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Hibiscus Coast resident Sarah Porter works for Wild Earth Travel. It follows that she has some great work stories – including this one, about visiting Antarctica.
Antarctica is a destination many dream about. However, I have to confess it was not top of my bucket list. I used to joke that I was solar powered and allergic to snow and ice. But things changed in February when, through work, I was offered the chance to head to Antarctica on the French five-star mega-yacht Le Soleal – an opportunity no one would refuse!
Although New Zealand seems close to Antarctica, the vast majority of expedition vessels leave from Ushuaia, at the bottom of South America, as this port is far closer to the Antarctic continent. We were fortunate that our crossing south through the notorious Drake Passage was when it was a “Drake Lake” and relatively calm, and after less than 48 hours, we reached land in Antarctica.
The wildlife is what you imagine, and see on documentaries – but it’s real, and all around you – penguins waddling from nest to shoreline in search of food, seals lazing about on icebergs and beaches and whales popping up around the boat.
One evening we skipped dinner to spend more than four hours viewing Humpback whales and Orca bubble net feeding incredibly close to the boat.
However, it was the ice that really took me by surprise. I had no idea that ice could be so mesmerising, and so varied in shape, colour and texture. It ranged from tabular icebergs to zodiac cruising through bays that were like huge ‘slushies’ and there was also the rumble and crack of ice carving off glaciers into the sea.
I spent 11 days on board Le Soleal, which gave us about a week in Antarctica exploring the different bays. Regulations set by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators allow only 100 people on the ice at any time, so with just under 200 passengers on board, we had two landings most days.
The peninsula is also rich in history – with scientific research bases, old whaling stations and the like. It was a real privilege and very humbling to walk around the base at Port Lockroy, and the ruins of the whaling station at Deception Island – it gave me goose bumps.
Antarctica is like no other destination, and leaves you wanting more. As our expedition leader said, “Many people say they have ‘done’ a destination. You have not ‘done’ Antarctica, you have just lived a little bit of it.”
