Extraordinary Antarctica

Antarctica gets inside you. Every sense is heightened as you’re enveloped by crisp icy nature and find yourself at the mercy of the elements and weather conditions.

Antarctica surprised and delighted at every turn. Each day the scenery treated us to massive snow covered mountain ranges towering over us with extraordinary glacier ice volumes tumbling between the peaks.  The incredible icebergs with their glowing blue masses underwater and unique shapes and striations. The sounds were so unique:  We were surrounded by an eerie silence, interrupted by thunderous glacier ice cracking, birdlife going about their business, and the occasional whale casually breathing through their blowholes.

We felt like a guest in the natural habitat of a multitude of fascinating birds and animals. There were entertaining colonies of penguins at every turn. The Gentoo Penguin were the most common in this region, along with the Adelie. They were as equally curious about us as we were of them as we walked amongst them. The local bird life included: Albatrosses, Shearwaters, and Petrels.  We passed by plenty of fur seal colonies and had close encounters with the massive Elephant seals and illusive Leopard seals.

The standout animal highlights were our frequent Humpback whale encounters. Easily seen from the ship deck, but the best opportunities were when we came exhilaratingly close to them during our zodiac outings. These magnificent mammals frequent Antarctic waters at this time of the year due to the high levels of krill that they feed on. We were even lucky enough to see a few Fin whales as we passed Elephant Island.

We travelled to Antarctica on Silversea’s new Silver Endeavour. She’s a beautiful purpose built PC6 ice-class rated luxury expedition cruise ship that cuts through the Drake Passage with ease and confidently manoeuvres in and out of the ice filled Antarctic harbours. Endeavour’s on-board features include well-appointed spacious suites with balconies, a mud room that dries your boots overnight, and in room drying cupboard for your coats and pants.  Plenty enough zodiacs and crew to ensure every guest can enjoy two off ship experiences each day. Kayaks are also available. There are five different dining venues to suit every taste (plus 24 hour in room dining). Silversea’s luxury all-inclusive offering extends to the generous staff to guest ratio and the very experienced expedition crew.

Travel is a chance to leave our comfort zones, explore the world and truly live.  Shore Travel is here to help you create lifelong memories when you plan your trip to Antarctica.