don't forget to call your mother: Antarctica: Terra Incognita

After a tempestuous crossing of the Drake Passage, we awoke on the third morning of our voyage in Terra Incognita, the unknown land of the South. The seas had calmed and the clouds lifted to reveal the white continent.

Our first glimpse of the Antarctic scenery. We took this picture of our boat, the Plancius, while on our first shore excursion.

I was left speechless as I stepped onto the deck and took in the scenery which was laid out in front of me. The grandeur of the snow covered mountains was staggering. All sense of scale was lost in the white blanket that covers the mountains and I struggled to grasp the sheer magnitude of the landscape. Antarctica, isolated from the rest of the world, feels as if it belongs on another planet entirely. First seen by humans less than 200 years ago, Antarctica still retains a shroud of mystery. The continent, which is about twice the size of Australia, only reveals 2% of its land to visitors. The other 98% is covered in a thick blanket of white ice, on average, a mile deep.

We had to leave early as pack ice started to surround our boat. The penguins stayed behind.

A seat with a view.

We first made landfall at Mickelson Harbor which is where we were first introduced to the Gentoo Penguin. The silence that normally engulfs Antarctica was broken by the loud vocalizations of the penguins. This is clearly an animal that fears no land based predators. The penguins within the colony would slowly and awkwardly amble around the beach. They had no fear of the tourist snapping photos and would walk right by you as if you were just another rock or lazy seal. They provided us with hours of entertainment as we watched the antics of the young chicks chasing their parents in hope of a meal.

While we are just visitors in this hostile landscape, the penguins are right at home.

This chick was staying warm beneath its parent and looking for a meal.

Penguins seem undisturbed by their neighbors, human or seal.

This group of Gentoo penguins came to shore to greet us as we landed.

Heading in for a dip.

Adelie penguins with their characteristic blue eyes.

As we ventured farther south along the Antarctic Peninsula, the scenery changed but the magnitude of the landscape did not. Every new location was a different perspective on the incredible vastness of the frozen landscape. The crystal clear water which provided mirror images of the towering mountains was only interrupted from the ripples of breaching penguins or the occasional whale.

Cold, flat, and uncontaminated water create the perfect mirror.

Ahead of us lies the Lemaire Channel.

Penguins swim just like dolphins, breaching the water and swimming in groups.

A Minke whale among the icebergs.

A humpback breached with glaciers looking large in the background.

While on a shore excursion, Lesley and I opted to join the ranks of the polar plunge club. A tradition among the slightly insane, we stripped down to our underwear and hopped in the ice bath along with the penguins. Actually, penguins seemed to be leaving the water as we were getting in, not a good sign. Because of the salinity, the water is actually several degrees below 0°C. We decided once was enough and have checked that one off the list.

So cold!

The person taking our picture actually apologized because a penguin walked in front of the camera.

On the third night of our voyage in Antarctica, I managed to secure a spot for an overnight camping trip on land. I know many would question my sanity for actually paying to sleep outside, on the snow, without a tent, and in Antarctica no less. But, for a camper like me, it was a once in a lifetime chance and I was lucky to have it. The camping trip had booked up far in advance but someone cancelled last minute. I know that both Lesley and I had been hoping to go, but she very graciously let me take the spot. So I put on just about every layer of clothes I had, jumped on a zodiac with the other campers, and set off to make camp on the snow.

Antarctic moon-rise.

Taken from our campsite around midnight. After the sun had set, I took this 15 second exposure of the moon.

As the sun went down, an almost full moon popped out over the horizon, illuminating the snow covered mountains. Falling asleep to the sound of penguins and calving glaciers was incredibly unique and serene. While the Antarctic night only lasts a few hours during summer, it was not one that I will forget soon.