Why Go on an Antarctica Expedition
Antarctica, the seventh continent, is often a fantasy bucket list trip for some, but keep reading and you will see why you need to move Antarctica from daydream to reality and finally book your Antarctica Expedition!
Even savvy world travelers often leave Antarctica for last. This is mainly because it is quite far, and there is a larger monetary commitment. But I remember on my 21 day In-depth Hurtigruten Antarctica plus the Falkland and South Georgia Islands Expedition, when we were just eight days in, I felt like I had already gotten my money’s worth!
I wanted to avoid sailing the Drake Passage twice, as it is known to sometimes have rough seas, so I booked the longer expedition which makes a big circle and only goes through the Drake on the last couple of days. I figured seeing the Falkland and South Georgia islands would be interesting, historically, but I had no idea of the incredible amounts of wildlife I would see!
People visit Antarctica for several reasons:
- Wildlife : South Georgia Island is considered the ‘Serengheti of the Southern Ocean’! Depending on the month, you can see colonies of sea birds, penguins, and fur seals – as far as the eye can see! In Antarctica, you see penguin colonies so huge that it brought tears of joy to my eyes! Of course, out at sea, you see whales, especially in February.
- Landscape : South Georgia and the Falkland Islands have beautiful coastlines, hills and mountains. When we were there in early spring (late November/early December), we saw an array of wildflowers. In Antarctica, we saw the most beautiful icebergs and glaciers.
- History and Education : You will be amazed at how much you will learn about the era of exploration, the history of the Falklands and South Georgia islands, and Antarctica. You will also learn – and be able to participate if you’d like- about the geology, biology and ecology of this remote region. One thing is for sure, even while at sea, you will never be bored! See on board activities further down for details.
- Be one of the few to visit all seven continents : Major travelers have visited North and South America, Europe and usually Asia. A good many of these heavy travelers have also visited Australia and Africa. But just a tiny subset of these travelers make it to the seventh continent, Antartica. And many, never touch the shore – they stay on cruise ships as opposed to an expedition cruise.
Brief Antarctica Summary Video
Watch this video to get a quick overview of what you’ll see and do on your in-depth Antarctica Expedition, including the Falkland and South Georgia Islands.
On an Antarctica expedition cruise, you can get close to the wildlife and can even hike and kayak. It was the most incredible experience of my life!
Plus, I made many lifelong friends – one of the benefits of a smaller expedition ship. I met several people who were on their third or fourth Hurtigruten Antarctica expedition!
I definitely plan to go back one January or February so I can see the penguin chicks (see chart below).
What is the Difference between and Antarctica Cruise and and Antarctica Expedition
There is a HUGE difference between a cruise and an expedition! And regular readers of this website and the Active Travel Adventures podcast will want to make sure they choose an expedition.
- On an expedition, you are an active participant in your Antarctica adventure. You may be hiking, kayaking, showshoeing and possibly even camping on the ice (all activities are optional). On a cruise ship, experts may come on board to explain life on Antarctica, but on many, you never leave the ship. So it’s more like you are looking inside a fishbowl instead of swimming around with the fish!
- The activities on board are completely different. While standard cruises may have some educational lectures, the focus is more of a holiday than of the active, educational experience you will get on an expedition. You are busy on both, but the expedition is more mentally stimulating and active. A traditional cruise is more passive (and because of this, you will find a younger and more fit group on expeditions compared to cruises). You need to be able to step in and out of a zodiak (the motorized rubber rafts) if you want to go on an expedition landing.
- Expeditions are more casual than a cruise. Since you are active, you are wearing comfortable clothes, and don’t need to pack anything dressy. Depending on the cruise, you are liable to need to dress up for dinner.
- Expeditions are in smaller ships, so you can get closer to shore than the mammoth cruise ships. I was on the MS Fram (see below). We had about 160 guests and almost 100 crew. Our ship was large enough to safely sail the Antarctic waters, yet maneuverable enough to get into smaller coves. This also meant that we could quickly get to shore, so we had more time on shore. Another benefit: we got to know most of the guests and many crew members in our three weeks. That would be impossible on a 5000 person cruise ship!
I went with Hurtigruten, an expedition company based in Norway. They were the first company to offer any kind of expedition cruises – since 1893!
And since they are from Norway, they know how to navigate frigid, ice packed waters. I wanted that experience if I was going to sail that far from civilization!
I could not be more pleased with my choice! Everything from the landings and zodiac tours, to the cabin and food, plus ALL the on-board activities, was amazing. I cannot more highly recommend!
The Original since 1893 – with Expeditions to:
*Norway * Greenland * Alaska * British Isles * Iceland * Europe * Galapagos * Caribbean and Central America * South America * North America * Northern Lights Norway * Svalbard *
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Wildlife of South Georgia, the Falklands and Antarctica
I went for the penguins, and boy did I see some penguins! Some colonies were so huge that all you could see were breeding pairs down the length of the beach and up the mountains! We saw several varieties of penguins, too, and I never got tired of seeing these comical birds waddle up and down their penguin ‘highways’ to the sea, sliding around on their bellies or courting their mate. It was magical. We even got to see some early chicks! I want to go back one January to see the chicks wandering around!
The cool thing about Antarctica is that you can choose which animals to see by choosing the month they are in Antarctica – see Hurtigruten’s chart above.
The wildlife that people go to see on an Antarctica expedition include:
- Penguins (all islands)
- Whales
- Fur seals (South Georgia and the Falkland Islands)
- Sea birds, like albatross, terns and petrels
Penguins
We got to see Magellanic and Rockhopper penguins in the Falklands, King penguins in South Georgia Island, and Adele penguins, Chinstrap penguins, Gentoo penguins, and Macaroni penguins in the Antarctic peninsula.
We saw penguins diving in the sea, marching up and down the shore along their ‘Penguin Highways’, penguins courting a mate, building their nests, incubating their eggs, and protecting their young. SOOOO many penguins – a highlight of my life!
In fact, one colony we saw has over 200,000 breeding pairs! The best time to see penguins? We saw the breeding and a few chicks in December, but if you want to see more chicks, go mid-January through mid-March.
The Best Time to See Penguins in Antarctica
You will see penguins whenever you go to Antartica, but the best month is February, where you will also see the chicks. So if you want the best penguin experience, shoot for mid-January through mid-March.
I went in early and mid-December, and got to see a TON of penguins. They were just building their nests and some were breeding. I got to see a few chicks, most of whom will hatch in January. You will see them wobbling about in February.
Each month offers something different: one reason some people return to Antarctica!
Penguins form a parade along their ‘Penguin Highways’. These highways are particularly helpful when there is snow, as their little feet pack it down, making the path to and from the sea easier.
Whales
We got to see a lot of whales, sometimes quite close, even though it wasn’t the best time to see whales (that’s February). On several occasions, activities and lectures were halted so we could all watch the pod (a group of whales) swim by!
Did you know that you can tell what kind of whale you are watching by the pattern of it’s blow? Also, the tail or ‘fluke’ of a whale can be identified by its scars and markings. So whenever you see a whale fluke, and are lucky enough to catch a photo, you can see which exact whale you saw, and even follow it online to see where your whale has been sighted. How cool is that!
We mostly saw humpback whales, but there were sightings of Minke whales, a Fin whale, and one Killer whale. Over lunch one day, based on the blows we saw, there was a massive pod of around sixty humpback whales entertaining us up ahead.
We also saw plenty of Commerson’s Dolphins – some even bow riding the ship (this is when they ‘surf’ the wake)!
I was thrilled with how many whales we saw, so I can only imagine what it must be like from mid-January through mid-March, the high season for whales!
A moma and her calf!
You can ID a whale by its unique fluke, or tail
I went in December, and was delighted that we saw so many whales! Each month offers differing opportunities to see wildlife. For whales, the best month is February, yet on at least half of the days, we had whale sightings! One morning, while I was getting dressed, I saw a whale come up for air right outside my porthole!
Seals
The fur seals were breeding when we were there in early December. The beaches were absolutely LOADED with seals! In fact, there were two times that the beaches were so crowded with seals, that when the guides cleared a path for us to land, males in the water immediately came ashore to take the open spot! So we ended up viewing them from the safety of the zodiac, which I thought was even better since we got to get closer than we could have on shore.
It is hard to believe that the fur seals were almost hunted to extinction. They have obviously fully recovered – and then some. They might also be crowding out the penguins.
Bottom line: if you want to see the fur seals, go in November and December. Otherwise, wait until they finish breeding and head back out to sea.
I put together a short video which highlights some of my best videos and photos of the fur seals.
And they look so sweet and innocent in my video above – great pic by Tim!!!
I only saw two elephant seals (I think they hadn’t started arriving in droves yet).
Sea, Shore and Land Birds
It’s not all about the penguins, seals and whales! Bird lovers will enjoy seeing all the other sea, shore and land birds on this amazing expedition!
The black browed albatross pictured look small, but they can weigh ten pounds and have a wingspan over 7′!
In addition to albatross, we saw lots of types of petrels (the ones (storm petrels?) that would glide next to our ship were my favorites), plus shearwaters, and shags. On shore I saw oystercatchers and lots of scavenger caracaras (who would sometimes steal penguin eggs).
This expedition is a bird watchers dream. Plus, we had an orinthologists on board who gave us some fascinating lectures and was always around to answer questions.
The Landscape of Antarctica and South Georgia and the Falkland Islands
While penguins were what I most wanted to see in Antarctica, I also wanted to see icebergs and glaciers. I didn’t realize that I would also get to see some sweeping landscapes and even some wildflowers!
I expected harsh, chiseled landscapes, but was surprised by the sometimes open fields and rolling hills of the islands we first visited. After the islands, we ventured towards the landscape I was expecting.
A day after we left South Georgia, we saw our first iceberg (pictured). What a thrill! The next day, we passed named iceberg A-76-A. This iceberg is so huge that it took us over SEVEN HOURS to sail past it! It’s so big, that you can see it from space!
Landscape of South Georgia and the Falkland Islands
I arrived in the Falklands in early spring. There were still patches of snow on the ground, but the fields were awash in wildflowers. On both the Falklands and South Georgia, the winds can be so harsh that few trees or shrubs are higher than a human. And those are bowed and sculpted by the wind.
Landscape of Antarctica
Once we were in the Arctic Circle, I started seeing icebergs in the sea. When we arrived in the Antarctica Peninsula, I saw the chiseled granite mountains flush with glaciers that I hoped to see. Along the shore were wind swept smaller icebergs, that beached on the shore or shallower waters. Stunning!
One day, we had perfect balmy weather and instead of landing to see more penguins, the Captain took advantage of the calm seas to maneuver into a bay completely filled with sculpted icebergs. So instead, we went out in the zodiacs on an ‘iceberg tour’. It was absolutely magical! And like clouds, some icebergs resembled animals: we ‘saw’ a dinousaur and more. A Five Star Day for sure!
Check out this short video I made that showcases some of my favorite icebergs, as well as the landscape we saw on both the Falkland and South Georgia Islands. The harsh weather and winds mean little grows more than knee high!
Antarctica : 4 am mid-December
The Sunlight and Temperatures in Antarctica
SUN: Being so close to the South Pole, in early spring, the sun barely set and there seemed to be a glow on the horizon even after ‘sunset’. I was up at 4 am and took this photo which highlights the soft glow of the early morning light. Closer to the Summer Soltsice on December 21st, the sun doesn’t set at all.
TEMPERATURE: As far as temperatures go, while it was definitely cold and windy on some days, we had surprisingly good weather. Most days it was a tolerable freezing, but we packed the right gear, so were always comfortable. And Hurtigruten gave us all a nice waterproof jacket that kept us dry, although we rarely had so much as a shower or flurry. You need to be prepared for harsh weather, of course. I hate the cold, and almost didn’t go because I hate the cold so much, but I had no problem and plan to return one day. Don’t let the fear of being cold prevent you from this trip of a lifetime. Even if the weather gets harsh, you can watch from the comfort of the glass-surrounded, toasty warm lounge while enjoying a hot chocolate! GO!
HELPFUL TIP: If you bring motion sickness pills, the secret is to take them BEFORE you start feeling ill. Get plenty of fresh air and try to stay in the center of the ship.
For the Drake Passage, I didn’t need them at all – we were exceptionally lucky!
The Relief Band
An anti-nausea aid.
It gives off a mild (oddly pleasant, I thought) electrical charge which is supposed to help prevent nausea.
I recommend combining the Relief Band with motion sickness pills whenever the seas start to get a little rough. I took one pill in the morning, and one at night for the first couple of days until I got used to being at sea. Then only if the swells were large (sometimes just a half pill).
What about the Drake Passage and Rough Seas
I was quite fortunate with my weather and the seas: we had just a couple of days with large swells. I thought it was fun, BUT, on those days, I also took motion sickness medication that my doctor prescribed (and I had no side effects). Plus, I also used the Relief Band, which is supposed to help with nausea. Some people on the ship had issues on these days, but I had no problem whatsoever. I can’t say whether the Relief Band was a help or not, but I figured, I couldn’t buy one while at sea and it was worth the money to me if it might help me in rough seas. We had a super smooth Drake Passage, but you need to be prepared for rough seas.
Our Ship : The MS Fram
Named in honor of the Nansen’s extraordinary Fram, our in-depth Antarctica expedition ship was the MS Fram.
In addition to your modern, comfy cabin (the ship was completely renovated in 2022), you have a choice of two dining halls (the food was great!), the Explorer Lounge where you can watch for wildlife, snooze in a lounge chair or enjoy a favorite beverage with your new friends, the lecture hall where we heard excellent lectures and got our daily briefings, the Activity Room where there are often workshops, the library where you can pick up a good book, the gym, hot tub, sauna for exercise and relaxation, or the outer decks, where you can look for wildlife and take some great photos.
The ship is filled with beautiful, significant artwork that highlight the history of polar exploration, the indigenous people of the Arctic Circle and the Fram and Hurtigruten’s Norwegian heritage. Even the design of the ship features special touches that showcase the same.
Click HERE for more details on the MS Fram and my exclusive ‘Behind the Scenes’ tour.
A whiskey toast by the Captain for Sir Ernest Shackleton, hero explorer who attempted to cross the South Pole by land, his ship, Endurance got crushed by the ice, and he miraculously saved his crew after seeking help in the dingy, J Cairn (pictured below). To read the full amazing story, check out the book, Endurance.
Our In-Depth Antarctica Expedition Itinerary
Day 1 : Arrive Santiago, Chile
Day 2 : Fly to Punta Arenas, Chile and board ship; Welcome drink and meet the Expedition Team
Day 3 : Sail Straight of Magellan
Day 4-6 : Falkland Islands [Click HERE for more on the Falklands]
Day 7-8 : At sea towards South Georgia
Day 9-13 : South Georgia Islands [Click HERE for more on South Georgia Islands]
Day 14 : At sea towards Antarctica
Day 15-19 : Antarctica Peninsula
Day 20-22: At sea towards South America, including the Drake Passage. Pass Ushuaia, Argentina and cruise Chilean fjords.
Day 23: Arrive Punta Arenas and fly to Santiago, Chile
IMPORTANT! Note that by doing this in-depth expedition through the Falklands and South Georgia Islands, you only go through the Drake Passage once, and at the end of your adventure.
Learn about the harrowing tale of Shackelton’s journey and crew rescue.
Sir Ernest Shackleton and the impossible journey of the Endurance
One of the greatest tales of exploration and grit, is the unbelieveable true story of Shackelton and his crushed by sea ice Sole Pole expedition ship, the Endurance. We visited and made a toast to Shackelton at his gravesite in his beloved South Georgia island at the former whaling station, Grytviken.
You can read his harrowing tale and the rescue of his crew in the book, Endurance. And then, remarkable, in 2022, the actual ship was discovered on the bottom of the sea, it’s own exciting story, The Ship Beneath the Ice.
Learn about the incredible story of the discovery of the Endurance in 2022
Learn about the unbelievable and heroic journey of Fridjof Nansen and the original Fram, for which my expedition ship was named.
Expedition Landings on a Zodiak
Most days we were close to shore so whenever it was possible, our Expedition Crew tried to get us out in the zodiaks (a rubber motorized raft) to shore so that we could see the wildlife and landscape up close. At times, there were so many fur seals, that we enjoyed the view from the safety of the zodiaks. Once, we went on an iceberg tour in a small cove loaded with icebergs, which was utterly amazing!
Landings are all weather dependent. Wind and swells are mostly what determines where, and indeed, if, you will get to go on a landing. Most days, we tried to go out twice. Expeditions, and the fact that you get to get so close to the wildlife is what makes them so much better than a traditional cruise.
In addition, weather permitting, there are options to go kayaking (always say ‘yes’!), hiking, snowshoeing and even camping! Most of these options are add-ons, but if you can, try to do as many as possible.
Learn more about landings and off-ship excursions HERE.
Life on board is FUN!
And also super educational. Or, if you prefer, you can hang out on the deck watching for wildlife, or relaxing in the lounge or participating in one of the activities in teh lecture hall, activity room, science center or library.
Each night, the next day’s itinerary is slipped under your door so you can start to plan how you want to spend your day. One thing is for sure: you will never be bored!
I tried to go to all of the lectures – the expedition team is loaded with quality talent! We had outstanding historical and scientific lectures. I picked up painting watercolor on the many on-board workshops.
Most days, I tried to workout after lunch, followed by a soak in the hot tub or relaxing in the sauna.
Some people preferred to lie on the comfy lounge chairs and ottomans, reading a book and/or looking out for whales in the Explorer Lounge.
Nothing is mandatory, so you can make your expedition your own, according to how you feel each day.
Learn more about On-Board Activities and Classes HERE.
What’s Included on your Expedition
One of the best things about my Hurtigruten Expedition is that almost everything was included with my booking! My package included my en suite room, all of my (very tasty) meals in the Aune dining room – beer and wine included with lunch and dinner, landings, lectures and movies, science workshops, art and other creative workshops, a TV with cable and a slew of movie choices, WiFi (I was surprised we had any at all!), and daily housekeeping. There was always, coffee, tea and water (sometimes cookies) available.
If you book a suite (some have a private deck and hot tub!), you can also eat in the Lindstrøm fine dining room (available for fee for non-suite guests), have daily laundry and upgraded wine and beer choices.
Some of the specialized landings, such as the Photography Workshop, were an add on. Other add on excusions include kayaking, some of the hikes (often local guided hikes were included), camping, and snowshoeing.
Also not included are any beverages in the Explorer Lounge, laundry unless a suite guest and gratuities (which you can put on your credit card at the end of the expedition). So really, you pretty much know how much your trip is going to cost, AND it’s all paid for before you get ther, making budgeting easier. And when you consider that this expedition is 23 days and includes airfare to and from Santiago to Punta Arenas, the cost is quite reasonable. Believe me when I say that it is worth every penny!!! I have been around the world to some of the planet’s most amazing places, and NOTHING tops this trip (sorry, New Zealand – you’ve finally been bumped:)
Wondering what to pack for your Antarctica Expedition?
I put together a packing list for you so you bring what you need without overloading your suitcase. Check it out HERE.
To book your Hurtigruten In-Depth Antarctica Excursion, click HERE.
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