Marguerite Bay and the Polar Circle

       The main goal for most ships, and most travelers, on a specific “Antarctic Polar Circle” itinerary is to make it past 66.5 degrees south - the northern-most latitude that would have a full 24 hours of sunshine on December 21st each year.  There is no line on the ground to cross, as there is where the equator crosses through Quito… and no artistic marker designating the exact spot, as there is on the Icelandic island of Grimsey.  Heck, the surroundings don’t look much different at 66.5 degrees south than they did at 64.5 and 65.5 degrees south.  But this crossing of the polar circle is a point of pride for a lot of travelers, and is properly celebrated on these cruises.  Group photos and selfies will occur, toasts will be offered with various forms of hot chocolate, and even a costume party or two has been known to break out.

      For most ships, this is then as far south as their adventure will go.  Landings can be easier, and zodiac tours can sometimes be more fruitful, further north along the peninsula.  So most ships will begin to move back north along the peninsula to be sure to see their penguins, and enjoy more landings and zodiac cruises without burning the additional fuel to get further south.

     But remember, we had an incredible nine full days along the peninsula, and we were on a ship operated by a particularly adventurous company, Aurora Expeditions.  So while we had a brief, quiet announcement as we crossed the polar circle in the wee hours of the morning on February 28th… we also tucked back into our beds and our breakfast, knowing we were heading significantly further south.  The Greg Mortimer had its sights set on Marguerite Bay.

     We ended up reaching our southernmost point on March 1st, at Stonington Island, just past 68.5 degrees south, another 150 miles beyond the polar circle.  We actually stayed in Marguerite Bay for about 48 hours - enjoying landings at both Stonington and Horseshoe Islands, a zodiac cruise at Avian Island, and a surprise opportunity to try a Polar Plunge in a bay full of small icebergs.  Knowing how few ships will make it this far south, this was likely one of the furthest south polar plunges on record - outside of those done by the Kiwis and Americans at their bases in McMurdo Sound, on the other side of the continent.

      It is this ability to go further, explore more, and enjoy more landings and zodiac cruises that entices me so much about the cruises that spend 7, 8 or 9 days along the Antarctic Peninsula.  The ability to brag about crossing the Antarctic Polar Circle is no small thing, and will often be a natural part of these longer cruises, but these additional days of experiences are even more valuable.

Oh, and we did still toast to our successful crossing of the polar circle...