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We did a zodiac cruise on a cloudy day when the sky got so dark it almost felt like night. In the light, the icebergs stood out as if they were lit in bright electric blue. It felt like there should have been a storm coming but everything was perfectly quiet: there was no wind, no waves and barely any noise. When it started to gently snow, everything became blanketed in the most serene silence, and we felt like the only people on the planet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013 Carys sailed on Greg Mortimer<\/a> on our Antarctic Peninsula Explorer<\/a> cruise <\/p>\n\n\n\n I did the polar plunge on my final full day in Antarctica. The ship was in Neko Harbour and the sun lit up the huge glaciers around us. When I was warming up after my icy dip, I looked out from the deck to see an immense avalanche plummeting almost silently down one of the mountains across the bay. It was one of those impossibly special moments that Antarctica seems to do so well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Lu sailed on Greg Mortimer<\/a> on our Antarctic Peninsula Explorer<\/a> cruise <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n High winds one day meant a change in our plans, and we headed out in zodiacs to explore the iceberg cemetery at Sikorsky Glacier. It was the first time there for almost the entire expedition team, and they all wore the same beaming faces as the passengers, experiencing Antarctica completely afresh. Their excitement was absolutely contagious, as we wove through giant ice sculptures, spotting Weddell, crabeater and leopard seals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Nardus sailed on Magellan Explorer<\/a> on our Original Fly & Cruise Luxury Adventure<\/a> cruise <\/p>\n\n\n\n St Andrews Bay<\/a> in South Georgia lived up to\u2014and then exceeded\u2014all my hopes for the largest king penguin colony in South Georgia. The number of penguins is just overwhelming, and it took some time to let it all sink in. Everywhere you look there is movement, your eyes can\u2019t focus on just one view. There was a biting wind that nearly froze my hand as I held my camera, but I mainly felt an overpowering gratitude at seeing one of the world\u2019s great wildlife spectacles. Needless to say I made sure I was on the last zodiac to leave! <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Otto sailed on Sylvia Earle<\/a> on our Discover South Georgia, Antarctica and Falklands<\/a> cruise <\/p>\n\n\n\n I missed out on the Shackleton Walk when I was in South Georgia, but this is when having a brilliant expedition leader really comes into play. Ours had worked on the island for the British Antarctic Survey, and lined up the sort of incredible hike that only comes from the deepest experience \u2013 a five-hour hike over the mountains from Godthul. There can only be a handful of people who have ever walked that route: it\u2019s exactly the sort of thing that makes expedition cruising both unpredictable but brilliant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Daniel sailed on Sylvia Earle<\/a> on our Discover South Georgia, Antarctica and Falklands<\/a> cruise <\/p>\n\n\n\n I could sit and watch penguins all day. On a continental landing at Neko Harbour, I was delighted to watch a large group of gentoo penguins edge their way nervously around a meltwater pool. They played an endless game of \u2018after you,\u2019 not wanting to be the first to brave the waters \u2013 until one eventually pushed its companion in. The rest happily jumped in after it, but I did wonder after if the victim ever got its own back on the culprit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Emma sailed on Silver Cloud<\/a> on our Luxury Highlights of the Antarctic Peninsula<\/a> cruise <\/p>\n\n\n\n My previous Antarctic trip was at the end of the season in March, when lots of penguin chicks had already fledged, so seeing some of the same locations in November when they were absolutely thick with penguins was absolutely gorgeous. There is so much activity at the start of the breeding season, with courtship displays and an endless procession of birds in and out of the sea. I finally got to tick off all three of the penguin species along the Peninsula: gentoos, chinstraps and even a handful of Adelies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Julie sailed on World Explorer<\/a> on our Antarctic Explorer Refined <\/a>cruise <\/p>\n\n\n\n In some ways I feel like I got the best of both words this year by flying to Antarctica and sailing back. But my first sea ice landing was the stand out moment. It was surreal to step off the ship directly onto the ice. But no sooner had I got my bearings than the locals came to show us how to do it with a little more panache: 20 chinstrap penguins and a lone Adelie catapulted onto the edge of the ice, and waddled towards us. For once, it felt like they were coming to see what we were doing rather than the other way around \u2013 a delightful role reversal!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Marta sailed on <\/em>National Geographic Explorer<\/em><\/a> on our <\/em>Ultimate Luxury Antarctic Fly & Cruise<\/em><\/a> trip <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n On this year\u2019s trip I got to take a very special guest: my dad. We opted for a luxury cruise including flights to Antarctica rather than taking the Drake Passage, but the silver service meant we were looked after from the moment we arrived in Santiago. Sipping champagne in a jacuzzi while watching humpbacks fluke in the distance amongst the early season ice felt a long way from the summer holidays of my childhood! <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Ian sailed on Silver Endeavour<\/a> on our Ultimate Luxury Antarctic Fly & Cruise<\/a> trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was skeptical about how much use I\u2019d get from the balcony in my cabin, but how wrong I was. There is truly nothing like waking up in an Antarctic bay with a view of mountains and glaciers \u2013 and then rushing outside when you realise there are orcas and humpbacks close to the ship! There was no dash for a parka and boots to find a public deck, just a private whale watching encounter before I\u2019d even brushed my hair or had my first coffee. What a way to start the day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Nicky sailed on Ocean Albatros<\/a> on our South Shetland Islands & Antarctica Voyage<\/a> cruise <\/p>\n\n\n\n I hadn\u2019t expected to be so captured by the sounds of Antarctica, and I loved just sitting within myself trying to absorb it all. Pleneau Bay stands out: the ship at silent rest, the pure air broken by nothing more than the occasional crack of distant ice and the explosive huffing of humpbacks swimming 50 yards from the ship. I\u2019ll leave the fancy photos to the experts \u2013 this was the perfect reminder of being absolutely in the moment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Mel sailed on Silver Cloud<\/a> on our Luxury Highlights of the Antarctic Peninsula<\/a> cruise<\/p>\n\n\n\n A pod of orcas surrounded our ship and took it in turns to go bowriding. It was joyful to lean over the bow and watch them close at hand keeping pace with us and taking it in turns to swim in pole position in front of us. Biologists say that dolphins like to bowride because it\u2019s very energy efficient, but it looked a lot like they were doing it for play as much as travel \u2013 they were having as much fun as we were. Our Expedition Leader said it was the best orca encounter she had ever had. It\u2019s definitely mine!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Maddi sailed on Ocean Explorer<\/a> on our Antarctic Explorer<\/a> cruise <\/p>\n\n\n\n At dinner in the Gerlache Strait, there was a sudden rush to the window when someone spotted a group of humpback whales. A minute later, more were seen on the other side of the ship. We were surrounded! The entire ship soon forgot about the meal and were out on deck in parkas, where we enjoyed two hours in perfect sunset conditions watching over 20 whales spouting, bubble feeding and tail slapping. It was the best moment I\u2019ve ever had in Antarctica, and is something that will stay with me forever. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Heather sailed on SH Diana<\/a> on our Antarctic Peninsula in Focus<\/a> cruise <\/p>\n\n\n\n Travelling in March was a revelation to me. After a landing at Cuverville Island, we took a long and meandering zodiac trip back to the ship. It took so long because there were nearly a dozen humpbacks in the water so we had to plot the slowest course possible not to disturb them. Not that we minded our simple transit being turned into an impromptu whale safari! The moment I got on board, I rushed out to the viewing deck to look down on two adults and a calf, so close their flippers almost touched the ship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Bex sailed on <\/em>Sylvia Earle<\/em><\/a> on our <\/em>Antarctic Fly & Sail Combination <\/em><\/a>cruise <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Everyone comes back from their travels with one improbable story, but I honestly never thought I would ever say the sentence \u2018I went snorkelling in Antarctica and a humpback whale breached a dozen metres away from me.\u2019 At one point in our zodiac, we were completely surrounded by whales coming to check us out: all our guide could do was turn off the engine as they virtually mobbed us, raising their flippers and brushing against the zodiac. They were so curious that they kept spyhopping to look us directly in the eye. It\u2019s a strange thing to exchange glances with a whale: even our guide was wiping the tears away, it was such an emotional encounter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Madelyn sailed on Sylvia Earle <\/a>on our Untamed Weddell Sea Adventure<\/a> cruise <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a keen birder<\/a>, I\u2019ve always known that Antarctica has more feathers to its cap than just penguins. I delighted in my time on the Drake Passage watching albatrosses, but the real treat for me was to see and photograph snow petrels around the Antarctic Peninsula. They’re one of the only pure white seabirds on the planet, and are astonishingly beautiful. Seeing them flit like ghosts among the icebergs was a wonderful\u2014if slightly\u2014haunting highlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Colin sailed on Seaventure<\/a> on our Antarctic Peninsula Classic<\/a> cruise <\/p>\n\n\n\n Seals never get enough love on Antarctic cruises because they always get overshadowed by the penguins and whales. But this trip had something truly special: a Ross seal. They\u2019re the most populous seal on the planet, but ironically they\u2019re rarely seen because they generally live too far south for Peninsula cruises. When our captain spotted one on the ice, the excitement among the expedition team was palpable, and we embarked on an evening excursion in the snow to observe it. It was a wonderful moment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Cassia sailed on National Geographic Endurance<\/a> on our Explore the Antarctic Peninsula <\/a>cruise <\/p>\n\n\n\n Our intention for the morning was to enjoy the icebergs grounded near Port Charcot, but no sooner had the zodiacs left the ship than we were surrounded by an enormous raft of gentoo penguins. The sea was almost boiling with them. It quickly became apparent that we were in the middle of a giant krill fest, with even humpback and minke whales joining in. When the penguins were done, they\u2019d spring out of the water to take a break on a huge wedge-shaped iceberg, before diving back in for more. The water was crystal clear and we could see them zooming past us like bullets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 <\/em>Lizzie sailed on Ortelius<\/a> on our South of the Antarctic Circle<\/a> cruise <\/p>\n\n\n\n I put on my metaphorical lab coat for the first time to really get up close with some of the citizen science projects that take place on-board expedition cruise ships. It\u2019s normally a big wrench for me to put down my camera on a trip, but it was fascinating to look down the lens of a microscope instead, then pull back in the biggest zoom reveal to get a picture of the entire Antarctic ecosystem, from the tiniest plankton to the biggest whales that normally catch my eye. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Burnham sailed on Seaventure<\/a> on our Antarctic Peninsula Classic<\/a> cruise <\/p>\n\n\n\n Kayaking exceeded all my expectations. My kayak partner and I would swish our paddles through the ice just to listen to the ice pop and break around us, and then sit silently to enjoy the Antarctic ASMR experience. Just when I thought it couldn\u2019t get any better, a large group of gentoo penguins started porpoising towards us. All of a sudden, a single penguin jumped out of the water, dived underneath our kayak and then surfaced on the other side. I\u2019m sure it was smiling at us when it did it: my heart almost stopped out of pure joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Ruby sailed on Hondius<\/a> on our Antarctic Base Camp<\/a> cruise <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s very easy to go an entire trip to Antarctica without doing any exercise (and eating too much at each meal), so I loved the chance to go kayaking at every opportunity. Some people like to gently paddle of course, but I liked pushing myself through the ice in long deep strokes to really stretch my muscles. Clean and fresh polar air, incredible scenery and the blood pumping through your heart and muscles: what could be more exhilarating? <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 <\/em>Stefano sailed on Seaventure<\/a> on our Antarctic Peninsula Classic<\/a> cruise <\/p>\n\n\n\n What a season! It\u2019s experiences like these that keep us coming back to Antarctica \u2013 and make us so passionate about sharing the greatest one of the destinations on Earth with other travellers. We\u2019re already looking forward to next season \u2013 get in touch if you\u2019d like to plan your own adventure story in Antarctica.<\/p>\n\n\n\n *<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" At Swoop Antarctica, our expertise is unmatched in the polar cruise industry. Every year, we send our team south to experience the continent firsthand: no polar travel agency visits Antarctica more than we do, which means that we can help plan Antarctic adventures with total confidence. In the 2024\/25 Antarctic cruising season that\u2019s just wrapped, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":5665,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-epic-adventures"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.swoop-antarctica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Leopard-seal-Sikorsky-Glacier-1024x576.jpg\")
South Georgia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Penguins and more penguins<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Life on board<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Whales galore<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Wildlife encores<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Kayaking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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