February Reviews

Just one? One was when we first pulled into I think Fortuna Bay in South Georgia where we got to see a huge colony of King Penguins and Fur Seals. Especially when our Expedition Guide had to scare off a fur seal mom who was coming at us from behind. That'll teach us to be the last ones in the group. The really big one was near Tay Head Point in the Active Sound, I think. The sun was out, but there were clouds that looked like the ice sheets that were surrounding us. The water was reflecting the icebergs, the ice sheets, mountains, and the clouds. It was very surreal and we still keep talking about how stunning it was. We could have spent all day there and still not get sick of it.

Tough to identify only one. Crossing the antarctic circle was important to me, so the moment we did that was special. Oddly, I would rate the drake passage as highly memorable; we got the "drake shake" but I had actualy wanted that to be a part of the experience so I quite enjoyed that too. But I enjoyed every single moment.

Pod of Orca, 12 circled and porpoised on both sides of the Sylvia Earle for a long time. This was during dinner. Most of the passengers, expedition team, and many of the crew ran, outside on deck to observe the beautiful spectacle. It was an unforgettable moment of observing nature that was observing us!

How do I choose just one moment? Was it being close enough to touch a humpback whale and her calf as they fed? Was it kayaking in a bay, watching penguins "dolphining" as they swam, watching seals lolling on icebergs? Was it taking a Zodiac cruise and seeing an old shipwreck? Was it going on a mountaineering trek and getting the most amazing views? If I have to choose just one moment, I will choose the first time I set foot on the continent--such a thrill!!!--but honestly, the whole trip--each and every day--was made of memorable moments.

Our zodiac boat landed on St Andrews Bay in South Georgia Island. I was in pure awe as we walked among king penguins who seemed to share the same curiosity about us. I snapped countless and countless of pictures documenting, video recording every memory. We continued to walk until we reached the beginning of this dense colony, the second largest in South Georgia Island, where we found ourselves standing in front of hundreds of thousands of king penguins, their vibrating calls echoing through the valley, as giant albatrosses swooped down towering green mountain peaks above us creating a shadow directly over us. My boyfriend insisted, "Put the camera down. Just for 10 seconds." It was difficult to this, but as soon as I did, tears came running. This is Jurassic Park.

No question, hard to choose one. Far the best: zodiak cruise with the whales. Second: Paradise bay zodiak criuse on an amazing suny afternoon. Third: Deception Island on an amazing sunny day.

For Peggy, she was overwhelmed by Atacama because she couldn't believe that there were Flamingoes at 14,000 ft elevation with limited water. She was also astounded by the Antarctic oceans with the stark colors between the ocean and the icebergs and the oceans as compared to the animals that we saw. For CC- I really loved getting to go below the Antarctic circle and seeing the differences a we moved up the peninsula. I thought the Crew did an amazing job with their ceremony for crossing the circle and I really enjoyed being out on deck with lots of people as we gathered around GPS systems and cracked champagne as we crossed the circle. I also really enjoyed getting to see all of the wildlife and it has made me want to go to the Falklands and South georgia to see how it is different

There were 3 - 1. Charlotte Point when it was so quiet I could hear a lone humpback whale sing against a snowy highland backdrop and pink skies during dawn - when mother nature took me to its heart; 2. Overlooking the colony of some 250,000 adult and chick King penguins in St Andrews' Bay on a clear sunny day brought tears to my eyes as nature thrives against all odds; 3. 2 humpback whales swam under and over to our zodiac, raising their heads a few times within an inch of our zodiac to check us out and listen to my husband and I talk to them, showing such sentience, consciousness and gentleness.

The ice was the best part. The wildlife of course was super fun, like the baby penguins and hundreds of humpback whales feeding, but to see ice so blue, so vast, so grand - breathtaking.

It's hard to decide between the penguins and sleeping in a bivy bag on the Antarctic was the highlight, looking up at the Milky Way and unfamiliar stars! You cannot describe the immenseness of the place, it's mind blowing! Snow covered mountain ranges, glaciers galore, and penguins on every uncovered spot you encounter. The mix of people on the ship was refreshing! Different ages, nationalities (16 on our ship) and different walks of life. So many inspiring people! Fun! Most magical moment?! The little Gentoo penguin that bee lined for me and we looked each other up and down for several minutes - magic - wonderful!

Blue icebergs and penguins

Four-star experience! Could not have been better. Highlight was the ship's crew, our guides, and our fellow explorers... all nice folks. Landscapes stark and challenging, photogenic and forboding. Wildlife incredibly resilient and not camera shy, especially the young penguins! Surprised how wonderful the experience was. Being on the bridge, with the Captain, navigating the Lemaire Channel, which had a HUGE iceberg towering over us!

We were kayaking on the second day through rivers of ice and spotted a really cool iceberg in the distance. We decided to make our way towards the iceberg and stopped in a cove-like area for rest and pics. Before we decided to leave, a Leopard Seal came right up to our kayaks and seemed to be toying with or playing with us. The seal spent a good 10 mins swimming around us all, creating waves, popping up out of the water in various places - a lot of people were laughing and enjoying this organic moment.

Seeing the giant king penguin colony in Fortuna Bay, South Georgia.

Crossing the Antarctic circle, polar plunge, wildlife, citizen science and its impact. Memorable moments every single day

I participated in the immersive kayaking and it was amazing to say the least. We were a group of 10 with 2 guides so were able to get to know this group pretty well. Of course, the entire trip was pretty incredible, the people, the scenery, the wildlife. Out Expedition team shared their expertise and I learned so much. Was there one memorable moment, hmmm, the entire voyage was memorable.

Sitting quietly staring at the amazing landscape, the moody, pastel sky, the peaks, the animals.....really can't state one moment as outstanding for there were so many.

The highlight for me was being a part of our 9 person kayaking group plus two guides. We were able to paddle into small coves and the most magical of all was being near three feeding humpback whales and hearing their breathing as they rose up every few minutes.

Too many to mention. People, experiences. Face to face with a humpback, penguins, fur seal, leopard seal, in the sea with penguins. Amazing people who will be life-long friends.

Crossing the Antarctic Circle!! this was unexpected, and awesome!