• Antarctic Peninsula
  
  
• Antarctica, South Georgia & The Falklands
  
  
• The Canadian High Arctic

I travelled to Antarctica on the Akademik Ioffe. Originally built in Finland only a few years ago as a Russian re- search vessel, this comfortable ship has been chartered by one of the worlds fore - most adventure travel companies. Staffed with a friendly Russian crew, knowledgeable and enthusiastic Canadian, Australian and British guides and fitted with modern comforts such as a sauna, gym, bar and pool, this ship was to be my home for the next nine days.

We left Ushuaia at 6 pm with the sun still high in the sky. One of the strangest phenomenons of sailing the Southern Ocean during the summer is the amount of day light you get. The sun comes up long before anyone is awake and doesn't go down until 11 pm. At night it never really gets dark and often travellers can be seen on deck in the middle of the night watching the scenery and wildlife go by. The amount of light gives you enormous energy and sleep is often the last thing on your mind.

Soon our small group of 32 travellers and 40 crew left the calm waters of the Beagle Channel behind and entered the stormy seas of the Drake Passage. Days are livened up by sightings of many different species of Albatross, Petrels and whales, as well as by the lectures of the competent guides. Their enthusiasm is unmatched in the industry and their love for the continent is evident all throughout the trip. On board we had a naturalist/ornithologist, a historian, a photographer and an expert on tourism management, each of whom gave informal lectures and slide shows in their own field of expertise.

After two days on the open seas we entered the sheltered waters around the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. On board we had some German scientists whom we dropped off at Bellingshausen, a Russian research station. From here we sailed on towards our first landing site at Mikkelsen Harbour. Here a deserted Argentine research station sits on a low hill on an islet surrounded by majestic mountains. Chinstrap penguins have made their home all around and they don't seem to be the least disturbed by visitors. I made my way between two colonies to the other side of the islet where a Weddell seal was lazing in the sun. It turned onto its side curiously observing me as I sat down on a rock taking in all the scenery around me. Enormous mountains capped by blue glaciers formed the back drop to a picturesque bay littered with floating bergie bits of all different sizes and shades of blue and white. A Chinstrap penguin emerged only meters away on a slippery rock, lost its balance, fell over backwards and shocked this clown-like creature dove back into the water. Back on the other side of the island some penguins were bathing themselves in a tidal pool in the centre of the colony. A hungry skua was walking around waiting for a chance to grab an egg from one of the nests.

During the January and February hatching season these giant birds often take their chances and run a gauntlet of snapping beaks to prey on weak penguin chicks. After about two hours on the island we boarded our zodiacs, motorised rubber rafts that cruise vessels use to ferry travellers from the ship to shore and for expedition cruises in the waters around landing sites.

We are always keen on trying out new concepts, and known in the industry for finding new landing sites and taking trips other companies could only dream of. This time it was a crossing of the 7-mile wide Gerlache Strait in zodiacs, something that had never been done before. Speeding across the calm waters we cruised between icebergs in all shapes and sizes, fantastic sculptures left behind by the forces of wind and water. We witnessed a giant piece of ice break off a berg and tumble in a spray of ice cold water into the deep waters of the Gerlache. One of our landings took place at Wilhelmina Bay, where we cruised around in our Zodiacs observing birds and wildlife and crossing fields of pack-ice. We spotted a Leopard seal guarding a nearby penguin colony, waiting for its chance to catch an unsuspecting meal. Further down we observed a Crabeater seal relaxing on an iceberg as it floated in the current of the bay. We landed at the foot of an active glacier, a spot where presumably no one else had landed before. With just over 10,000 visitors a year chances are that at some point during your cruise you will be the first human visitor to set foot on a particular spot.

During our cruise we engaged in several invigorating hikes, a speciality. Walks are optional and moderate and will take you to a penguin colony perched on top of a cliff, to a viewpoint overlooking the spectacular scenery, or exploring the remains of an old whaling station. No matter where you go the solitude of the land, the incredible vistas and the feeling of being at the end of the world will strike you. On some of the cruises travellers can participate in sea kayaking or camp out on the ice. We have pioneered both activities and no other company offers these op- tions at this time. Kayaking is for experienced paddlers only as executing a perfect Eskimo roll is essential in the cold waters off the Antarctic Peninsula. Camping out overnight can be done by anyone and is of course an unforgettable experience. Complete silence will surround you while you feel like an early Polar explorer bundled up in the comfort of your sleeping bag.

We made numerous landings during our cruise, in remote places like Trinity Island, Cierva Cove and Orne Harbour. Everywhere we went new discoveries and wildlife awaited us, from colonies of Gentoo penguins to flocks of Cape Petrel swimming near our zodiac, from a Minke whale crossing the bow of our ship to Wandering albatrosses flying in the wake of the Akademik Ioffe. Southern Elephant seals and Macaroni and Rockhopper penguins can be observed at several landing sites while acrobatic schools of Gentoo penguins can be seen porposing as they make their way home through the deep waters off Deception Island.

On our third day in the archipelago we entered the caldera of Whale's Bay on Deception Island through the narrow straight known to sailors as Neptune's Bellows. Here we were to make our last landing before we returned across the Drake Passage to the wild lands of Patagonia. Just before arriving in Ushuaia we rounded Cape Horn in the perfect setting of a gale force 9 storm and 25 foot waves. It was here that we raised a glass for those sailors who did not make it through these turbulent waters and whose soul was carried away to rest for ever in the frozen continent, that last frontier. We felt as if a piece of our soul had stayed behind there too, in the solitude of the giant glaciers and snow fields; blending in with the cool evening air, swirling around forever over the sparkling blue waters of the Gerlache Strait.

I got off our ship early the next morning and stood for a while blinking in the early sunlight as the sun rose over the mountains surrounding Ushuaia. This must have been how Amundsen felt when he finally came home after his explorations of Antarctica. A lost soul wondering where to go next, fighting against the urge to turn around and make his way back towards the southern edge of Mother Earth.

Tom Gehrels
Toronto, Canada

Stanley town Falklands presents a dilemma: it’s recent history of a war between England and Argentina is seen in the ship wrecks, war memorials and land mine signs but mostly it feels like an island lost in oceanic wilderness occupied by 3000 hardy souls of 32 nationalities. The rocks on the shore read “endurance” which speaks to the temperament of the people here as much as it does to Shackleton’s ship name. The inhabitants of the Falklands could never tame this collection of rocky shoreline, tussock grass and penguin rookeries. Falkland families have lived there for generations and have learned to adapt to the environment, not the other way around.

The feeling of subjugation to the land was reinforced over and over again as the journey continued. South Georgia was our next stop: 15 people living on an island 170 x 40 km of sub-Antarctic wilderness. As we got into our zodiacs my diary reads “mini icebergs all around, lots of birds noises, thick fog, what will we see?” Excitement grabbed us as we neared land: we could hear and smell the 80,000 kings, King penguins that is, living with a few elephant seals on Salisbury Plain.

Diary excerpts as we journeyed south along the South Georgia coast “ it looks like the Antarctic today, grey rolling seas and lots of icebergs. The winds are force 12, not actually a hurricane or a cyclone but the winds are as strong as they would being during either. We did sit off shore on the leeward side of a ½ mile long iceberg; hovering in this position did help protect us from the full force of the wind so we were not rolling too mucs. The storm continued as we rounded the south tip of the island…got sick…went to bed…stayed there.”

Fortunately I was up and about the next afternoon, back on the bridge that is accessible 24 hours a day with 3 officers always on call. The crew spoke only Russian. Did this add to the mystique of the journey? Perhaps yes.

I took to getting up about 0530, pulling my windproofs on over my pj’s and standing out on the bridge wings until breakfast at 0730. It was quiet and humbling to watch the sun bring red, yellow, pink, orange, blue green and purple light to the vast expanse.

Half the time we followed the wandering albatross: days of occasional icebergs and the relentless dependability of rolling waves. The rest of the time were days like jewels: pristine in both spirit and environment.

More and more icebergs appeared - flat-top rectangles in abundance in the Antarctic Sound - but these giants are constantly reworked by a mix of wind and water. “Few other areas of the world present such a fascinating mix of naturally shaped beauties and weirdnesses: a dragon, a minaret, a castle with shattered colonnades, the bow of a sinking ship… silently we pass them in their monumental stillness, caressed and polished by the softly heaving sea.”

An apt description I heard of the devastation caused by the whaling in the 1900’s was “Nothing of the whale was wasted …. except the whale itself ”. The pressure on the whale population grew tremendously during WW1 and WW11. The world need for the meat, oil for lubrication, tanned skins, soap, fertilizer and margarine was intense until finally in 1994, the oceans were declared a sanctuary. Some refer to the whale as “the living gold of the ocean” and the deserted whaling stations dotted along the bays laid testament to the merciless hunt.

A few more diary excerpts (from our stops on Antarctica peninsula): “... now have reached Wilhelmina Bay entrance and whales already…supposed to be a 3 hr cruise… so many whales…” “ this was the best yet: sun mountains glaciers seals and whales” … “3 Minke whales toyed with us for 90 minutes around the ship… the captain even had his video camera out in Paradise Bay as the Minke whales cavorted around the ship…”

We had advance mixed weather reports for the Drake Passage on our last full day in Antarctica - at Paradise and Neko Harbours. But our captain found a window of weather opportunity. We merely undulated across the Drake fighting 40-knot winds and we as we neared the Chilean cost we turned east and had the wind at our backs for the last afternoon.

3292 Nautical miles; 3 continent landings; 8 zodiac cruises; 6 kayak outings; 14 landings; 19 days. Quite the journey.

My diary’s final entry: “…it’s 11 pm now and about 10C … we have anchored in the entrance to the Beagle Channel … we pick up the pilot at 2 am and it is a 5 hr ride in … have put my camera away … will just enjoy the scenery now … I remember seeing a sign in Ushuaia harbour before we left “ the end of the world, the beginning of everything ” And so it was.

Anne Fairlie
Toronto, Canada

Was it the vastness, the sheer exquisiteness, the way the sun glittered off the icebergs, or the deep blue color of the Artic Ocean that addicted me? Or perhaps it was the endless sky, the crispness and clearness of the fresh air, the silence of nature, the beauty of the wildlife in their natural habitat, or the lack of sunsets that had me hooked from the moment I arrived. Whatever it was, I fell deeply in love with our Northern Country, and I had one of the best holidays of my life this summer.

I traveled on the Category 2 Ice breaker, called the Ioffe. Maximum capacity is 110 passengers plus staff and crew, and I was fortunate to only have 75 passengers on my trip, which allowed the staff to give us a little extra attention, and make it much more personal. Whether it was asking Jacque on the types of birds we would see that morning, Aaron whether we would need our wet weather gear for landings, or Jill about the mating habits of the polar bears, the staff were simply outstanding in their enthusiasm, their knowledge, and their willingness to take time to chat with you, regardless of the question.

We had daily seminars, sometimes 2 or 3 while we were ‘commuting’ from point A to B, and I tried to sit in as many as I could, because they were extremely informative, and educational (not to mention good fun too!) but the beauty of the Canadian Artic kept drawing me outside, just to watch the horizon, see the icebergs from different angles, or simply whale watch, seal watch, a photographers paradise.

We had an itinerary, which really was more of a suggestion then an absolute, but that made it all the more interesting. Aaron always informed us at breakfast what our plans were for that day, and quite often they would change by our lunch time! Nonetheless, we had several stops on this journey, and all of them were fascinating for all on board, which showed the diversity of the trip as well.

I chose to do the optional kayaking excursions, and our guide Graham was very patient with the group, especially when he discovered (to his horror I’m sure) how most of us really, truly didn’t know how to kayak effectively. But his patience persisted, and we all were shining stars by the end of the trip! We even had an event of a man overboard, which was dealt with very quickly, thanks to Serge, or zodiac rescue driver, scooping Nick out of the water in no time. But being in those kayaks, and seeing seals just a short distance from us, checking us out with curiosity, or exploring areas that the zodiacs could not get into, and witnessing a glacier calving (from a safe distance) was truly a magical experience.

Our shore excursions included Beechey Island, where the ill fated Franklin Expedition disappeared to, and lived out their lives on. The grave site is eerie, and the structures for people looking for them later on has since been destroyed by weather, giving the site that much more of a ‘ghost town’ feeling. We also visited an abandoned RCMP outpost, where its rumored that one of the officers committed suicide from the isolation. We went for long hikes through the tundra, and marsh of different ports on Baffin Island, watched a musk-ox have an afternoon snack, while 30 or so tourists giggled at his prehistoric hair style, and took photos quietly. Even the sites we could not land on (for fear of polar bears running amuck) we still toured on zodiac, with the occasional polar bear popping up his head out of curiosity, while everyone tried to not jump up all at once and tip!

Pond Inlet was an absolute delight, meeting the 1500 inhabitants (I’m sure most of them came out to greet us – they don’t get visitors that often), and seeing northern Canadian community was fascination. From the very informative museum, to just checking out the local hangout, and walking around, we quickly made friends with quite a few children, and got to learn some interesting tidbits on their life. Shrek and Scotty had to play good cop/bad cop to get all the kids to get out of the zodiacs when we left, but to be honest, I was ready to sneak a couple home with me, they were so sweet!

Our 2 days at sea were equally fascinating, giving people like me a chance to relax, take a zillion (god bless digital!) photos of the ocean, and the vastness of the horizon, and (honesty comes in) take some well deserved naps. Remember, we did not see sunset until Greenland, meaning that dinner turned into evening drinks, which turned into plunge pool/sauna, which turned into 3 or 4 AM. And with our daily wonderful wake up call from Aaron (I think everyone fell in love with his voice!) being at 7am, lets just say, we all could use some rest! The seminars continued, with such topics as the Franklin Expedition History; Polar Bear 101 and 102; photography 101 (where I got totally demoralized and my visions of being a world famous photographer were shattered!), ice breaker seminars, how to read nautical maps, basically something for everyone.

Greenland was equally fascinating, from their brightly painted houses, to the natives, who were quite shy, but fascinated by us. There were a plethora of husky puppies abound, making all the girls squeal with ‘oohhh their soooo cute’, making the guys laugh at our attempts to get many photos of them all. The hiking was wonderful, and kayaking around the biggest glacier in the Artic ocean was amazing, the weather was in the low teens (!) and sunny, making it a perfect afternoon, only to get better by our evening BBQ on the deck of the ship, with plenty of hot rum toddies to keep us warm.

Our last 3 days included visits to Umanaq, Illullissat and Sisimut, again giving us the opportunity to meet the locals, and stretch our legs, continuing to add delight to this holiday. It was not until our final morning that the melancholy struck; knowing this great holiday was coming to an end. This truly was and I’m sure will continue to be, one of my favorite holidays. Being a nature lover certainly helped, but just the diversity of the landscape, the uniqueness of the Northern Canadian culture, the friendliness of the Greenlanders, finding my sea legs all over again, and so much more, made this a truly remarkable holiday, full of amazing memories.

Ned Ambrus
Calgary, Canada