Day 87

Setting Sail from South Georgia Island

After saying goodbye to beautiful South Georgia Island, our adventure took us further south towards the continent of Antarctica. The journey was not without its challenges; navigating through the sea ice certainly slowed our progress. However, in return we were treated to clear blue skies, massive icebergs, and we were entertained for hours by a massive pod of humpback whales. It truly was "whale soup"!

Half Moon Island

Our first Antarctic stop was none other than Half Moon Island. Here we once again took to the kayaks and explored the local beaches. This area is home to the Argentinian base Camara and it's also home to a unique colony of Chinstrap Penguins. The weather was bitter cold but then the skies cleared just in time to watch the setting sun.

Into the Abyss

The following day we arrived at Mikkelson Harbour where Calum and I once again descended in the submersible to over 130m deep. There we saw beautiful sea stars and some incredible Antarctic sponges, some of which can apparently exceed 15,000 years of age. However, the highlight of the trip was once we spotted a Giant Antarctic Octopus! This was octopus either of us have ever seen in the wild and we both felt so blessed to have seen it under such unique circumstances.

Our 7th Continent

The next morning we awoke to warm temps and clear blue skies. This day would be our first visit to the actual continent of Antarctica in beautiful Paradise Bay. This landing was very significant to both of us as we can now say we have laid foot on all seven continents. We spent the rest of the day onboard watching orcas, humpbacks and penguins while celebrating this milestone with our fellow passengers.

The Lemaire Channel

As the polar sun began to set, we embarked on a sail through the enchanting Lemaire Channel. This narrow channel packed with ice and flanked with majestic cliffs, perfectly illustrated the magical ambience of Antarctica. The following day we arrived at our destination, Danco Island, to near blizzard conditions. We ventured out in the Special Operations Boats (S.O.B.) and we were rewarded with our first sighting of a leopard seal lounging on an ice flow!

Our Final Farewell

Today we have returned to Ushaia and this marks the end of this incredible adventure. We've traveled by kayak, Zodiac and submarine! We saw polar bears, hundreds of whales and thousands of penguins! It's been the trip of a lifetime and we are so grateful for having had this opportunity to share this incredible journey together.

Here's a few things this trip has taught us:

Travel while you are still able!

We are but a speck on this planet!

The Earth is warming at an alarming rate!

Thank you for sharing this amazing adventure with us!