Experience The Last Of The True Wild With An Antarctic Cruise

The very last spot in South America leads to a massive body of water. On the other side is the Antarctic continent. Drake's Passage is like a rite of passage one must endure to get to Antarctica. The water is not calmed by any kind of land in this 400 mile stretch of water. Several currents bump into each other here, and the weather is terrible. I honestly only thought that I would see penguins and icebergs. I didn't have any idea of what else to expect. I didn't know much about the land's geography, politics, nor imposing power.

We didn?t see the infamous and deadly side of Drake?s Passage on our way to the continent. It was the return trip that we would have to spend clutching at our beds while we slept. That first morning in Antarctica was calm and gray all over. Your one-stop resource on antarctica cruise ship is waiting for you.

Hazy, brownish gray mountains ringed the distance and were capped in snow. Soon we saw the first of the ice. Tiny ice chunks floated around the boat, bobbing in the water. I threw on my parka, which had been supplied by the ship, and grabbed my camera. Then I rushed out into the frigid Antarctic air.

In addition to rushing outside every time someone spotted a dolphin, whale or penguin, we listed to slide presentations offered by the ship?s naturalist. Passing by the huge ice blocks in our tiny inflatable raft was truly thrilling. We were finally on our way to shore. We approached a small rocky island covered in ice and saw penguins standing about on the shore, debating about getting wet.

Our little group was completely surrounded by penguins. Gentoo penguins lived here alongside a committed group of researchers in this small outpost of land. They called this Paradise Harbor. They waddle purposefully about, looking as though they are rushing to complete their to-do lists. Some penguins took a stance on the rocks and watched the strange beings in red as they grinned and gestured toward them. The majority of the penguin parents had left their chicks to be self-sufficient. And many of those kids were still trying to figure out what they were supposed to be doing. They eat krill at this stage, and the chicks are used the parents regurgitating it into their mouths. Further resources about exciting antarctica cruises are located there.

They?d also started to molt. Most of them had developed the smooth, patterned feathers of their parents, some of them still had fluffy gray down that made them look a bit like they were victims of a particularly sadistic barber, or wearing funny looking earmuffs. As we returned to our ship, we navigated around ice drifting in the bay. We rode past a jagged mini glacier. To our surprise, a seal extended himself over its top. He yawned, exposing his enormous pink tongue. His lack of concern for our presence belied the unspoiled characteristic of this beautiful land where we'd spend a perfect day.

All at once the penguins started that hard to define thing which gives them such charm.I guess it is the waddle and the gawkiness. Their appearance of wearing formal tuxedos is a funny paradox with their clown-like webbed, orange feet. The island was really more rock than dirt, so these penguins were pretty neat and clean looking. The thin black line under their chins gave them a sporty appearance and made them look like they had fat cheeks.