Gentoo Penguin Colony at Neko Harbour

Our visit to Neko Harbour brought us face-to-face with a colony of gentoo penguins. Due to the colder, windier conditions, many of the adult penguins were sitting tightly on their chicks, shielding them from the elements.

The penguins cope with Antarctic temperatures through a combination of dense feathers, thick subcutaneous fat layers, and specialized circulatory systems that minimize heat loss in their extremities.

Gentoo penguins are the fastest of all penguin species, capable of reaching speeds up to 36 km/h underwater. Watching them swim was almost like seeing a laser beam darting through the icy waters.

They still look goofy when they walk on land, and this awkward movement on land contrasts sharply with their remarkable swimming abilities.

We also observed their well-worn “penguin highways” – small, carved-out paths in the snow they use to travel between their colony and the beach. These highways are formed by the repeated passage of penguins, gradually compressing the snow into defined trails.

When crossing these highways during our hike, we followed strict instructions to give the penguins right of way and to avoid stopping at any intersections that crossed their paths. We observed the gentoo penguins’ distinctive waddling gait as they travelled along these highways.

Reaching the colony required a challenging uphill walk. The increasing wind made it even more difficult, and by the time we reached the top, my face had gone numb. However, the effort was worth it, as the higher vantage point provided a sweeping view of the harbour, with icebergs floating in the bay below.

Across the water, a massive glacier towered in the distance with massive crevasses. Every glacier, ice shelf, iceberg, etc. was like a natural sculpture.

Wildlife Spotting in Paradise Bay

In the afternoon, we embarked on a zodiac cruise around Paradise Bay. The purpose of this excursion was to get closer to the inactive research bases in the area and to observe wildlife from the water.

During our cruise, we spotted a small vessel in the distance. Our guide informed us that it was likely a private expedition and noted that such a small boat would have faced a much more challenging journey across the Drake Passage than our ship. While our crossing of the Drake Passage took approximately two days, a vessel of that size might require 8 to 10 days to navigate the same waters, not to mention being thrown around a lot harder in the waves.

The wildlife sightings began with more gentoo penguins resting on ice floes. It’s remarkable to see these penguins in these places, so far from their colonies. They have adapted to life in Antarctica through specialized features including dense waterproof feathers and the ability to drink salt water. Their bodies contain special glands that filter excess salt, which they expel through their nasal passages.

Our cruise transformed into an impromptu whale-watching expedition when we encountered several humpback whales swimming nearby.

We paused to observe them, and soon discovered that we were surrounded. As we focused on one pod of whales, another would surface elsewhere, reminiscent of a game of whac-a-mole. The whales appeared curious about our presence, with one even swimming directly underneath our zodiac, briefly making me worry it might tip us over. Fortunately, these gentle giants seemed aware of our presence and moved carefully around us.

While we saw many whales, none of them breached as dramatically as the whalewatching tour brochures often depict. Our guide explained that breaching is not as common as people expect, making it a rare sight even on dedicated whale-watching excursions (very misleading in those whalewatching brochures). In 20 to 30 minutes, we saw more whales than in the entire expedition combined.

Seals were also scattered across the icebergs, resting and occasionally glancing at our boat.

Each iceberg presented a different shape, texture, and blue hue, appearing as naturally sculpted art installations drifting across the bay. The distinctive blue colour results from the ice’s unique crystalline structure which absorbs red light while reflecting blue wavelengths. Some icebergs contain ice that fell as snow thousands of years ago, preserving ancient atmospheric conditions within their frozen layers.

We spent so much time watching the whales, and the other wildlife that we ran out of time and didn’t even make it to go see the abandoned research bases. This was totally okay, seeing the whales was better than doing a drive-by of the abandoned research base.

Life Aboard an Ultra-Luxury Expedition Cruise Ship

The moment we stepped into our cabin, we knew this wasn’t an ordinary cruise. A bottle of champagne chilled in an ice bucket, while a bottle of wine and whiskey stood ready on the counter, part of the open bar included with the cruise. The cruise even includes free wifi.

The cruise line had outfitted us with essential Antarctic gear – a winter parka, waterproof backpack, toque, and stainless steel water bottle. There was even a pair of Swarovski binoculars ($1500 retail) for us to borrow for the duration of the cruise for wildlife spotting during our journey.

With 233 crew members attending to 262 passengers, the ship offered an intimate expedition experience. This nearly one-to-one ratio ensured personalized attention throughout our journey.

Preparing for the Expedition

Before setting off, we attended a briefing about the voyage, and a mandatory IAATO briefing on the rules on what we were allowed to do in Antarctica, like how only 100 people are allowed on shore at a time, and rules on maintaining distance to wildlife to avoid potential disease transmission.

Unlike typical cruises, there was no fixed itinerary—our activities in Antarctica would depend entirely on weather conditions. The expedition team informed us that conditions looked good enough to cross the Antarctic Circle, a rare opportunity even for them. On the second day at sea, the crew informed us that we finally crossed the Antarctic Circle, and as a fun thing, everybody received a certificate for this “achievement”.

To protect Antarctica’s pristine environment, we underwent thorough biosecurity checks to ensure we wouldn’t introduce any foreign organic material. Organic material, such as seeds stuck in hiking pants, could disrupt the fragile Antarctic ecosystem.  

Drake Lake or Drake Shake?

The Drake Passage, the body of water between South America and Antarctica, presents a fascinating demonstration of Earth’s natural forces. This stretch of water, where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet, features the Antarctic Circumpolar Current – the most powerful current system on Earth. The absence of any landmass allows winds to blow unimpeded around Antarctica, creating the infamous “Roaring Forties,” “Furious Fifties,” and “Screaming Sixties” – terms that reference the increasingly powerful winds found at these latitudes.

The real challenge lies in the Drake Passage’s notorious waves. We prepared for seasickness with medication the night before, though in hindsight, the dosage proved too strong, leaving us groggy throughout the following day. Fortunately, we experienced what’s known as the “Drake Lake” rather than the “Drake Shake” – encountering strong waves only overnight before conditions improved by noon the next day.

Sea Days

With two full days at sea, the crew organized plenty of activities. We explored the ship, which featured several lounges for us to hang out in decorated with Antarctica-themed artwork from various artists. The top deck housed the Zodiacs — small boats we would use to reach the continent.

We also ate a lot. Each day, the lunch buffet featured a different cuisine, and the dinner menus always had items that changed daily. The food was delicious, as is usual for a cruise, but at the end of the day it’s tough for the food to be truly exceptional since the food is made in such high volumes, and more difficult to keep food at their freshest given the time at sea. The open bar was nice too – I looked up a list of common cocktails and ended up trying a different drink every time. Even better was that the bartenders were so good that I’ve been having trouble getting the same cocktails at the same level of quality since I’ve been back.

We toured the bridge, where crew shared stories of recent celebrity visitors including Neil Degrasse Tyson, William Shatner, and Scott Kelly as part of the Space2Sea.io program. One crew member quipped that if he got a dollar every time a guest mentioned hitting an iceberg, he’d be rich.

We also got to tour the submersible garage. They have two subs on board, one named 71-1, and the other 71-2, with 71 representing the percentage of the earth covered in water. Just like how it’s hard to resist joking about hitting icebergs, it was also tough not to mention the OceanGate fiasco too. A sub excursion costs $1000 USD per person for an hour-long tour, so we opted to skip that particular adventure.

Learning About Antarctica

The cruise also offered lecture series, that provided valuable context for our upcoming Antarctic experience. We learned about the Antarctic food chain, where krill forms the foundation of the entire ecosystem. We studied the different penguin species we might encounter – Adelie, Gentoo, and Chinstrap – and learned about the hunting strategies of orcas, who work in teams to create waves that wash seals off ice floes. We didn’t go to all the lectures though since some felt like going back to school, after all I’m on vacation!

Experts explained various ways to define Antarctica’s boundaries – from the obvious land and ice borders to the more complex Antarctic Convergence, where warmer sub-Antarctic waters meet colder Antarctic waters. There are other geometric boundaries too such as simply using the Antarctic Circle, or just defining the borders as all land and ice shelves south of 60 degrees south latitude, which is what political treaties use.

Between lectures, we passed time with games of Scrabble, though our enjoyment was somewhat dampened by the grogginess of the seasick medicine, and the feeling we might be getting sick due to the past days of being in transit – a couple of people sounded sick too on the flight to Ushuaia. We focused on rest and hygiene, determined not to let illness prevent us from exploring once we reached the continent. We would have been very disappointed that if after everything we had been through so far, to be bedridden with a fever, would have totally ruined the trip. Cruises are known to quarantine people, and that is a policy that predates COVID.

First Glimpse of Antarctica

Finally, after two days and two nights at sea, we finally reached Antarctica. Icebergs drifted past our balcony, marking our arrival.

Looking through the binoculars, I spotted our first penguin in the distance, a moment that marked the true beginning of our Antarctic adventure.