February Reviews

The Moment when one of our guides, Steffie, told us to put down our cameras when we were on an outing on the Zodiac, and just listen! It was surreal - the peace that surrounded us, the sound of the whales, blowing through their blow hole, the water lapping around us - I realized, I have not actually been listening for years!

It's hard to choose from so many; every day I thought was the best ever but I think I will say that the zodiac across Paradise Bay with the whales right in front of us or the cruise through Spert Islands channels and the iceberg graveyard with it all set off by the amazingly blue water. Also getting to 68 degrees south was incredible!

Seeing icebergs for the first time and getting out on the water. This memory even manages to surpass seeing penguins, seals and whales up-close.

Highlight - seeing the first iceberg. And another one - kayaking through the brash ice. Landscapes - ethereal / mind blowing. Wildlife - we hoped for more whales up close ... but we did see some, including orcas. Although smelly, the penguins were delightful. Seals were everywhere! The Expedition Team was outstanding. We were relieved that the Kayaking was so well managed and we coped. Reaching the Polar Circle and landing on the Peninsula were magical - pinch yourself moments.

Visiting the old British Antarctic Survey huts which have been left 'as they were when the occupants left'.

The highlights of our trip were the many amazing wildlife experiences. We were SURROUNDED by BUBBLE FEEDING WHALES on TWO occasions during zodiac cruises! We were a few yards away from DOZENS of playful crabeater adolescent seals frolicking in the water. We were CHASED by a leopard seal! Penguins and birds galore! (Can you tell I am on team mammal rather than team bird?) The landscapes were breathtaking. The people on the cruise were lovely and fun.

Too many to list really. However, one of my aims was to walk with King Penguins and to see them in huge crowds. I did this. And to see King Penguins on the same ground as sheep was just extroadinary. I come from North Yorkshire where sheep on peat are common but I could never have imagined them with penguins. That moment in the Falklands is indeed memorable.

Choose one? We spent an incredible afternoon on the zodiacs following whales in the Gerlache Strait - what an incredible experience. We were fortunate enough to have several groups of whales in the area, with one whale breaching within 20 yards from our zodiac.

Great. If you are going late in February or March I would highly recommend a circle crossing. The feel and look of Antarctica certainly changes down there.

Seeing the penguins, whales, seals, dolphins, sea birds in their environment. Natural beauty of Antarctica - the ice, snow, mountains. Learning more from the lectures from the marine biologist, then also the presentation on the sad whaling history (told by a Norwegian expedition member whose uncle was a whaler) - the room was silent. The trip gives you lots to learn and think about in a bigger context.

Hard to pick one moment but the scale and beauty of South Georgia and Antarctica was beyond my expectations. One moment that comes to mind is when a humpback whale near the ship to check us out while we were at anchor in Fournier Bay. The whale surfaced, blew, rolled and hung around the ship for quite a while before moving on. The clear water made it easy to see the whale just under the surface. Many good photos adn videos were captured!

The highlight was the enormity of the scale of the peninsular and the pristine, untouched solitude of the environment. The landscape was overwhelming and all encompassing, with a grandeur that we had not expected. We loved the antics of the penguins and the curiosity of the chicks. Up close viewing of seals and whales was awe inspiring. Our outstanding leaders helped to deepen our understanding and appreciation of this amazing world. Our fellow travellers were all like minded so sharing our experiences increased the enjoyment.

To many highlights to mention. The weather could change almost in an instant, changing the light and the landscape before your eyes, completely captivating. Lots of wildlife despite being late in the season, and being later we saw lots of whales. The ships crew and the expedition crew were exceptional. There were 98 passengers on board the Island Sky and we were surprised by the age range, 22 to 78 with an average of 62 (this must be accident rather than design) but it made for a wonderful atmosphere with people prepared to mix in chat, and eat together. We hope to meet up with a few in the future. Most magical moment, that's difficult, probably being in a Zodiac among sleeping Humpbacks.

Our trip was FANTASTIC! There were too many highlights to name only one... Seeing the Blue whale... 150,000 King Penguins... Glaciers... Glacier cave that was illuminated from withing with the most amazing blues and greens... Black ice... Humpback whales everywhere... Excellent level of customer service and attention to details. The expedition team members' passion, enthusiasm, knowledge and life stories were wonderful to watch and experience. The lectures were excellent and inspiring. The biggest surprise was the food. Food and service for foodies - did not expect that on an expedition ship.

We were very happy with our choice to see Antartica up close through using kayaks to cruise through the icebergs. The most memorable was first seeing the size and magnificence of these beautiful structures.

Too many memorable moments to choose from! Humpback whales, penguins, leopard seals, and the polar plunge are highlights, but the landscape itself was magnificent. Waking up every day to new natural marvels was magical. And the helicopter ride was amazing!

Landings on Antartica and experiencing the vastness, the history, the animals, mammals, flora. the discovery team on board the Scenic Eclipse 2 were terrific and willing to help and explain and engage. some other moments were landing on Cape Horn and cruising down the Fjords of Patagonia.

Icebergs everywhere. I’ve seen lots of icebergs before in Newfoundland but no where near the quantity.

St. Andrew’s Bay South Georgia probably stands out as the most memorable. To be able to walk among the hundreds of thousands of King Penguins, Sea Elephants, Fur Seals, Albatross and other sea birds with a backdrop of glaciers and mountains ending at the sea was beyond imagination.

Hard to pin down one, seeing all the adorable penguins was nice, the majestic scenery when ship was sailing, some of icebergs and glaciers with the blue in it, the polar plunge (although that was about 15 seconds), waiting in Punta Arenas for two days due to bad weather before we could fly over to King George Island,