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Published: January 8th 2023
"Wad up, Lobster Man?" asks my son to one of the crew as they fist bump in the expedition launch area. He has all of the confidence of a big city gangster roaming his hood.
"How’s it going, Spaghetti Boy?" comes the reply from the expedition leader that I struggle to recall is named Bruno.
Nathan and his Canadian companions have made an impression on the staff and it would seem they get the VIP treatment wherever they go. Their privileges extend from extra meal options, not listed on the menus we are shown, to tours to unseen parts of the ship including the engine room and sitting at the driver's seat as they are given a tour of the lifeboats. They receive personal attention from the expedition staff and waiters alike. Super waiters Theo, Mark and Pearl are in competition with each other to see who can make the best hot chocolate for the boys! I can't speak highly enough of the people who work on the Fridtjof Nansen. They try so hard to please every guest.
As well as knowing that the boys are having a great time on holiday, we've been having a great time
too. In the second half of our voyage we had amazing experiences thanks in part to amazing weather. I've included pictures and videos to tell the story. I feel that a visit to Antarctica is a full frontal assault to one's senses.
Sound
We were lucky enough to be selected to go kayaking in a bay surrounded by glaciers and full of icebergs of all shapes and sizes. This was special. We were away from the sound of the zodiacs and in a small group there were times when there were no voices either. The sounds we could hear were our paddles pushing the water, penguins bouncing around in search of fish, the occasional thunderous rumble or crack of a glacier calving fresh icebergs into the bay and the blow of humpback whales on the other side of the bay. When we were on land there was of course the sound of Penguins. We saw three types in large numbers, Chinstrap, with a distinctive black mark under their chin, Adele with black beaks and Gentoo, with red beaks. In a colony you hear a lot of penguin calls which I can't explain very well here, but
We saw a few of these
This is an Adele penguinone of our expedition leaders, Paul, is French and he says that French speakers are all able to communicate with Penguins. He demonstrated this more than once, with a reverberant call coming from deep in his throat. I'm not sure exactly what he said, but none of the penguins were offended.
Smell
It would be nice to tell you about beautiful smells that you find in Antarctica, but there are virtually no flowers or plants on the land and the one smell that comes to mind is that of the Penguins. In large colonies, their odour can be quite strong. As they walk along their penguin highways they probably go to the toilet whenever and wherever they choose. The result can be quite off putting, but you do get used to it after a while. Oh, and there are road rules for penguin highways. When a penguin highway crosses a human one, we have to give way to them.
Sight
Wherever you look there are dramatic scenes. The mountains, the glaciers, the icebergs, the sea, the sky and the clouds can be awe inspiring. If you were an artist and wanted to paint some of these
scenes, I'd suggest that you bring a lot of white and blue paints in your palette. Because there is so much white, there is a lot of glare and you need sunglasses, even if it is cloudy. It can be very difficult to tell what you are taking a photo of too. You just can't see the screen properly and it's always a bit of a surprise to find out exactly what you shot when you get back to the ship. The ice isn't all white though. Some glacial ice has a blue tone that is evident in holes and cracks. Foot prints and pole holes have the blue colour I'm referring to. The oldest ice looks like chunks of glass floating in the water. It has no colour at all and is referred to as black ice.
Feel
I guess you're expecting me to say that you feel cold in Antarctica. Well, you could if you wanted to, especially if you did the polar plunge. Twice we were excited about swimming in freezing water and twice it had to be canceled. Once because of high winds and the second time because of a nearby calving
They aren't frightened of us
Or they love having their photos taken glacier that could cause a dangerous wave. Well, Nathan and I were excited about doing it. Leanne was relieved that she didn't have to go through with it. In reality, we felt hot more often than cold, because the clothes you wear are designed for worst case scenario and we often had too many layers for climbing hills, snowshoeing or kayaking. Sitting still on the zodiacs is different. You can get cold there, but the wind is the main factor determining how cold you feel. In fact, when it was still and sunny, people went sunbaking on the ship’s pool deck! Another feeling I have on my face is sunburn, even though I put lots of sunscreen on. The reflection off the snow and ice doesn't help. With my fingers I felt the snow on a number of occasions, including the snow resting on top of icebergs when we went kayaking and to an ignorant Australian, it seemed like good snow, but no! If you come from a country with actual mountains, the snow in Antarctica doesn't count as good powder snow for skiing. Oh, and whilst we were crossing the Drake Passage, there were quite a few people who
Brilliant weather in Antarctica
No wind and brilliant reflections felt sea sick too. It was a lively journey. As the ship made its way into the big swell you could hear it creak under the strain. When the waves were at their highest we heard the crash of glasses in bars, but don't worry they still had enough for Leanne to drink her margaritas in the evenings! They shut down the ship's amenities due to the high seas and rocking. Top and front viewing deck were closed meaning no running or walking laps. The gym was closed too. Pool and spas were drained. At one point they even closed the elevators, which was really helpful for people wanting to achieve their daily step goal. And one piece of roof panel fell from the ceiling landing on Nathan and Henry's heads. Both were okay. A doctor checked on them and gave them the all-clear, but she couldn't do anything about the scratch on Nathan's Nintendo.
Taste
What did we taste in Antarctica? I kept telling Nathan to be careful about the snow and ice that he wanted to eat. There are a lot of penguins and I've already told you about the poo! We all tasted iceberg too.
The ice in the harbours we visited is mainly glacial. That means it is fresh and if you pick up a small iceberg and let it drip for a while, you get a freshwater ice block.
We felt sad to leave Antarctica. We had such a good time there and know we probably won't ever go back. But we're also privileged to have had these experiences and are grateful for that.
And now that I've left Antarctica I feel a mix of feelings. This place is so remote and untouched. At times I imagined us to be explorers from a century ago. Apart from the luxury of a modern cruise ship, it would have been exactly the same, right? Then I feel a bit of guilt for going there. Am I contributing to a problem by adding tourism to a place that perhaps shouldn’t have any tourists? I don't know what the answer is, but I listened to one final lecture by some experts from the University of Tasmania and spoke to one of them afterwards. That conversation and the parting message from the expedition leaders about Antarctic Ambassadorship leave me feeling an obligation to say and do
Zodiac ride
We did this often to get to shore or just to explore without landing on shore. what I can so that others will understand the grandeur of this delicate white ecosystem.
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