I had imagined my trip to Antarctica dozens of times but I’d never pictured myself sunbathing there, let alone going for a swim.
Yet here I was, plunging into the icy ocean (after a few seconds in zero-degree temperatures, the water really starts to bite) and then drying off on a pebbly beach in the sunshine.
Just a few yards away, a group of chinstrap penguins popped out of the water and were pottering around on the shore, totally unfazed by my swimming exploits. What an amateur, they were probably thinking to themselves.
Swimming in the icy Antarctic water certainly took my breath away!
It was day four of my 16-day Antarctic cruise with Norwegian cruise operator Hurtigruten when I finally stood on Antarctic snow (and did my icy Antarctic swim) and I felt as if I’d landed on another planet. The Antarctic is truly like nothing else on Earth and it felt like an incredible privilege to be there.
Hurtigruten Expeditions cruises and destinations
Travel to Antarctica with Hurtigruten Expeditions
There is an incredible otherworldly feeling about Antarctica: the epic black-and-white landscape; the vast sense of space and sky; the glaciers and icebergs, which look as if they are lit from inside by a bright-blue fire; and the ice-topped ocean, which any moment could be disturbed by the whoosh of a whale spouting.
My Antarctic cruise – a once-in-a-lifetime trip
To embark on this kind of trip is to follow in the footsteps of famed explorers of the past: Darwin, Shackleton, Scott, Magellan, Amundsen. From Chile we had sailed for 36 hours across the notorious Drake Passage to places with names as evocative as from a the pages of a novel: Half Moon Island and Deception Island, Cuverville Island, the Lemaire Channel, Port Lockroy and Wilhelmina Bay.
Seeing penguins in their natural habitat was a real treat
Boarding the Midnatsol
My journey had begun several hundred miles north, with a night in the Chilean capital, Santiago, before a short flight to the windswept Chilean town of Punta Arenas. Here our Hurtigruten ship, the Midnatsol (Midnight Sun) was waiting for us, to take us through the famous Magellan Strait and Beagle Channel and onto Antarctica.
Orca in the vast wilderness of the Antarctic
My first glacier – the Garibaldi glacier in southern Chile
Visiting Cape Horn
After spending a day kayaking and exploring the quiet, laid-back town of Puerto Williams, the world’s most southerly settlement, we were lucky to be able to land at the fabled Cape Horn. It was thrilling to walk to the Cabo de Hornos albatross monument and feel as if we were teetering on the very edge of the Earth.
The Cabo de Hornos monument at Cape Horn shows an albatross in flight and commemorates all the sailors who lost their lives trying to round the horn
The sculpture was designed by Chilean sculptor José Balcells Eyquem in 1992 and shows an albatross in flight, the seafaring symbol for souls lost at sea commemorating the 10,000 or more sailors who perished rounding the horn.
Standing at the edge of the world – the sign at Cape Horn
Drake Passage and Half Moon Island
There was an day and a half’s sailing ahead of us, so it was a great time for a full briefing about IAATO and how to behave in Antarctica, such as giving wildlife space, not taking anything but pictures, and the need to disinfect our boots every time we went ashore, as well as vacuuming our bags and clothes in advance of our visit to remove dirt and seeds.
Why not cruise the Arctic as well?
Hurtigruten Cruises sailings and destinations
Sailing the Norwegian coast with Hurtigruten’s Coastal Express
Visting Svalbard in summer – 24 hour sunshine, quad bikes and RIB cruises
Visiting Svalbard in winter – my epic trip with Northern Lights, dog sledding and exploring glaciers
After 36 hours crossing the 500-mile wide Drake Passage – we were fortunate to have a smooth crossing, but I know it can be a choppy journey – we woke up to find all the colour had been sucked from the world.
This was Half Moon Island, the site of the first of our many encounters with penguins – and my Antarctic swim! It wasn’t too bad for the first 10 seconds or so, then the cold really started to bite, so you didn’t want to stay in for too long. It was very invigorating though and I felt really toasty and warm when I came out. Afterwards I lay on the beach in the sun for half an hour feeling very content while the penguins pottered around me.
It was a privilege to be able to walk on the snowy slopes of Antarctic ice
Some passengers couldn’t wait to capture the Antarctic’s snowy wilderness
Deception Island and Neko Harbour
From here we travelled to Deception Island, a stunning volcano caldera five miles across, with panoramic views of snow-topped mountains surrounding a flat, grey sea that reflected the snowy peaks.
Deception Island was our second stop and was a vast, featureless wilderness
Fittingly, given that we were travelling with Hurtigruten, a Norwegian shipping company, we arrived in Neko Harbour on the December anniversary of Amundsen’s arrival at the South Pole and set foot on the Antarctic continental plate – the mainland – for the first time. It was as awe-inspiring as I’d imagined in to be, vast mountains across the water and a huge glacier making rumbling sounds and the occasional thunderous crash as small parts calved off into the water.
The ice got more prevalent and the scenery more dramatic the further south we went, such as Neko Harbour
Lemaire Channel
Each day the views and experiences became more incredible: hiking through the snow to the squawks of hundreds of gentoo penguins and the rumble and crash of a nearby glacier; walking on clear-blue ice that would disappear in a day; spotting fat leopard seals sunning themselves on the snow; and watching a pod of killer whales feed by the ship as we drifted across a wide stretch of water called the Lemaire Channel, which is guarded by two towering peaks.
There were many chances to go exploring on RIBs through the Antarctica ice
The Lemaire Channel was the most southerly point of our Antarctic journey and the most dramatic
Life onboard our Antarctic ship
When we weren’t hiking on the icy land or cruising in little Zodiac dinghies, time was spent on board either eating – our ship, the MS Midnatsol, has an excellent restaurant – or listening to the fascinating talks from the expedition team (our trip included one from maritime campaigner Lewis Pugh).
There’s a rich and varied lecture programme on board each sailing, such as talks by camera crew and scientists who had worked on nature documentaries such as Blue Planet and Frozen Planet. Subjects included seabirds of the Antarctic, biodiversity and productivity of the Antarctic ecosystem and the maritime history of Cape Horn which given by a passionate sailor and included lots of fascinating information about the tradewinds, sea clippers and the importance of Cape Horn before the major canals were constructed.
Nature lovers onboard were delighted to see so much Antarctic life, including seals, orca and penguins
As we headed back from our most southerly point – we had to turn back when the ice threatened to engulf us – we were treated to a change from the monochrome landscapes with startling blue skies and deep blue water, with pure white-covered mountains surrounding us. We had a visit from the staff of Port Lockroy, the world’s most southerly Post Office, and stood on bright blue Antarctic ice in Wilhelmina Bay.
There was a well-stocked library and games room, a gym, several bars, an outdoor hot tub and a walking track around the ship so you could keep up your step count while soaking up the stunning scenery. If you weren’t popping out on deck every few minutes to watch whales, penguins and icebergs float past, you were probably warming up over a hot chocolate and sorting through the hundreds of photos you couldn’t help but take every day.I took over 3,000 pictures during my trip in that impossible quest of trying to capture such an incredible, one-in-a-lifetime trip. Bring spare memory cards and batteries!
All of a sudden there was colour in the Antarctic in Wilhelmina Bay
A brave penguin takes a leap of faith
There was a well-stocked library and games room, a gym, several bars, an outdoor hot tub and a walking track around the ship so you could keep up your step count while soaking up the stunning scenery.
If you weren’t popping out on deck every few minutes to watch whales, penguins and icebergs float past, you were probably warming up over a hot chocolate and sorting through the hundreds of photos you couldn’t help but take every day.
I took over 3,000 pictures during my trip in that impossible quest of trying to capture such an incredible, one-in-a-lifetime trip. Bring spare memory cards and batteries!
Travel information
Hurtigruten Expeditions runs year-round adventure trips to Antarctica and surrounding areas including Chile, Argentina, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands.
A 15-day Highlights of Antarctica costs from £9,475 per person, including flights from the UK to Ushuaia via Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, as well as onboard wifi, all meals, drinks, accommodation, use of sauna, hot tubs, lounges, talks and a Hurtigruten polar expedition jacket. For more information and to see the whole range of Antarctic cruises, visit:
Hurtigruten Expeditions cruises and destinations
Travel to Antarctica with Hurtigruten Expeditions
Why not cruise the Arctic as well?
Hurtigruten Cruises sailings and destinations
Sailing the Norwegian coast with Hurtigruten’s Coastal Express
Visting Svalbard in summer – 24 hour sunshine, quad bikes and RIB cruises
Visiting Svalbard in winter – my epic trip with Northern Lights, dog sledding and exploring glaciers
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My Antarctic diary – day by day
Day 1 Evening flight from Heathrow to Santiago via Madrid
Day 2 Land in Santiago, transfer coach to Sheraton, lunch outside in nearby restaurant, then back to hotel to swim, dinner at seafood place nearby then early bed
Day 3 Breakfast 4am then coach to airport for the 4.5 hour flight to Punta Arenas. Coach transfer to our Hurtigruten ship, the Midnatsol
Day 4 Garibaldi fjord
Day 5 Sailed along the Beagle Passage. Spent the kayaking and exploring Puerto Williams, the world’s most southerly town.
Day 6 Visited Cape Horn and set sail for Antarctica
Day 7 At sea in the Drake Passage
Day 7 Half Moon Island and my Antarctic swim
Day 8 Deception Island
Day 9 Neko Harbour
Day 10 Cuverville Island and Lemaire Channel
Day 11 Damoy Point and Port Lockroy
Day 12 Wilhelmina Bay
Day 13 At sea.
Day 14 Back in the Beagle Channel to Ushuaia
Day 15 Flight home.
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