ANTARCTICA CAPTURED OUR HEARTS
I must confess: Not that long ago, I was not all that interested in visiting Antarctica.
Ice and penguins and 7th continent bragging rights. Uh huh. What’s all the fuss?
WELL!
Antarctica captured my heart and I already long to return.
My adult daughter, Regan, and I were among 365 guests aboard Viking’s Octantis to the Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica, embarking Dec. 16, 2024.
I’ve been on a Viking ocean cruise and loved the luxurious pampering. For an expedition, Viking wasn’t our first choice due to its size (400 passengers vs. 200 on other ships) but this itinerary included the Falklands and South Georgia and fit within Regan’s schedule.
We worried we wouldn’t get to kayak, wouldn’t see whales, wouldn’t get on land much, would have our trip curtailed by weather or other issues, would be pummeled by the Drake.
Instead, we had eight days of expedition activities, and the weather, views and wildlife got better and better. We lost a day in the Falklands, rearranged plans in South Georgia (partly due to Avian flu impacts), then had great weather in Antarctica, wrapping up with a shockingly calm Drake Lake coming back.
If you know Viking, you know the ship, staff and food were fabulous.
The expedition crew did a nice job juggling the logistics of schedule changes and excursion on its kayaks, Zodiacs, special operations boats (SOBs) and two submarines. We were disappointed there were so few wildlife alerts and staff on the lookout with guests, unlike our Arctic expedition in May with Quark.
We’re very active scouters and saw oodles of seabirds including albatrosses; four types of seals (fur, elephant, Weddell and crabeater); six types of penguins (king, gentoos, macaroni, chinstrap, Adelie and Magellanic); and three types of whales (fin, humpback and orca, briefly). We couldn’t believe how many humpbacks we saw, and how close they were!
We got to admire the world’s largest iceberg, A23A, for hours; were the first to kayak in a glacial lake that had been frozen until now; rammed the ship into sea/ fast ice twice; threaded icebergs in kayaks to get closer to whales; learned about Viking’s commitment to research; and, of course, WALKED ON THE CONTINENT at Recess Cove.
That was on our last day in Antarctica, and was simply magical with sparkling glaciers, ice and sea; gentoo penguins welcoming us; whales frolicking RIGHT BY US. Recalling it still takes my breath away.
Contemplating a visit? Here are answers to your most pressing questions:
1. What was the weather like? Mostly around 33 degrees, with frequent ferocious, frigid winds.
2. How bad was the Drake? This 500- mile passage between Argentina and Antarctica, where the Atlantic, Pacific and Southern seas collide, can be dreadful with waves up to 40 feet. We got lucky with the Drake Lake vs. the Drake Shake. Our itinerary included two days of the Drake vs. four if you only go to Antarctica. There are also fly-options to skip some of the Drake!
3. Who owns Antarctica? No one. Twelve countries signed the Antarctic treaty in 1959, committing the area south of 60 degrees south latitude to peaceful purposes only.
4. What’s the difference between Antarctica and the Arctic? Simplistically, the Arctic is by the north pole and has polar bears. The Antarctic is by the south pole and has penguins. The Arctic is an ocean surrounded by continents. Antarctica is an ice-covered continent the size of the U.S. and Mexico combined.
5. Which itinerary should I pick? There are many 8 to 10 day cruises from Ushuaia, Argentina, to the accessible northwestern portion of Antarctica (with four days in the Drake). We did not feel it was worth the trip without adding the Falklands and South Georgia with its vast numbers of wildlife including king and macaroni penguins and seals. This itinerary is offered less frequently and takes longer. We highly recommend it!
6. How fit do I need to be? Like any cruise, you can enjoy yourself just staying aboard. To get off the ship, you’ll need to get in and out of vehicles floating on water, and step into two feet of water for landings. There are numerous helping hands as well as step stools as needed.
7. When should I go? The season runs October to March. Usually, earlier is more ice, nesting penguins and seal pups; later is more chicks and whales. (But we had AMAZING whale encounters in December!)
8. Which ship should I pick? As tourism grows – 80,251 people made landings in Antarctica last season vs. 27,374 10 years ago – expedition options are increasing. Most will carry 200 passengers and offer a variety of included activities. Prices start around $10,000 per person and climbs much higher for the luxury lines. Larger cruise ships also go to Antarctica but are not allowed to do any landings if they hold 500 passengers or more.
9. How do you get there? Most will embark at Ushuaia, Argentina. You’ll likely fly into Buenos Aires, Argentina or Santiago, Chile.
Interested in more? Check out our top photos: https://photos.app.goo. gl/CzyikJgCZ2AZp8YFA
