A couple of years ago my dad came up with an interesting idea: if he organized winter family trips that were unique we wouldn’t refuse going on family trips, most of these are on my best five trips of a lifetime post. It’s not that our family trips were ever boring, but with this idea came our journey to Antarctica.
Almost two years before the planned trip, so in 2009, we had the option: go on an Antarctica cruise in December of 2011 with National Geographic and Linblad Expeditions, or chose not to and do something else with friends. After this first trip, we then took another NatGeo Expedition to cruise the Peruvian Amazon.
None of use were stupid enough to say no!
Preparing for our trip to Antarctica
We had more than a year to prepare. What were we going to wear? What should we take with us? Especially coming from Mexico and being more prepared for the Mexican beach than Antarctica, we had some shopping to do.
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Antarctica Packing List
We needed rain boots. Hunter boots were the ones suggested as they are super sturdy, high rise, and thick. Our landings, descents from the inflatable boat called a zodiac, to Antarctica were wet. A wet-landing meant we had to walk on a bit of water to reach the shore. My mom, sister and I bought some Hunter boots linings, it made them extra warm and comfortable. If you thought you needed special Antarctica boots for your National Geographic Cruise, think again.
Next on the list were waterproof pants. They almost seemed like a plastic covering for our thermal base layer. I’ve never used them again since then. The thermal base layers I love are those made of merino wool. I get super cold and I swear by Icebreaker and Smartwool (which has a ton of cute options).
Other than that, all we needed were comfy, warm clothes for the boat, leggings and sweaters were my go to. Our trip to Antarctica was in the summer for the southern hemisphere and the temperature wasn’t going to be extremely cold, it was mostly around -3C.
Of course we also needed cameras! As a Christmas present, my mom, sister and I got some compact Sony cameras that allowed for customization not just automatic shooting, as well as lots of zoom.
Our red Antarctica jackets we got from our expedition!
How to go to Antarctica? Drake Passage
We embarked from Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world. Our ship was the National Geographic Explorer and once onboard we went over safety protocols as well as introductions with all the experts on board. A NatGeo photo editor showed us how to take better pictures on our trip and we were given talks about Antarctica birds and wildlife we were going to see.
The photo and nature experts on National Geographic cruises make the difference from any other Antarctica cruise or expedition.
We were also warned about the Drake Passage. If you haven’t heard about the infamous Drake Passage, it is where the Atlantic, Pacific and Southern Oceans meet creating huge waves and strong winds. Having to cross about 800 km in these rough seas becomes a challenge. You can either get small 2 to 5 meter waves or 12 meter giants that make you feel like you are in a never ending spiral.
On our way there we were very lucky. Minimum movement and we were able to spend the day taking pictures of Albatrosses and other birds as well as humpback whales. I got pointers from the naturalists and photographers on adjusting my settings to get better pictures of the animals of Antarctica. It was a breeze and very easy sailing. Small waves of about 5 meters on a big ship, we could barely feel the movement.
On our way back, though, we weren’t that lucky. Ropes were set all along the corridors to hold on to, preparing for the forecasts of big waves. Feeling lucky because of our first encounter with the Passage and emboldened, my siblings and I decided to have lunch. As I walked towards the front where the restaurant was, I remember having to hold on as the ship’s movement would send me from side to side. I felt like a pin-ball machine ball being thrown from one side to the other, trying not to fall down the middle. Once at the front, I sat down, cut a piece of bread and as I was putting it in my mouth I realized my mistake. I put it down and, carefully, walked back to my parent’s room. We spent the whole day in a horizontal position (which we were told was the best way to avoid sea sickness), laying on the bed or sofa and watching some T.V. Through the speakers we heard our expedition doctor was sick in his room, not being able to receive any patients.
I had never been sea sick in my life until my Antarctic cruise.
The Drake Passage can be very hard, but not a deterrent to visit Antarctica. An uncomfortable day vs memories of a lifetime!
Exploring Antarctica
Our first stop was Deception Island. It bears that name due to its deceptive nature as an island. It is really the flooded caldera of a volcano! A small snippet of Antarctica facts: whale hunting groups had used it as a base for operations and you can still see some whale bones on the island as well as decaying buildings. It is truly an incredible place, not what I expected to see when I pictured Antarctica, as there barely was any ice due to the volcano’s warmth.
Here we encountered penguins for the first time!
I had never really admired penguins until I saw them in their natural habitat, walking around like little toddlers, playing tricks on the others and just going about their lives. They are seriously such funny and interesting creatures! You could just sit and admire how their normal colony life went about.
Every morning we got an itinerary for the day under our door. This included where we were journeying in Antarctica as well as the day’s various activities. Unlike other cruises where there is unlimited buffet hours, our meal times were set pretty strictly to be able to follow the schedule for the day.
We got to go on the zodiacs, rigid, inflatable boats, many times and explore around the icebergs. We couldn’t get too close to them because they could tip at any moment. Since the biggest part of the iceberg is underwater, you could misjudge the real size of it, and due to parts being underwater and the changing point of its center of gravity, they could rotate. The colors of the ice ranged from transparent to the most beautiful blueish tones. I never expected to see anything like this in my life!
Our Antarctica Itinerary
The islands and places we visited were:
- Deception Island
- Devil Island
- Brown Bluff
- Cierva Cove
- Enterprise Island
- Danco
- Paradise Bay
- Neko Bay
- Port Lockroy
Some Antarctica cruises only visit the islands and never really touch the Antarctic continent. The Antarctica cruise from National Geographic did and so I can confidently say I’ve been to the continent!
We also visited so many other small coves and bays.
Port Lockroy has a working postal office, so be sure to send yourself a postcard from Antarctica!
Antarctica’s fauna aka the cute Antarctica seals, whales, penguins and other birds
On one of the first days we got to see whales close by from the zodiacs! Truly magical feeling the water move below you and knowing this creature, ignoring your presence, was swimming underneath. We also saw seals, different kinds of birds and many many penguins! (Yes, penguins are birds but they deserve their own category).
Imperial Shag 
Baby penguin Seal Penguins on iceberg, zodiac in the distance
We would have two outings a day, even some during the night because it would never get dark. The most “night” we got was a bit of twilight in the early hours. It was strange looking outside and seeing daylight only to look at your watch and notice it was midnight. My sister and I would keep the blinds open, even at night, since our room had a whole deck looking out towards the back of the boat. It provided spectacular views and photo opportunities like the one above.
Penguins, penguins and more penguins
Some people from our expedition would arrive at a place and just sigh, “more penguins.” Were they kidding? This was a once in a lifetime opportunity! Yes, we mostly saw penguins and ice, but I could spend hours sitting there observing the penguins as they flopped from side to side, fell, slipped, and interacted with each other. We had come all the way to the White Continent, where very few people have the privilege of visiting.
You could smell the crisp clean air, hear the sounds of nature and just enjoy being in the moment.
I remember laying down on top of white and pinkish spots on the rocks taking pictures. One of our naturalists laid next to me and exclaimed, “You are one of mine, braving the poo for the photo!”
I hadn’t realized it was penguin guano, but I didn’t really care.
Activities on our Journey to Antarctica
Kayaking Antarctica
One of the best experiences was kayaking in Antarctica! We got into the kayaks in pairs and the only rule was to keep our distance from the icebergs. We were free to explore the area, there was even a sunken, rusty ship.
My siblings and I set out and just explored, went around different icebergs and enjoyed our time. We did break the only rule: my younger brother did get out at one point, took a couple of steps and jumped back into his kayak. Just knowing where we were, really letting that set in, made the experience better. Who gets to kayak in Antarctica?
Naturalist, photographers and NatGeo expert talks
During our time on board we had multiple activities and talks. I tried to attend all of them, despite sometimes feeling tired. Naturalists would talk about birds, fish and other living creatures on the continent, as well as about ice and Antarctica itself. There were also some divers on board that would show us a video of their daily dive and explain what they saw. Unlike a tropical reef, there were very few things to see underwater when diving in Antarctica.
We also had a talk given by John Evans, who was part of the team to summit Antarctica’s highest point, Mount Vinson, in 1966. Several weeks later, John and his partner climbed the second highest peak: Mount Tyree. He recounted how the second highest was harder than Mount Vinson, and since their climb, no one has summited the way they did. Explorers and climbers haven’t been able to repeat their route.
Polar Plunge
There was also the Antarctica Polar Plunge! My siblings all did the plunge and my crazy sister tried to beat the record (and did) by staying 2 minutes inside the polar water. She couldn’t feel her extremities for about 20 minutes afterwards. My parents and I opted for the sane option and watched from the deck.
Christmas
On December 24 we had snow! That night we landed in Antarctica late at night where we could slide down a mountain. I went up four times as sliding down was a lot of fun! At the end of the slide, the snow was so deep you couldn’t walk. It was up to my waist and I have long legs. One of those times I decided to use my sister as a sleigh so we could move faster and not sink. It worked but she got a ton of snow inside her jacket! One of my fondest memories of my Antarctica holiday.
Back on the zodiacs, we got some hot coco, spiked for those over 18 with Peppermint Schnapps. It was certainly one of the most unique Christmas Eve’s.
Amazing staff on board
The staff on board the ship were mostly Philippine and we learned some words to thank them. They always saved us the same table, even though we were supposed to be mingling and switching tables and dining companions. Our vacation to Antarctica was a family trip so we blatantly disregarded this. We are one of the weird families that actually enjoy spending time together.
Our captain, Leif Skog, was also wonderful! We were able to visit his deck and see the instruments he used to navigate in the harsh conditions of Antarctica. On one of our landings, after everyone was safely offshore, he anchored the front of the boat onto the beach! An incredibly hard move and risky, he timed it perfectly so as to not get stuck if the tide changed.
On one of the last days, we were given the notice that we were going to go rescue some explorers whose boat was stuck. Our captain was called upon to perform rescue missions, he was that good.
Antarctica remains in my thoughts, the feelings of being there, the immensity of the world and ice, the beauty of untouched land.
For me it was and still is a trip that remains in my mind and dreams. I wish my future kids will be able to experience some of the majestic places I’ve been able to feel, I hope they get to feel the strength of a glacier as you hear it roar in the silence of the Antarctic, or the cuteness of a penguin slipping while trying to get to the see and just looking around to see if no one saw.
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Great post – amazing experience. Antarctica is such a mysterious and intriguing part of the world.
Just thinking about doing an polar plunge is making me shiver lol 🥶
Thank you Cherryl! It truly was amazing and I agree, the polar plunge is crazy! But kayaking was fantastic!! 🤩