced was truly special and rare which added to the magic of it all.
Handstand on the Weddell Sea. (Rachel Short-Miller)
I do believe what we did was special. Because the weather was favorable, we ventured farther south on the east side of the peninsula than other departures typically can. We were rewarded by an experience that even in the 15 years of cruising the Antarctic, neither the captain or the expedition leader had ever been in before. With this venture, we made it to “fast ice” where the sea begins to freeze. We were only around 65 degrees south, but there was a perfect spot between the two islands where the 10 mile wide channel had the right conditions. We drove the ship straight into the 2 meter thick ice and parked it. From there, we were able to get off the ship and set foot on the Weddell Sea. I doubt I will ever again stand over 400 meters of sea.
L'Austral parked in fast ice. (Rachel Short-Miller)
The other unique experience was cruising through the Gerlache Strait while legitimately hundreds of whales were eating around us. During that golden hour, we got to see miles of whales cooperatively feeding before our eyes. We heard them tumpeting and saw their heads, fins and flukes surface. We were able to see their circular nets of bubbles and catch their spout mist shimmering in the low light. It was out of this world.
Three humpback whales working together in a feeding method called bubble netting. (Rachel Short-Miller)
Adventure Life has a great team. They were very knowledgeable and responsive and helped us choose the right Arctic Expedition for us. We would recommend them.
Kbear
5 months ago
Friendly representative, ease of booking and bountiful information along the way.
Gary Brodarick
6 months ago
Erin was really helpful during the booking process! She met with me, answered all my questions and made the booking process really easy!
Adrianne Trogden
7 months ago
This was a life changing trip of a lifetime and exceeded my expectations. No details were left out during the planning of this trip by Adventure Life. The entire crew on the ship could not have been more helpful and kind. Everyone went out of their way to make this trip as pleasurable as possible.
