Buenos Aires means 'Good Winds'. The name was coined by the Spaniards because they could easily sail here. They also named the extremely sediment-rich river Río de la Plata in hopes of finding silver here. Up until 1930, Argentina was one of the five richest countries due to the economic boom with Europe (particularly in World War I, when a lot of wheat, cattle, wool, and leather were sold). In return, many architects came from Europe to shape Buenos Aires.

On Plaza de Mayo stands La Casa Rosada, the Argentine presidential palace. Here, Evita Perón delivered her passionate speeches to the people. She succeeded in elevating the working class to a middle class, introduced a new tax reform in 1949, and secured voting and divorce rights for women.

This journey took place in December 2009 during the tenure of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. By then, the deterioration of the economic situation was already evident, and corruption allegations had emerged, which were confirmed in the first instance in 2022.

Many homeless people, known as Cartoneros, live in cardboard boxes and off garbage.

La Boca (the mouth), originally a poor district, is decorated with colorful corrugated-iron houses (made from the metal of shipwrecks). This is where Diego Maradona grew up.

The indigenous people of Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world (64,000 inhabitants), are the Yamanas. They would make fires on their canoes to keep warm because they had no clothing. When the Spaniards saw this, they named the archipelago Land of Fire.

Antarctica is significantly colder than the Arctic, with an average temperature of -55°C. 

Our ship is the Fram, an expedition ship from the Hurtigruten fleet.

The albatrosses can live up to 50 years and have a wingspan of 3-5 m.

Little penguin presentation: See photo gallery

Captain Cook was the first polar researcher in 1773 on South Georgia. He was very astonished by the variety of whales, penguins, seals, and seabirds. In 1780, whalers, inspired by his tales, moved to South Georgia/Grytviken to catch whales. Man versus beast was still harmless to the whale population.

The Antarctic Treaty was sealed in 1959. It does not allow for territorial claims in Antarctica. The continent is available for science and peace. The vast freshwater supplies are also off-limits. Military actions are prohibited. 

Antarctica is divided among the scientific interests of individual countries like a pie. Researchers analyze data such as animal populations, weather data, etc. They must be in good health; casually flying to the continent due to a toothache is challenging.

Antarctica is an opportunity to experience nature in its purest form. If we fail to preserve this continent, the rise of the global sea level will be unstoppable, climate regulation will collapse, and the habitat of a unique wildlife will be destroyed.

I got one of the lower bunks since I boarded the bus first and thus was in the room quite early. Afterwards, we were allowed to explore the ship before heading for the safety briefing. Everyone familiarized themselves with the life jackets and gathered for a short introduction at their assigned lifeboat. While we were already sailing through the Beagle Channel, the general briefing continued, during which a humpback whale emerged next to our ship, before we all gathered in the restaurant for dinner. After the meal, everyone was able to pick up their parkas, and then I headed to the upper deck to enjoy the view until it got dark.

Since we had such good weather and a calm Drake Passage, we arrived in Antarctica 10 to 12 hours earlier and were able to carry out our first activity today. The so-called “Polar Plunge”, where a platform is brought to the boat from the outside by a crane, from which you then jump into the water. My group was of course called first, and I was the second to stand on the platform. For safety, you are secured with a strap to a rope before, amidst the applause of some onlookers, you jump directly into the 0.8°C cold water without thinking.

The first two seconds were not bad, but then the icy cold set in immediately, my breathing started to race, and I was glad when I was out again after 5 seconds. What an experience, and all of this in the freaking Antarctica!!!

I didn’t even notice that a 30-meter-high iceberg had drifted by only 100 meters away; it was absolutely crazy.

The whales that surfaced in between amusingly caused a stir. People over 50 apparently become children again, as everyone rushes to the windows to get a shaky photo or poorly zoomed videos. Whether they bump into others or disturb during meals doesn't matter; the principal thing is that the photo is taken. We at our table found it funny, especially since we were sitting in the second row, as the window seats are filled well before dinner; I don’t participate in such things on an expensive expedition either, and we’re still going to see enough whales. At sunset, a few whales showed up, and when those giants exhale, it sounds particularly special, simply unique. After dinner, we went to the usual briefing for the next day; the weather was supposed to be good, no wind, no high waves, so we could continue heading south. Moreover, we were informed not to worry in the coming nights if we hear loud cracking, creaking, or banging; it's just ice hitting the ship; I can't wait to see what happens :)

Phenomenal, breathtaking, fantastic, there are not many words for it, and the pictures can hardly capture it, unbelievable.

On the way back, I could see the penguin colony up close. And the penguins are so cute, I could watch them for hours. Curiously, they waddle towards you, wanting food or playing with the sticks that our guides set up as boundary markers beforehand. How photogenic can one be?

I could have watched the penguins for hours, but it was time to head back to our zodiac. We navigated through and over small ice floes and got a bit shaken before hundreds of penguins appeared in the water in front of us, with several humpback whales searching for food right in the middle at only 30 to 40 meters distance...

It slowly got cold despite my thick clothing, so we went back on board. Clean the boots, back through the disinfection basin, remove any stones from the soles, check back onto the ship, hang up the clothes to dry, have the boots checked for cleanliness, go back on deck, enjoy the view and then continue for lunch. After lunch, it was through the 'Lemaire Channel', so wrap up warmly again and head out on deck to watch the passage through the few hundred meters wide channel. Almost kilometer-high (!) cliffs rise on both sides, with huge ice surfaces extending into the water. As if that wasn’t surreal enough for me, we had to maneuver around huge glaciers. You can imagine it like the Telekom skyscraper or the Elbphilharmonie floating by you, oh, and in between, enormous blue glaciers terminate in the channel. Unfortunately, you can't capture this in photos at all...

And then our whole ship was suddenly in uproar on deck, in front of us appeared a group of orcas, which immediately dove away; our captain made a hard brake and was about to turn the ship when we unfortunately realized that the orcas were already hundreds of meters behind us and it would have taken too long to turn our ship around. I would never have recognized the animals, but we were close, and we still have a few days left. By the way, I had no time for a nap; after the passage, we went to the 'Yalour Islands' for our afternoon expedition and the southernmost point of my journey (coordinates 65˚13.90 S; 64˚08.200 W). Fittingly, my phone said 'Half time' today, half of my travel time is now over, and as coincidence would have it, from the southernmost point of my trip, we're headed back north from today on. Again, I had to put on all my clothes, throw on the life jacket, step through the disinfection basin, log out and get into the zodiac. It only took about 30 seconds until two curious sea lions appeared in front of an iceberg, and less than 5 minutes later, we were able to see a southern elephant seal and more penguins. After getting a bit slowed down by some ice, a curious dwarf whale showed up in front of us, and it was not even 5 meters next to our boat, unbelievable.

Then it was another hour on land, and I could enjoy the peace a bit and watch the penguins change their feathers, which sounds interesting, but isn't really. The penguins stand in one spot for about 2 weeks waiting for the new feathers to be waterproof enough to go back into the water in search of food. The only thing that happens in between is that the penguins lean forward and poop quite a distance behind them. Therefore, always keep your distance, especially if the penguin is facing away from you. Back on the ship, the daily briefing followed, during dinner a few whales, sea lions, and enormous icebergs drifted past our window, nothing we hadn't seen before...

The same procedure as on the first day; we went by zodiac towards “Cuverville Island,” a penguin colony that can be seen from space. Thousands of penguins are wandering around here waiting to lose their winter plumage before they can go back to the water for food. I simply can't get enough of watching the little penguins waddle through the mud; the sound is just as sweet. 😍

The zodiac ride was equally exciting, we had several whales around us all morning, and I spent most of the morning on deck as a result. In the zodiac, you couldn’t turn around quickly enough. All around, you could hear the whales exhaling, and on the horizon, you could see the water mist created when the whales exhale. Then several whales surfaced less than 10 meters from our boat; through the crystal-clear water, you could see the fins and patterns distinctly, wow, goosebumps for several minutes. 😍

On the way back, we saw a gigantic leopard seal sleeping on an ice floe.

Washing boots, drying clothes, lunch, and right back into the boat; there really wasn’t any time to rest. We headed towards 'Nico Harbour' to a huge, really huge glacier. First, our zodiac drivers had to find a way through the pack ice; for all of us on board, it looked nearly impossible, so everyone had already counted on an afternoon on the ship. But not our crew; it took a while to maneuver the little rubber boats through the ice, but it worked out, and off we went. Below, penguins tried to jump from the water onto a small iceberg; most failed miserably, it looked so funny, and I had my fun. Upon reaching the top, we had an incredible view of the glacier since our path ran along a side arm of the glacier; we must not leave the path for any reason to avoid falling into snow-covered crevices. The cracking of the glaciers and the calving of ice sounds gigantic and will probably never be forgotten, another goosebumps moment. On the way back, I was able to observe a penguin hunt. The young ones still want to be fed, but at some point, it's enough, and the parents refuse further feedings. But since the young ones are now so big, they chase their parents to the water, where they then disappear. Then our ship must still find its way out of the pack ice, icebergs crash against the ship, the entire vessel vibrates, incredible noises are created, cracking, creaking, and crunching, yet another goosebumps moment; one feels so small out here. I can hardly gather my thoughts and had to go to my cabin to cry from joy 😭

We passed 100-meter-high icebergs, saw two leopard seals up close, and humpback whales so close that one could almost touch them. 😍 In the evening, there was a history lesson on the discovery of Antarctica before I fell into bed tired at half past 9.

After lunch, we headed for our last landing at the former whaling station 'Whalers Bay,' where whales were hunted and processed into oil until 1932. Afterwards, the station was used as a research station until it was evacuated in 1967 due to a volcanic eruption. The caldera of the volcano collapsed over 3000 years ago, allowing us to sail into the volcano's interior and be protected from strong winds from all sides. It was one last time to wash boots, disinfect, hang up the pants and parka to dry; I'm already a bit melancholy, but this adventure must come to an end eventually. 

In the evening, we went to the bar, where the 'Monkey eating Eagles' performed, a band made up of all parts of the crew, from the machinist and housekeeping to the chef, everyone was there. The whole expedition team, the captain, and many crew members were also present, including a conga line on deck and the encore song 'Summer of 69'; it was a nice conclusion!

Since I'm doing well, I watched talks and films about sustainable travel, which dramatically showcased why I probably won’t participate in any 'normal' cruise (movie recommendation: The last tourist film).

How many of my 5 books that I brought and 20 podcast episodes I downloaded do you think I have read/listened to so far? Exactly 0!

On the last evening, we had a quiz in which we had to answer questions about the various presentations; we could use both the library and all postings on the ship, we didn't win, but we did quite well. Afterwards, the entire crew said goodbye with a little song to us; I became a bit sentimental and had to hold back a small tear; I would have loved to stay a few days longer, but this adventure ends, and we head north again!

Only on the 15th day of our trip (if we do not count the visit to the Weddell Sea) do we actually arrive at the Antarctic Peninsula.

Initially, we were blessed with good weather for two days, giving us several opportunities for photography. Paradise Bay (a zodiac ride) and the Lemaire Channel (passage back and forth) were the highlights of the first day. In the evening, we ventured into the Neumayer Channel, but it was determined that the first activity of the second day would not be possible. However, Plan B - a landing on Danco Island with a Gentoo penguin colony and stunning views of the Errera Channel - may have actually been the more beautiful option.

After that, we entered Neko Harbour, where we set foot on Antarctic mainland.

Day 3, however, deviated from the plan - fog and snowfall allowed only a limited zodiac cruise to the Melchior Islands, but only the morning was scheduled for this. After that, we embarked on the infamous Drake Passage - and thus started our return journey to Argentina/Tierra del Fuego.

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If we do not count the Weddell Sea day into it, it took us 15 days to come to Antarctica / to reach the Antarctic Peninsula. Also, only 2.5 days are planned to be here.

However, the first two days, the weather was favorable, and we had ample chances to capture moments with our cameras. On day one, we experienced a zodiac cruise in Paradise Bay and traversed the Lemaire Channel in both directions. In the evening - in Neumayer Channel - we realized that the morning program for day 2 would not be possible. So, the plans were adjusted, and the next morning we landed on Danco Island, where we found a Gentoo penguin colony and stunning views along the Errera Channel. Most likely, this Plan B was even better than Plan A...

Later on the second day, we cruised into Neko Harbour, allowing another landing on the Antarctic mainland. Once again, we encountered a lovely Gentoo penguin colony and impressive views into the bay and on the adjacent glaciers.

On Day 3, the weather took a turn. In fog and snow, we did a zodiac cruise but did not see much. After this, our time in Antarctica concluded. We started our engines and ventured into the infamous Drake Passage on our way back to Argentina / Tierra de Fuego.

After Barrientos Island on the South Shetlands, we took an excursion into the Weddell Sea. The assumption was quite clear: shortly after passing the Antarctic Channel, we would encounter pack ice adorned with seals and penguins. Unfortunately, the only pack ice we found was a small, loose, and nearly unadorned patch. The partly stormy winds made reaching various alternative locations impossible, and landing at an Adelie penguin colony failed due to too many icebergs at the landing site.

Therefore, we sail around somewhat aimlessly, spotting Adelie penguins, a few seals, and a pod of orcas.

On the next night - the first with significant waves and wind strengths of up to 11 bft - we sail back to the South Shetland Islands and visit Deception Island - a volcanic caldera that contains a well-protected bay. There are some hiking opportunities and an old whaling station. We also see a few penguins, and we spot an (injured) leopard seal, Weddell seals, crabeater seals, and 2 elephant seals.

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After Barrientos Island, we did a sidetrip into the Weddell Sea. The plan was (obviously) to find some sea ice with some seals and penguins on it; however, there was just a lot of icebergs, but no sea ice. Alternate targets could not be reached due to strong winds, and a landing on an Adelie penguin colony did fail due to too many icebergs at the landing site.

So, finally, we sailed around with no true destination, but at least we see Adelie penguins, some seals, and a pod of killer whales.

In the following night - the first with significant waves and gusts up to 11 bft - we sailed back to the South Shetland Islands, we visited now Deception Island. Deception Island is a sunken volcano, and its caldera offers a natural shelter for ships. So, here is an old whaler station, but as well a possibility to do some hikes. We saw here some penguins, an (injured) leopard seal, Weddell seals, crabeater seals, and elephant seals.

Now, we set out from South Georgia towards the Antarctic Peninsula, with our first stops at the offshore South Shetland Islands. To reach them, we had to travel approximately 700 nautical miles (1300km), which took us about 2.5 days. Along the way, we encountered (the captain must have had some assistance) the currently largest iceberg in the world, A23a. It is roughly the size of Mallorca, but naturally, that can’t be visually captured. Nonetheless, it was a pleasant encounter. Besides that, we saw a few smaller icebergs and a lot of water.

Our first activity on the South Shetland Islands was a Zodiac tour at 'Point Wilde', a bay on Elephant Island. There’s a historical narrative associated with this point involving an expedition by Ernest Shackleton, but we’re far more interested in the penguins. On both sides of the bay, there are colonies of Chinstrap penguins, and in between, a lovely glacier that calves significantly during our Zodiac trip (of course, our recording devices missed the spectacle, but at least we got to see a bit of it).

Continuing towards Barrientos Island, we came across a large swarm of feeding Humpback and Fin whales that approached the boat to within single-digit meters – a fantastic display.

At Barrientos Island, we have a landing where we can stroll among breeding groups of Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins. Some penguins are nesting, while others already have one or two chicks. There’s a constant flow of movement as they go in and out, collect stones, and disturb their neighbors … maintaining a 5m distance isn’t always feasible, but luckily we didn’t step on any penguins …

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From South Georgia we head now to the Antarctic Peninsula, where we have our first stops at the South Shetland Islands. To reach these, we have to make 700 nautical miles (about 1300km), which takes us 2.5 days. There was not much to see on these 2.5 days, but we passed A23a (the currently largest iceberg of the world, about the size of Mallorca) and some smaller icebergs. Besides this, there was just lots of water …

Our first activity on the South Shetland Islands was a zodiac cruise at 'Point Wilde', a bay on Elephant Island. There is a historical story associated with this point that played a role in one of Ernest Shackleton's voyages, but we are more interested in the Chinstrap penguins here. There are colonies on both sides of the bay, and a nice glacier in the middle, which calves a significant piece while we are on the water, but - of course - our cameras did not capture this.

Later, when we continued towards Barrientos Island, we encountered a large group of feeding whales, with 20 or more Humpback and Fin whales, coming closer to our boat than 10m. What a wonderful display ...

At Barrientos Island, we have a landing activity where we can walk among Chinstrap and Gentoo penguin breeding groups. Some penguins are nesting, others already have one or two chicks. There’s a lot of movement in the colonies, with penguins going in and out of the water, collecting stones, and disturbing their neighbors … it is not always possible to maintain a distance of 5m. Well, at least we manage not to step on a penguin ...

Today we had our first 'Scenic Cruising' as it was called in the cruise documents. We were supposed to pass Cape Horn in the morning, around 7:00. Our idea was to be outside about an hour before the scheduled time to have a good view and not miss anything. But we were really tired and didn't get out of bed. Even when we went outside around 7:00, all we saw was water. Later, around noon (we really wondered if we were too dumb to see Cape Horn), the captain made an announcement. You can only sail close to Cape Horn if you have a pilot from Chile on board. This pilot was supposed to come on board at 3:00 in the morning, but unfortunately that didn't happen... so no Cape Horn in sight.

Other than that, we spent the day like any other sea day, doing sports, swimming in the pool (but only the whirlpool, the regular pools were drained due to the journey through the Antarctic), and eating. We also played bingo because Freddy won the bingo tickets on Deal or No Deal. Unfortunately, we were not successful.

Day 66 Antarctica

Today it was time to start, the first day in Antarctica. A few days ago, we received a special plan for Antarctica, showing when we would pass certain points. For the first day, the plan included passing the largest iceberg in the world, A23a, around 10:00. So in the morning, we followed our almost routine on the ship. Then we went outside around 3:00. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't very favorable on the first day. It was very windy and foggy, so the temperature quickly felt like minus 10 degrees Celsius. The huge iceberg was hiding in the fog, but we still managed to catch a glimpse when the fog cleared. We stayed outside the whole time to not miss anything. The dimensions were really gigantic. A23a broke off from Antarctica some time ago and is now heading to warmer waters, which means it is unfortunately melting.

Afterwards, we went to have an early dinner to warm up because the next highlight was Elephant Island at 6:00. We wanted to return to our spot outside, at the front of the sun deck, but that was not possible. The wind had increased and the front area was closed off to everyone. Despite this, we had great views of Elephant Island and the following islands from the middle of the ship. Something I didn't expect: the mainland of Antarctica is rocky and consists of black mountain landscapes. These landscapes are covered with snow and ice. 99.6% of Antarctica is covered by snow. The interior of Antarctica is an icy desert. This means it is dry like normal deserts because there is hardly any precipitation (in the form of snow or rain).

Completely frozen, we went to bed early after this first day.

Day 67 Antarctica

Today we had to get up early. The first highlight of the day was announced for 6:00 in the morning, Admiral Bay. Wrapped up warmly, we grabbed a small breakfast at the snack bar and then went outside. The wind had died down and the weather had cleared up. So we were able to take our place at the front of the sun deck. Of course, many others had the same idea. Most of the time, the others were very pleasant, but there were also lots of annoying people. We often stayed outside for hours to enjoy the landscape, while many only came out when an announcement was made about whales or penguins being spotted. So people were often 15 minutes late, and from the third day, the question of where the penguins were or if we had seen a whale already really annoyed us...

From the sun deck, we had beautiful views of the bay and spotted the first small icebergs. Due to the good weather, the ship was able to get very close to a huge glacier, simply amazingly beautiful! We also saw 2 research stations that were established in Antarctica. Sometimes penguins came right up to the boat and played in the waves, and we also saw our first whale on Day 2 in Antarctica. In the afternoon, we warmed up again with hot chocolate, played board games, and went outside from time to time.

Day 68 Antarctica

The third day in Antarctica was clearly the most eventful. We spent the whole day outside, interrupted by short tea breaks to warm up. We sailed through Charlotte Bay and Wilhelmina Bay and had great weather. The icebergs got bigger and bigger the further we went into Antarctica. The wildlife also enjoyed the weather. Penguins were darting around in the water, and we saw whales again and again. Most of them were simply sleeping, which is a good sign. They weren't bothered by the ship and us humans and simply relaxed. In total, we saw 49 (!) humpback whales on our journey. So impressive. The landscape was wonderfully impressive and beautiful. In the afternoon, we reached the famous research station Port Lockroy. The boat stayed there for a while in the evening, and we took advantage of the lack of wind (every bit of wind was cold at these temperatures, and we were glad when there was no wind) to spend the evening outside in the whirlpool and enjoy the scenery.

Day 69 Antarctica

On the last day of Antarctica, the boat passed Deception Island. Many penguins live on this island. From the boat, they were often only visible when they swam right next to it or with binoculars. So we were quite annoyed when someone asked again where the penguins were instead of staying outside for a few minutes and discovering them themselves. As a conclusion, we passed some truly impressive large icebergs in the best weather. Antarctica was simply impressive for us.

Day 70 Sea Day

Since we got up early the past few days and spent a lot of time outside, we used the day to sleep in. There was also the show format Deal or No Deal in the morning. The weather felt noticeably warmer again.

More exciting reports will follow :)

We continued through the magical ice world to Elephant Island, which is guaranteed to be elephant-free. If you look at the outline of the island you will understand the name. We repeatedly felt the presence of whales when they shot their fountains into the air. But no one wanted to pose really nicely for the cameras.

None of the events on offer appealed to me today and so it remained a day without appointments.

Today I started consciously eating and drinking less to keep my weight under control. I'm looking for a bathroom scale.

After the rather rough journey, during which it even snowed, the sea suddenly became calmer as we entered Gerlache Strait, our ship sailed more slowly and icebergs appeared in increasing numbers. Some single mountains had tunnel-like holes and they looked like floating palaces. The closer we got to Paradise Bay, the more we were surrounded by snow-capped mountains and icebergs. Penguins and whales also appeared. Occasionally the whales would wave at us with their tails as they dived. In the evening we had reached Paradise Bay and the ship was standing still; A dinghy was launched and several photographers were brought closer to the whales. We were able to watch the action through the dining room windows during dinner.

What a magical place!

In the evening the on-board orchestra played its program "Center Stage", which left me with an overwhelming impression. that my surroundings had impressed on me, unfortunately I couldn't inspire him.

The journey to Antarctica (09.02-18.02)

The thing with Chile turned out to be an obvious lie.... A lie with serious consequences, as I soon found out after my return from Antarctica. The fact that I didn't tell anyone about my adventurous trip to Antarctica (it was supposed to be a surprise..) and then suddenly couldn't be reached for more than 10 days (supposedly traveling in Chile) caused great concern and led to overwhelming activism. Family and friends (understandably) assumed that something might have happened to me (= phone theft, kidnapping, accident, death), which led them to involve the police and Interpol (!!!) and spend sleepless nights because of me. I have already personally apologized to the affected people (aka CSI Bern), but I will say it again: I'M SORRY, IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN, I PROMISE!!! But the cool thing about not being dead (or rather about resurrection #Jesus) is that I can now quickly report on how I came up with the crazy idea of traveling to Antarctica.... And yes, of course, I will tell you about the expedition too.

Maybe you can still remember how I bad-mouthed the zombie ghost town of Neuquén... In retrospect, the stay there had something positive about it. As luck would have it, I met a traveler in the hostel who enthusiastically told me about her travel plans to Antarctica. It had always been a dream of hers to go to Antarctica and now she was just about to fulfill that wish. I was honestly confused at first and thought she was trying to fool me. Until now, I had always assumed that only a few highly motivated polar researchers (and possibly some crazy rich people) had the opportunity to travel there. But no, far from it, regular (more or less long and expensive) trips for mortals are actually offered, ranging from primitive sailing ships to oversized cruise ships (which in my opinion should not be allowed in Antarctica at all). The inception was successful, the seed of curiosity was deeply planted in me. The idea of traveling to Antarctica just wouldn't let go of me anymore. In my imagination, I could already see myself sailing there on a ship :) But still, at first I was torn. Should I really do it? It's a little bit crazy/absurd, but isn't that exactly what I was looking for on my journey? Yes or no? In the end, curiosity and a thirst for adventure won, and I just thought, "fuck, let's do it", it's such a "once-in-a-lifetime" story (sorry for the anglicisms, I think it's because I've mainly been speaking English for months ;))!! I'm sure you're thinking now that I must have paid a fortune for it. Well, that's always a matter of perspective, and the prices can indeed reach astronomical proportions (15-25 thousand USD or even more) depending on your luxury demands and the duration of the trip. I paid 4,400 USD for the trip (around 5 days round trip, and 4 days on the Antarctic Peninsula) which is by no means cheap, considering all the unforgettable experiences, but still somewhat reasonable. Just as a side note: It was a "special offer" or a "deal" that I booked with the agency "Freestyle Adventure Travel" (there are many other providers, but this one was recommended to me and the whole crew did an excellent job!!) If there are actually a few crazy copycats among the readers, you can check out the offers on the following website: https://freestyleadventuretravel.com/ Well, that's the whole story in a nutshell... :)

Day 1

Oh, how I was looking forward to this day (not least because I had spent the previous days more or less motionless in the hostel [you remember the nasty cold and all...] and now I was finally feeling better). Never in my life did I think I would go on an expedition to Antarctica. But now it was finally time!! Full of anticipation, I waited at the port of Ushuaia and was ready to embark on my biggest adventure yet :):). After a friendly welcome (including a tourist group photo ;)) and a small welcome gift, I had/must first make acquaintance with fellow passengers (...you can't really avoid it, after all, you have to spend the next 10 days with these people). Afterwards, we were taken by ferry to the main ship that was anchored nearby. For all nautical and maritime nerds: The ship, the "Ocean Endeavour" (in operation since 1981 and renamed and renovated several times, sailing under the name "Ocean Endeavour" since 2014), is a kind of mini-cruise/expedition ship with room for 199 passengers and a crew of about 120 (see also https://www.intrepidtravel.com/en/boats-ships/ocean-endeavour). By the way, the crew was something else. Besides a small army of highly experienced scientists (including marine biologists, ornithologists, geologists, historians...), the crew consisted more or less of adventurers, globetrotters, and adrenaline junkies (I think of the kayak guides, but also of the expedition photographers who have already worked for National Geographic), with sometimes very exciting biographies. Getting on board was already an extraordinary experience for me, because I had never been on a cruise/expedition ship before. While walking through the different ship corridors, one is greeted by the whole crew one by one, gets a temperature check, and is escorted to their cabin. Everything seems to be orchestrated down to the smallest detail. Contrary to my expectations, the room or cabin is much more comfortable than I imagined. By the way, I shared the cabin with a Welshman whose English I could only decipher somewhat thanks to persistent questioning. (something like Brad Pitt alias Mickey O'Neil in Snatch). While exploring the ship's premises, I quickly came across the Nautilus Lodge (quasi THE main meeting point of the ship, where all important info and entertainment events took place), where I was handed a welcome drink (I doubt that John Davis was traveling in similar luxury when he became the first person to reach the South Pole in 1821, in order to hunt seals ;)). Somehow the whole procedure reminded me of the opening sequence of Titanic (by the way, during the whole ship journey, I occasionally thought of this movie...:) hmm icebergs, similar-looking ships, somehow makes sense...:)). The crew members were all super sympathetic, competent, and helpful. This, combined with the anticipation of seeing Antarctica, made me so happy in that moment that I couldn't help but smile.:):)

We were first informed about the crew and the upcoming expedition, and it quickly became clear that many things are difficult to plan in Antarctica (especially due to rapidly changing weather conditions), which has led to the cancellation/termination of numerous day trips in the past. There were a total of 8 excursions planned for the 4 days in Antarctica (two each in the morning and afternoon, in which you go out in a zodiac boat (or kayak, which would have cost extra) but also have the opportunity to explore part of the offshore islands and ultimately Antarctica itself on foot. With this expedition, you only visit the northern part of the Antarctic Peninsula. With 13.5 million km2, Antarctica (the continent itself is actually called Antarctica) is about one and a half times the size of Europe, which is why exploring southern regions would take several weeks. Since we're talking about facts about Antarctica: About 98% of Antarctica is covered by the Antarctic ice sheet, which is on average 2.3 km thick (up to 4.8 km in some areas) and contains about 70% of the world's freshwater reserves (tendency decreasing :(( ). The average temperature is nearly -50 degrees Celsius. And last but not least: There are actually active volcanoes (e.g. Mount Erebus) in Antarctica!!!.

Well, back to the expedition....:). In one of the briefings, we were informed that we were now officially in Antarctic waters (i.e. in the Southern Ocean). Although the waves had calmed down a bit by now, I still felt bad. The program for the day included various information blocks. For example, we learned that in 1959, rules for the peaceful use and research of the ice cap were established in the Antarctic Treaty. Since then, Antarctica has been considered the largest nature reserve on the planet (Thanks, Wiki :)) How important and worthy of protection the last discovered continent (and its fauna) is was repeated many times during the expedition. Well, that sounds nice and all. If only the rest of the world treated nature with the same respect, we wouldn't be struggling with our global (environmental) problems today.... The passion with which the various researchers talked about their work and experiences in Antarctica (fauna, geology, history) was really contagious and increased the anticipation of what was to come tenfold!! At midnight, we could see the outlines of (ice)bergs on the horizon for the first time.

Day 4

I was already awake at 05:00 in the morning and quickly went to the deck to see what wonderful new landscape (we moved during the day and at night along the islands) awaited me this time. The impression of being in a different world continued (especially since the weather conditions were great, which is anything but self-evident in Antarctica). In the morning, we went on another excursion to a penguin island. Being able to watch the animals in their natural habitat is truly an extraordinary experience. Before we were allowed back on the ship, we were introduced to biosecurity for the first time. In the days before, we had been repeatedly told that when entering or leaving the mainland, the highest hygiene rules had to be observed, because we wanted to prevent the currently rampant bird flu from jumping to humans. Well, because the cute little animals have to do their business somewhere (which really stank tremendously :)), we more or less permanently moved through penguin shit during the land excursions. Biosecurity therefore meant that we had to scrub the penguin feces off our shoes and pants before we were allowed back on the Endeavour... tasty delicious:):). In the afternoon, we took a zodiac boat ride, where we saw some seals (or something... despite the presentations, I am still not able to distinguish the creatures :):)), a new species of penguin (aka chinstrap penguin), and wonderfully surreal iceberg formations. In the evening, whales again appeared around the ship, and I finally managed to take the first photo of a whale :):). By the way, in case you wondered why I didn't take pictures of the classic (big, colorful) penguins. These either live much further south on the mainland (emperor penguins=largest species) or frolic on other sub-Antarctic islands (king penguins=second largest species, looks exactly like the king penguin).

Day 6

In the morning, we took a boat trip to Damoy Point, a British research station where some researchers were currently working. Can you imagine that people sleep outside in tents there? We went on a mini-trekking to another penguin colony (yes, I know, penguins again...:):). In the afternoon, we went to Port Lockroy (natural harbor), where, in addition to research work, the southernmost post office in the world is located!! Part of the facilities has been converted into a museum, which impressively shows how the researchers used to live and work there. Living in almost complete seclusion for several months is not easy, I imagine. Psychologists sometimes like to take advantage of these situations to better study exactly this (i.e. the effects of prolonged isolation). During the debriefing in the evening, we learned that there had been a marriage proposal at Damoy Point. Well, it didn't seem like the worst time to me, especially since it was Valentine's Day :):).

Day 7

We were incredibly lucky with the weather again this day. We did two more day trips, with the latter one being worth mentioning. While up until now we had only been moving around on the islands off the coast of Antarctica (which are covered with a thick layer of ice in the winter months), with the excursion to Portal Point, we set foot on the actual mainland of Antarctica for the first time. The landscape was naturally phenomenal again, with all the icebergs and glacier formations (just see the pictures). In the evening, there was a spectacular sunset (including numerous whale sightings), which made the last day in Antarctica simply perfect!! Thank you so much, Antarctica, you were incredible and will be forever remembered by me!!! In the course of the evening, we approached the Drake Passage again, and unfortunately, all the rocking and rolling started all over again....

Days 8-10

The unpleasant feeling of the first few days unfortunately returned completely. I again suffered from headaches and dizziness and felt somehow strange. Maybe I'm immune to the pills and patches. In order to keep the non-seasick people entertained, there were various lectures again during the return journey, but I couldn't really take advantage of them due to my condition. There was also some entertainment program in the evenings. I preferred to go outside for some fresh air and distract myself as much as possible.

Back in Ushuaia

After I was fortunately able to dispel any doubts about my alleged disappearance or death, I was allowed to spend another two days/nights in Ushuaia, as there were (once again) no bus connections to Chile. Unfortunately, seasickness lasted for a few more days, so I tried to move as little as possible.

By the way, since the day before yesterday I am REALLY in Chile (Punta Arenas) and will fly to Puerto Montt today. I give up on the promise of not flying, but take a look at Google Maps Chile (Punta Arenas) and see if you can find a smart bus connection (that doesn't go via Argentina) towards northern Chile....

Ps: during my first stay in Ushuaia (before the Antarctica expedition), I actually managed to do three more or less strenuous hikes (two of them in the wonderful Parque Tierra del Fuego). The photos are not arranged chronologically (i.e., at the end).

After 3 (but unfortunately only 3) eventful days in the Ross Sea and McMurdo Sound, it was time to say goodbye again. In theory, we would have been driving north along the coast of Victoria Land, with perhaps some activities along the way. However, in practice, there was an ice field stretching over hundreds of kilometers, which had conveniently melted away a few days before our arrival in the Ross Sea and McMurdo Sound. True to the motto 'the fastest way through the ice is around it', we spent a day and a half sailing through the open (and rough) sea, which wasn't too bad for reflecting on our experiences (and finally being able to sleep).

In the afternoon of the second day at sea, we reached the coast again, at the Possession Islands. Here, we sailed through another ice field with some seals - especially with the mountains of the Admiralty Ranges in the background, it was once again a spectacular sight. We had planned to make a landing on the Possession Islands, but the ice conditions made it impossible. Instead, we went on a Zodiac excursion, which took us around an interesting rock formation and then to the beach of the island, where another Adelie penguin colony resided. We spent some time observing a leopard seal (a type of seal), but unfortunately didn't get a chance to concentrate on the penguins because drifting ice threatened to cut off our way back to the mothership. This resulted in a little action scene. Three boats delayed their retreat and got stuck in the pack ice. Two of them were eventually freed with the help of the remaining boats, who pushed away large ice chunks. Then, we passengers were unloaded onto the Ortelius. The guides returned and needed about half an hour to rescue the last boat from the pack ice.

The next day, we were supposed to make a landing at Cape Adare - the northernmost tip of the Antarctic mainland. However, this rarely happens due to the exposed location, with winds and waves. Here, there is also another cabin of old polar explorers, this time from the 'Borchgrevink Expedition' (the first to set foot on Antarctica ...). Of more interest to us: the largest colony of Adelie penguins - 300,000 breeding pairs.
We first practiced the game of 'patience', and as often happened on this tour, the weather gods were on our side: the strong morning wind cleared a spot on the beach of ice floes and then calmed down. So we were brought ashore and could take our time exploring, which we did extensively. At this time of year, the penguin chicks were already large and molting, and the older ones were no longer being fed. As a result, only about 10% of the adult penguins were present in the colony, but it was still an impressive mass of penguins, especially with so many chicks around. We had to be careful not to step on any penguins ... We saw many funny behaviors (running and feeding, collecting stones, screaming, sleeping, chasing away skuas, ...). Some of the adult penguins were also molting, which gave them a quite amusing appearance, and a few seals completed the picture.

Cape Adare is located at the tip of a small peninsula, and we sailed to its base (Robertson Bay) and stayed overnight there to use our helicopters one last time - this time for a pure sightseeing flight. This took place the next morning. We flew - to bid farewell to Antarctica - over some very impressive glaciers, mountains, and a small ice shelf.

After that, it was time to say goodbye to this very special and impressive (and absolutely incredible for us) continent, and we headed north towards New Zealand.

The southwestern corner of the Ross Sea - located between Ross Island and the Antarctic continent and no longer reached by the Ross Ice Shelf - is called McMurdo Sound. The current Antarctic research stations of the Americans and the New Zealanders are located here, but there are also some historical sites from early Antarctic expeditions to see, including the base camp of the (British) expedition to discover the South Pole (which was actually successful [the South Pole was reached], but then not [the Norwegian expedition led by Roald Amundsen had beaten them by a few days, and on the return journey Scott and his men died near their next supply depot]).

98% of Antarctica is covered with ice and snow, but there are a few spots that are not. For us, a visit to one of the 'Dry Valleys' here in McMurdo Sound came first. In these valleys, there is almost never any precipitation, and if there is, it is blown away by the next storm (which never takes long to arrive). So on the Antarctic continent, you find yourself in a desert of sand and rock without snow, where only a few glacier tongues end from the surrounding mountains. This area is probably quite similar to the conditions on the moon ...

First, our ship made its way through increasingly dense pack ice as close to the shore as possible (well, there were still a few kilometers missing in the end ...), and we saw 3 Emperor penguins (one individual and a pair with an added Adelie penguin), some Adelie penguins, a few seals, and a minke whale. The whale obviously only needed small water holes in otherwise quite compact pack ice ... After we got stuck, the helicopters were used again, which took us to Taylor Valley at the foot of the Canadian Glacier. Here we were allowed to walk around for an hour and also reached the southernmost point of our journey (we will provide the latitude later). The marked circular path was not really long, but taking photos takes time, so we made the most of our hour.

This time we were among the first to be taken ashore, so after returning to the boat, we had to wait for some time and enjoy the scenery. To make sure we weren't bored, 2 Emperor penguins swam by and examined the strange box that was lying there. Later, we were also allowed to walk on the ice floe next to us. This attracted 4 Emperor penguins, who hopped to the other end of the ice floe and then came over to the part that was specially secured and marked for us. They came to within maybe 1-2m of us, and they were clearly the active party - we just stood there in awe. We were watched by the penguins for almost 1 hour, then they went back swimming and left us completely amazed.

In the evening, our ship fought its way out of the pack ice again, which was accompanied by the sighting of another minke whale and 5 more Emperor penguins. There were also a few Adelie penguins, but today they were outnumbered by the Emperor penguins. To round off the day, we also saw a group of orcas, and Mount Erebus (an active volcano and at about 3700m the highest mountain in the region) appeared without any disturbing clouds.

Overnight, we then chugged over to Ross Island (where Mount Erebus is located), and the next morning we found ourselves in pack ice again, which this time was quite densely populated with Adelie penguins (no wonder - there are several colonies of them here, each with several thousand breeding pairs). At Cape Royd, we then visited the hut of an Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton, as well as an Adelie penguin colony next door, again with the help of helicopters, as the zodiac landing spot was blocked by ice. Our time here was not really limited, and after 2.5 hours, we finally flew back. For the first time since leaving the Beagle Channel in Ushuaia at the beginning of the trip, we saw another tour ship today. They don't have helicopters and could not land here ('unfortunately'), although their trip (with a similar route) is rumored to cost about twice as much as ours...

We continued for about 3 hours to Cape Evans, where Scott's expedition hut is located (thanks to the climatic conditions, nothing decays here, so these huts only need occasional repairs to fix wind damage - the interior, however, is still largely original). Somewhat surprisingly, a decent little storm came up on this trip, but in a very cooperative way: It blew from the land to the sea at Cape Evans, thereby clearing the landing site, and in the bay in front of it, the swell was not sooo bad. Waterproofed, we hopped into the zodiacs for our first 'wet landing' of this tour. The beach was nice and shallow, so it was no problem to get out of the rubber boat and step into the water for a moment - the thermal rubber boots provided by the tour operator not only had the effect of keeping us warm, but also the rubber effect.
Once again, we were able to take a short hike after visiting the hut. This led to a small hill, and we experienced the feeling of the real Antarctic: the measured temperature was -8°C, which became 'feels like -18°C' due to the snowstorm. The landscape with its drifting snow was very impressive, and once again, we were perceived as a disturbance to the routine: This time we were scrutinized by skuas (jaegers) for our potential threat and then allowed to pass as trustworthy...

In the late evening - and also the next morning - we made our way north through pack ice, bidding farewell to 3 eventful days with some Adelie penguins, seals, and two more Emperor penguins, but also with a full-blown storm. Now it was time to let everything sink in and catch up on sleep...

The Ross Sea followed the Amundsen Sea, which extends furthest south and was therefore particularly attractive to early Antarctic explorers. The flagship of this region is its southern boundary - a glacier tongue: the Ross Ice Shelf (it feels like everything here is named after and/or by the explorer James Ross), whose edge spans a whopping 800km (!!!) from east to west.

800 km is a long way to go (especially at about 20 km/h...), so the relatively uneventful days continued. At least the mentioned opening in the icefield before the Ross Sea held up, we slipped through and now had a day ahead according to schedule, while we were one day behind after the Peter I Island. We 'used' this time to have our cameras thoroughly checked and adjusted in the framework of our booked photography course - afterwards the results suit us much better (and if not, at least the uncertainty is gone that it could be caused by a wrong setting).

On January 31st (by the way, halfway through our tour), the time had come: we were presented with the Ross Ice Shelf. We were woken up at 04:10 (in the morning!), the sun was pretty high in the south (which is actually the 'wrong' side here), and we glided along an endless ice wall of about 15-20m height (approximately the height of our boat, from the top deck we could just see the plain behind the ice edge).

Here at the ice edge, the wildlife was much more abundant than before - minke whales frolicked around the boat, orcas passed by several times, and Adelie penguins were seen both swimming and as passengers on ice floes. We were flown over to the ice shelf with our helicopters and could stretch our legs there for a while. More spectacular than being present on the shelf was the flight along the edge of the ice, as an encore we also saw a group of orcas from above, as well as some penguins and seals.

In the morning it was still somewhat cloudy and hazy, but that changed on the afternoon drive - now the ice was beautifully illuminated, and we saw more minke whales as well as large groups of Adelie penguins. The camera shutters ran hot in unison ... Later - after dinner - we crossed our first larger pack ice field, still in brilliant sunshine. Simply fantastic. And as if the day hadn't been great enough already, we now saw 3 (individual) emperor penguins here - they are the largest of the penguins, and it was not clear if we would see even one.

After many not so exciting days at sea, we had certainly been richly rewarded for the long wait on this day...

The Amundsen Sea is adjacent to the Bellingshausen Sea and is where we continued westward. Initially, we had quite good weather here (calm winds and - especially in the morning hours - a mirror-smooth sea), and we took advantage of it to get close to the pack ice and explore it with the Zodiacs. We saw a variety of (crabeater) seals, an Adelie penguin (which was walking among a group of seals), and a leopard seal (which is also a type of seal) that was kind enough to yawn for us on camera. This tour was once again a great excursion, as we got very close to the animals (e.g. 3m distance), and with the engine turned off, we could hear the sleeping and breathing sounds of the seals. And of course, there were some beautiful icebergs on top of that.

Otherwise, we were making good progress westward within our capabilities. Every now and then, we saw whales again (orcas, minke whales, humpback whales), and the evening view provided some excitement. Windy.com gave us some insight into how our well-being could develop (so far, we have not had really bad weather), and an ice map based on NASA satellite photos showed us that (a) there was still a lot of ice on our way (and we keep hearing: 'The fastest way through the ice is around the outside'), but (b) a fairly narrow ice-free passage to the Antarctic mainland seemed to be opening up. If it held and the wind, waves, and visibility allowed it, we could significantly shorten our travel distance and have more time for landings, Zodiac tours, helicopter excursions, etc...

From the Antarctic Peninsula, it is approximately 120 degrees of longitude westward to the destination in New Zealand. The highlights of our journey are located in the Ross Sea, which is situated south of New Zealand. So, we had to make some progress and head west.

First, we crossed the Bellingshausen Sea. The weather was bad for the next 2 days, which was doubly bad because there was nothing to see (and photograph), and the not-so-fast ship (10 knots = about 20 km/h is the standard cruising speed, for a distance of 6,500 nautical miles = about 12,000 km it is somewhat undersized) was now moving even slower. As a result, we needed an extra day to reach the next waypoint - the island dedicated to Tsar Peter the Great, 'Peter I Island' - than planned.

Fortunately, when we arrived, the wind had died down and the waves were bearable, so the not-so-common operation of 'landing on the island' took place for us. With our 3 helicopters, all 87 passengers and part of the crew were flown to the island in shifts and could take a look around there. The return flight was then designed as a sightseeing event with an island tour.
Now we can count ourselves among the fewer than 1,000 people who have ever set foot on this little island in the middle of nowhere. Speaking of 'in the middle of nowhere' - assuming that we were the only ship between the Antarctic Peninsula and the Ross Sea, the nearest human beings were to be found on the ISS - 400 km above us - everyone else, however, was over 1,000 km away...

On the continued journey through the Bellingshausen Sea, we now saw smaller, larger, and even very large icebergs - some over 100 meters long and surely 30, 40, 50 meters high...very impressive. Especially when the sun was shining (which fortunately happened more often now), the illuminated icebergs looked beautiful in the blue water. To break things up, the occasional whale passed by as well.

One might think that the longest tour possible here would also provide the most intense exploration of the Antarctic Peninsula (which is the piece of land protruding from the South Pole region towards South America). But that was not the case... while shorter tours spend 3-5 days here, we only had one day.

At least the weather was quite good initially, and after reaching the Gerlache Strait, we saw many beautiful icebergs and ice-covered islands on both sides. We could also spot whale spouts in the distance, but our boat is too slow to reach a suitable spot like a whale watching boat would.

After lunch, on a zodiac tour, we got a first impression of what Antarctica is like. We stopped in a random bay (later identified as Murray Bay), the zodiacs were launched into the water, and we spent about 2 hours cruising around the bay. We saw Weddell seals, 2 different types of penguins (Gentoo and Adélie penguins), and ice, ice, ice... which, thanks to the lack of air pollution, is a radiant white like we have never seen before.

Later in the day, we saw a group of humpback whales feeding, and a penguin came by on a small iceberg and waddled around - slightly excited by all the company. Then the weather changed quickly, becoming hazy and a snowstorm moved in. The forecast for the next 2 days was not very promising, with high winds, rough seas, and above all, a lot of water....

During the time of whaling, a whale processing station was set up here. Before oil and its benefits were discovered, whale oil was the only means to fuel oil lamps, for example. In the 19th century, thousands of whales were killed and the population in the oceans was drastically reduced, sometimes by up to 90%. Unfortunately, some countries still engage in whaling today.

Later, this station was used as a research facility by the British. Two volcanic eruptions in 1967 and 1969 severely damaged the station. Another eruption occurred in 1970. The ash rain buried a large part of the station.

A colony of chinstrap penguins lives in Whalers Bay. This is the third species of penguins we have seen on this tour. The chinstrap penguin is related to the adelie penguin and the macaroni penguin.

Of course, the ruins are also fascinating and make for interesting photo motifs. Birds also use these ruins to raise their young.

Damoy Point is a beautiful bay with very beautiful icebergs made of glacier ice. The blue color that arises from the refraction of light is truly unique. You might think someone has installed indirect lighting in the iceberg.

Tomorrow we will celebrate Christmas Eve on board the ship. After that, we will return to Punta Arenas, where we will continue our tour in Patagonia.

Heute sind wir ganz früh um 05:30 aufgestanden, um die Einfahrt in den Lemaire-Kanal mitzuerleben. Fantastisch, diese Eindrücke. Zumal wir nun die Bekanntschaft mit dichter werdenden See-Eis machen. Das Schiff fährt langsamer und muss sich seinen Kurs an den Eisbergen vorbei suchen. Dabei kracht und knackt jede Berührung des Rumpfes mit dem See-Eis. Es ist immer unklar, ob das Tagesziel tatsächlich erreicht werden kann. Der Kapitän ist aber sehr ambitioniert und lässt sich nicht wirklich abschrecken. Wir haben nicht erwartet, bei dieser Tour tatsächlich in solche Situationen zu kommen. Es ist wirklich eine absolut unbezahlbare Erfahrung.

Auf dem Weg zur Vernadsky-Station sehen wir natürlich wieder tolle Eisberge, die wunderschön blau schimmern. Hin und wieder haben sich auf den Flächen kleine Schmelzwasserseen gebildet, die ebenfalls sehr schön blau schimmern. Die Felsmassive im Hintergrund sehen aus wie eine Leihgabe aus "Herr der Ringe".

Die Vernadsky-Station ist eine ukrainische Forschungsstation auf Argentine-Island. Dort leben 10 Männer und 2 Frauen, die seit acht Monaten keinen Besuch von Außen hatten. Uns wird bei dem Besuch auch selbstgebrannter Wodka versprochen. Früher gehörte diese Station den Briten und hieß Faraday-Station. Von hier wurde zum ersten Mal das Ozonloch bemerkt.

Das Schiff quält sich so nah wie möglich an die Station heran. Es kracht und ächzt permanent. Das Schiff stoppt und zwischen uns und der Station befinden sich Eisberge und Eisschollen. Dann entdecken wir Minke-Whales (Zwergwal), die immer wieder unter dem Schiff durchtauchen. Das ein oder andere Foto gelingt sogar.

Der Expeditionsleiter fährt mit einem Zodiak raus und prüft, ob es überhaupt möglich ist, zur Station zum kommen, ohne von Eisschollen abgetrieben zu werden. Leider klappt das nicht und man will die Expeditionsreisenden nicht den Gefahren aussetzen. Plan B muss her. Das Schiff verlässt die Position und fährt zurück. Während ich das schreibe, kratzen die Eisplatten permanent am Rumpf des Schiffes.

Übrigens, es gibt eine großes Expeditionsteam an Bord und täglich gibt es spannende Vorträge über die Antarktis und Expeditionen. Viele in dem Team haben umfangreiche Erfahrungen in der Antarktis. Eine Ärztin hat bereits hier auf einer Forschungsstation überwintert.

Jetzt sind wir aber gespannt auf Plan B oder C.

Today we reached Danco Island. Our path takes us to a small hill with a colony of Gentoo penguins. These little animals are truly admirable. The landscape around us is breathtaking once again. The evening departure is spectacular. The ship navigates its way around icebergs in the Gerlache Strait, and we admire the icebergs in the Errera Channel.

Our next destination tomorrow is Vernadsky Station, on the Argentine Islands, a Ukrainian research station, and of course, we are heading towards Christmas. The ship is getting more and more decorated and we are getting into the Christmas spirit.

But let's start at the beginning, which already started the night before at 23:00. The captain set course for Snow Hill. It was clear that there was no guarantee for landing. No ship from Hurtigruten has managed to do it before. However, the new ship can break through ice up to 1 meter thick. The ship has already pushed aside a few smaller icebergs that were blocking the way. The ship stopped at 23:00 (by the way, it is still bright outside). In front of us were countless large icebergs and an increasingly dense layer of compact sea ice. Later we learned that behind the ship, towards the return route, a solid layer of sea ice was also forming, which could have cut off our way back. The captain decided to turn around and seek safe waters.

The next morning we were in a calm bay with countless really large icebergs. The daily program planned to take all participants out in the Zodiacs and get close to the icebergs. In the end, it was a great compensation for the missed emperor penguins.

Icebergs are formed by the calving of glaciers and the breaking off of shelf ice. A glacier is a glacier when the ice moves. The ice continuously pushes forward until it breaks off at the cliff edge into the sea. This is called calving. Shelf ice is ice that does not move. Break-offs are due to the warming in the surrounding area (global warming!).

It is super interesting to navigate through these icebergs and see the layers up close. This ice was formed thousands of years ago (in the case of glaciers, sometimes 100,000 years ago).

The penguins on the ice floes in the water are always cute.

We are curious where the ship will take us next for the next day.

We will encounter a colony of Adelie penguins, some Gentoo penguins, and geological formations that were formed by volcanic eruptions at a depth of 1,000 meters.

One highlight after another. The Adelie penguins already have their offspring. Most pairs even have two chicks. It is incredible to observe these little animals. It's great to see how the offspring is fed and kept warm.

The experiences and impressions one gains here cannot be compared to anything else. It is indescribable.

The path the ship takes through the ice and past the icebergs takes your breath away. Occasionally, a small iceberg is pushed aside. On the way to the next destination in the late afternoon, our path is blocked by icebergs and the captain is forced to find a new route. It is unclear whether this will succeed. I hope it works because we can see Emperor penguins at the next location.

However, our route takes us past the second largest and largest iceberg. The largest iceberg actually measures a length of 160 km (!) and is twice the size of Luxembourg. The captain then navigates to the second largest iceberg and stops right in front of it.

Further on, the ice becomes denser and it is unclear whether we can get through. I will report on that tomorrow.

Today we reached the South Shetlands. Calm sea and beautiful weather welcome us. The day starts for Ruth and me at 06:00, as we didn't want to miss the first iceberg. And indeed, the first iceberg appears breathtakingly, with the South Shetlands in the background. Immediately, we go up to the deck. With the low temperatures, clear air, and icy blue water, the great polar feeling sets in immediately. I don't know where to look at all. Everything is so deeply impressive, and a real sense of exploration arises within me (us). I can't remember the last time I felt so good. Everything seems so peaceful and calm here. The icy world in front of us doesn't appear hostile but rather inviting to us. We are looking forward to the first landing at 19:00 (23:00 at home) today.

Everywhere in the water, you can see whales and penguins. It's difficult to capture them with the camera. It worked out well with one whale. The back and tail fin are visible. This is not SeaWorld, where you can watch the animals underwater through a glass pane.

There's not much to see on the passage. Water all around, nothing else. The albatrosses and petrels are interesting, they follow the ship the whole time.

The days at sea are made shorter with many interesting lectures and good food. The highlight was the sighting of a group of blue whales and fin whales. The blue whale is the largest creature on Earth, weighing up to 200 tons!

The ship is heading towards the South Shetlands. The plan is to land at Yankee Harbour the next day.