Antarctica Unveiled: A Journey To The End Of The Earth

If you are only going somewhere once, make sure you do it right.

That’s our philosophy when it comes to planning bucket-list adventures, and that’s the philosophy we implemented for our recent trip to Antarctica.

We had written off Antarctica as a “maybe-someday-when-we’re-retired” destination, recognizing that our desire to do it right would mean a substantial financial and time commitment that was just easier to put off. There were other excuses not to do it, like worry about potential seasickness and hesitation at the thought of being on a ship for so long.

Antarctica remained on the “someday” list until a near-fatal brain bleed changed everything.

My unexpected brush with death at age 41 forced me to reflect on what truly mattered. I realized that if my time had come, one of my only regrets would have been never making it to Antarctica, a magical land at the end of the Earth that had captivated my imagination since I was five. Antarctica’s towering icebergs and desolate mountain landscapes called to me, a place that so few people get the privilege of visiting, populated by charismatic penguins, ominous leopard seals, and graceful humpback whales.

As soon as it became clear that I would survive my health crisis, Chris and I booked my dream Antarctic adventure, a 23-day cruise that included the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, the Orkneys, the Antarctic Peninsula, the Polar Circle, and back across the notorious Drake Passage. We put out an open invite for any interested Moraway Adventures travelers to join us, and nine intrepid travelers came along.

The verdict?

Antarctica exceeded every expectation for me and our fellow adventurers. It was a once-in-a-lifetime journey where slow, immersive travel allowed us to truly absorb the magic of our surroundings while finding comfort and community in the daily rhythms of life at sea. None of my concerns about seasickness or being on a ship for so long were valid, and our ship was so luxurious (incredible food, top-tier service, built-in stabilizers, spacious cabins, and even a self-serve cappuccino machine) that I could have easily done another week on board. It feels like we took a graduate-level course from all of the lectures presented by our exceptional guides (who included marine biologists, oceanographers, pro photographers, geographers, and more) and the expeditionary nature of Antarctic cruising meant that every single day was a true safari, where you never knew what you were going to get.

And what did we get?

We got purple and pink sunrises that radiated off the ice as the sun began its low-angled journey across the southern sky. We got up-close encounters with bustling penguin colonies abuzz with waddling, chasing, cheeping, hilarious penguins (some with adorably bad “haircuts” as they endured their annual catastrophic molt). We got to watch the dreaded leopard seal stealthily stalking and (successfully killing) penguins amidst the ice, and we also got to cruise in tiny little Zodiacs surrounded by energetic pods of playful orcas and bubble-feeding humpback whales. We got to polar plunge, stand on an island of floating sea ice in the middle of the vast Southern Ocean, and cruise through some of the most still and silent waters on Earth. We even got chased by baby fur seals (my personal favorite – all bark and no bite!).

We got so much more than we bargained for in Antarctica, and we got reinforcement that it’s worth the effort and sacrifice to turn big dreams into reality. The remoteness and raw beauty of the untouched Antarctic landscapes, packed with thriving populations of birds and marine mammals caught up in the age-old daily struggle for survival, penetrate your soul and leave you dreaming about this magical kingdom of penguins and seals and ocean and ice even after you’re home.

Photos do not even begin to capture the wonder of this indescribable, evocative journey, but we do hope you enjoy these photos from our (first) Antarctic adventure.

These wild and windswept islands provided an excellent introduction to the abundance and diversity of wildlife we would become accustomed to for the rest of our journey! The Black-browed Albatross colonies were incredible (70% of the entire world population nest in the Falklands!) and this was our only chance to see Southern Rockhopper and Magellanic Penguins, as well as myriad other bird species like the Upland Goose, Striated Caracara, Falkland Steamer Duck, and more. We visited two excellent museums that helped bring the colorful history of these intriguing islands to life, adding so much more depth to our travel experience.

When our expedition guides, most of whom guide in the Antarctic as well as the Arctic, are asked which they prefer, they all have the same answer: “South Georgia!” This ruggedly beautiful penguin paradise has it all – storied history, dramatic landscapes, and some of the densest concentrations of wildlife on Earth – and was so incredible that we devoted an entire blog to it.

Taking the slow route to reach the Antarctic Peninsula allowed us to progress through different ecotones as we voyaged from temperate to sub-Antarctic to polar climates, with noticeable shifts in species composition as we moved southward. In addition to maximizing our wildlife experiences and our ecological immersion, seeing the dire Point Wild (where Ernest Shackleton’s men were stranded for 4.5 months of Antarctic winter) and traversing the choppy waters between there and South Georgia Island gave me a whole new appreciation for just how incredible the Endurance expedition was.

I will never forget my first glimpse of the Antarctic continent as we arrived at Kinnes Cove after a 14-day journey across the Southern Ocean: overcast skies shrouding ice-capped mountains reflecting in perfectly still waters, with jostling gentoo penguins launching out of the water onto an iceberg on the starboard side of the ship and a mother humpback and her calf resting to port. The stillness, beauty, timelessness, and tranquility were overwhelming, and this was just the beginning. Antarctica’s complex topography of deep fjords, towering mountains, endless icefields, and hidden coves captivated us with its beauty and bountiful life over the coming days, each day revealing new surprises.

Our furthest point south and one of the most memorable days of our journey was our Polar Circle crossing. After a sublime sunrise in an icy dreamscape that few travelers ever set eyes on, we set out in our Zodiacs on that day’s safari, which started out with a side trip to stand on a tiny island of floating sea ice, surrounded by towering mountains and ice-studded waters for as far as the eye can see. We re-boarded the Zodiac and visited slumbering seals dozing on the ice before venturing out into Crystal Cove.

Crystal Cove was a cetacean sanctuary, with dozens and dozens of humpback whales all around us, blowing, diving, spy-hopping, and waving their pectoral fins. The whales were completely undisturbed by our presence, and we even ended up in the middle of some bubble-feeding whales! The thrill of having these gentle giants dive right under our boat, and the suspense of now knowing where and when they would resurface (often uncomfortably close to the boat, with an explosive exhalation of stinky krill breath that would scare the hell out of you!), was one of the most memorable experiences of our trip.

When we bid farewell to the Polar Circle and began our journey northward, I thought the pinnacle experiences were all behind us. I could not have been more wrong! Our final day on the Antarctic Peninsula was stellar, starting with a stunningly beautiful hike to reach a hilltop gentoo penguin colony on Danco Island. While we had seen plenty of curious and approachable penguins throughout the trip, these guys were especially so, and there is nothing more heart-warming than being followed by hungry gentoo penguin adolescents, who never give up hope that you might suddenly stop and vomit up some krill for them to eat.

Just when I thought our time on the Peninsula couldn’t get any better, it did. As we were heading northward to visit one last Antarctica site before beginning the journey home across the Drake Passage, we had an abrupt change of plans when we suddenly encountered not one, but TWO pods of killer whales near our ship. We immediately dropped Zodiacs in the water, where the orcas graced us with their energetic presence for over 45 minutes. Seeing a baby orca pop its little head out of the water to look right at us from just a few meters away was unbelievable, and after the orcas swam off, we spent the next few hours gliding through abundant and tranquil waters, dodging giant rafts of swimming penguins, resting whales, and ethereal icebergs.

Antarctica is an experience that stays with you forever, an authentic safari at the end of the Earth, and a much-needed antidote to our increasingly stressful and chaotic world. It is the last truly great wilderness, with unrivaled landscapes, wildlife, and remoteness. I have never been somewhere that evoked so many deep emotions, from gratitude to serenity to joy, humility, and awe. The expeditionary nature of Antarctica travel means that no two trips will ever be the same, and what I thought would be the trip of a lifetime turned out to be just the first trip of a lifetime. Antarctica not only captured my imagination as a five-year-old child, but it also captured my heart as a forty-something-year-old, seasoned traveler. I’m already dreaming of my inevitable return.

When you are ready to plan your own incredible Antarctic expedition, please get in touch with us to help make your dream trip a reality! There are a lot of factors to be considered when planning the perfect trip, and we are happy to help you sort through it all.

Your Wild Adventure Aficionado,

Alexis Alloway