Antarctica

 

We went on this trip with very very high expectations..And, a few reservations.

This was a  22 day trip on a ship with 7 days fully “at sea” in waters often producing sea sickness with three major stops; The Falklands, South Georgia (both British Islands) and Antarctica.
 
So, off we went November 7th,2014 to Buenos Aires Argentina (beautiful city!) then on to Ushuaia (very bleak cold city) at the end of South America where we boarded the National Geographic Explorer, a first rate expedition vessel. The Ship is owned and operated by the renowned Lindblad Expeditions, the same ship we were on in the Arctic with much of the same crew!
 
  This is one of the most exciting and other worldly trips Patti and I have ever taken!
 
While the Antarctic is clearly phenomenal with its ice sheets, ice bergs and 10,000 foot mountains in your face, South Georgia, is a protected area unoccupied by humans and extensively occupied by uncommon, large groupings of wildlife!!
 
The normal day on our trip when not at sea included two visits by Zodiaks to shore where we saw tens of thousands of penguins along with large numbers of elephant seals, fur seals and shore birds.
 
The animals on the beach were surrounded by grassy upland then often glaciers between snow capped mountains.The Visual was highly impacting to say the least, especially with behavior activity going on of all type!

 

Click image to enlarge, right side to advance.

 

Click image to enlarge, right side to advance.