I Experienced Antarctica From Four Different Perspectives

Explorer Leonie went to the edge of the Earth and took in the vast, icy continent from every angle possible.

Visiting Antarctica is both a privilege and an adventure.

Antarctica is the largest wilderness area on Earth unaffected by large scale human activities. It’s like a giant, open air museum.

Alongside my Antarctica-obsessed husband, we cruised from the southernmost tip of Argentina, Ushuaia, to Antarctica and back again. Two days at each end were spent crossing the infamous Drake Passage and six days in between were spent exploring Antarctica and surrounds.

Once we arrived in Antarctica, cruising in style on the magnificent Scenic Eclipse, we were lucky enough to experience the amazing White Continent from four different perspectives.

Wahey!

On Land

Unless weather prevented it, we had Zodiac cruises and landings twice a day during our trip.

Zodiacs are inflatable boats used to transport passengers on excursions away from the cruise ship. They allow passengers to go ashore in remote locations and to get closer to the scenery and wildlife.

I was nervous about alighting and disembarking the Zodiacs from the Scenic Eclipse, but I need not have worried. The Zodiacs are rigid and the Scenic Discovery Team are expert at helping people move between ship, Zodiac, and land.

Me concealing my fear on a Zodiac

It was surprisingly thrilling scooting along in a Zodiac. Sometimes we cruised through still water; other times through moving, glacial ice. We inspected icebergs, we marvelled at glaciers, and we witnessed ‘calving’ – the breaking off of chunks from a glacier into the sea (and the thunderous sound that comes with it). We witnessed two Humpback whales gliding and diving a mere ten metres from our Zodiac, a memory that will forever imprint on my mind.

Often, we had the opportunity to land on the ice itself. We explored former whaling stations, a dormant volcano, many penguin colonies, a shipwreck, a former passenger plane terminal and a former post office.

We even hiked across the ice with the most memorable hike being our trek to Orne Harbour. We were lucky to be able to do this hike as the weather closed in behind us and the ice shifted. The remaining passengers were prevented from landing and were only able to do a Zodiac cruise.

The ‘trail’ zig-zagged steeply to the top of a peak where there was a colony of Chinstrap penguins and 360° panoramic views of the expansive white below. I sweated under my full snow gear as the ascent was quite arduous and I fell flat on my backside a few times coming down but the experience more than made up for my sore bottom!

About as busy as it gets on the continent

On Water

Although not always associated with such cold climates, there were regular opportunities to kayak or stand up paddleboard, and my husband and I spent a stunning morning kayaking around Cierva Cove.

Having kayaked only once before, I was terrified that I‘d fall into the freezing Southern Ocean. Luckily, my husband was more experienced so he sat in the rear position and did most of the work! The Scenic team were expert at showing us how to put on the dry suits and they assured me that no one had ever fallen in before!

So kayaking in Antarctica exists

My absolute relief at getting into the kayak safely was soon overtaken by an intense feeling of vulnerability as we moved further and further from our home on the Scenic Eclipse.

I saw a whale blow not too far away. Having an immediate mental picture of a whale upturning all the kayaks, I asked the guide whether the whales ever came closer. She told me that they never had but it was her dream to kayak amongst whales! I was then truly terrified!

It only took a few minutes for me to relax as I realised that the water was incredibly smooth. Being so close to the icebergs was absolutely breathtaking.

Their immense size was better appreciated when we paddled around them. And the colour – who knew that icebergs can be blue?

My fear turned to wonder to exhilaration and back to wonder. As our group of 12 paddled around serenely for over an hour, I couldn’t help but reflect on how I got so lucky. Here I was kayaking amongst icebergs, surrounded by glaciers and snow-covered peaks with penguins porpoising around me and a whale or two showing off not far away!

I didn’t take my phone with me on the kayak (for fear of losing it) but that was a blessing in disguise. I had no choice but to surrender to the tranquility, the grandeur and the beauty.

Snow fell around me and cold started to seep into my fingers and feet but the feeling of privilege and peace will stay with me forever.

From the Sky

Once we’d seen Antarctica from the land and sea, it was time to take it all in from the sky, during a helicopter flightseeing ride over Charlotte Bay.

The morning of our flight dawned with clear, cobalt skies, perfect for flying. Our pilot, Cristina, was delighted that the conditions were so clear that we were able to see as far as the Weddell Sea.

The 30-minute flight was full of oohs, ahhs, and camera snaps. Witnessing the scenery and ship from 9,500 feet in the air was an amazing and unique perspective and completely different from surveying the scenery from the perspective of the ship.

From the height of the helicopter, I was mesmerized by the deep crevasses crisscrossing through the glaciers frozen and suspended in time. No photo nor movie I’d seen prepared me for the gargantuan proportions of Antarctica. It literally was white as far as the eye could see.

From the air, the incredible vastness of the white snow and ice was easier to see but no easier to comprehend.

A perspective of Antarctica I’ll always cherish

Below the Surface

As above, so below. We wanted to take in the White Continent from all angles and there was still one more to go – below the surface. As someone who doesn’t like enclosed spaces, I passed on this one, but my nautical nerd husband eagerly jumped aboard the submersible.

Time to go below sea level

Descending and gliding along in the submersible was about a 30 minute experience. My thrill-seeking husband found it a bit snug inside with six other people but, descending 64m into near darkness, he felt privileged to experience a world few people get to behold. The submersible’s lights illuminated all different types of molluscs, corals, and seafloor growths.

One Continent Four Angles

Visiting Antarctica is a bucket list trip in and of itself. Seeing it from four different perspectives – land, water, sky, and below the surface – was a treat of all treats; one mind-blowing highlight after another.

No photo does the vastness of the scenery justice.

An unforgettable trip

Our experience of cruising Antarctica on the Scenic Eclipse was undeniably a luxurious one, but still one of the most unforgettable adventures we’ve had. An adventure which has only whet our appetite for more.

Did someone say East Antarctica? Sign me up!

The Writer traveled to Antarctica on the magnificent Scenic Eclipse at her own expense. The trip she did was called ‘Antarctica In Depth’.