A typical day in Antarctica

"What's it like to take a cruise in Antarctica? What do you do?" I've had many people ask me this. I'm here to squash the mystery surrounding Antarctica. 
A typical day, for example, went like this: we would be woke up around 7:15 am by a gingerly Kiwi-accented man.  
"Good morning, ladies and gentleman, if you haven't looked out your window yet this morning, we are now anchored in Margeruite Bay. The temperature outside is a balmy 0 degrees. We plan to land and zodiac cruise around 9 am. Breakfast is being served.", he would announce over the intercom. Then a French man would get on the PA and repeat everything he said, only in French. 
The passengers would pour into the dining room one-by-one to nosh on a buffet-style breakfast. Oatmeal, toast, sausage, French toast, bacon, eggs, cereal, cheese, peanut butter.... anything your little heart desired. It was fantastic.
Breakfast was my favorite meal. I stuffed myself silly. Which is probably why I gained a few pounds. No regrets!! 
After filling up our stomachs, we would return to our rooms to prepare ourselves for the morning excursion outside. Layer after layer, we piled on the much needed warmth until we all looked like the Michelin tire man. We were all given a bright yellow parka on the first day, so nobody won any fashion awards on this cruise. 
It was difficult to distinguish people you knew when we were all bundled up with only our eyes peeking out from our hooded face. "Oh, hi, I didn't recognize you!" was frequently heard. 
A Filipino lady would check off our name on her clipboard as we marched single-file down the steep, steel grated steps to the zodiac awaiting us outside.

How we loaded on and off the boat

A zodiac is a little black rubber boat with an engine on the back. These were our transportation to land and on our cruising excursions. 

The zodiacs are pretty sturdy little boats. They have to be, they are the only thing separating us from the freezing cold waters. The average person wouldn't last long if you decided to take a dip in this ocean. 

The zodiacs were able to maneuver into small spaces, where we could catch a glimpse of all the amazing wildlife in Antarctica. We would whiz over big chunks of ice without popping the raft, which was a bit terrifying. 

We were instructed to hold on to the rope that circumferences the raft. We were also told NOT to stand up, unless the driver of the zodiac gave us the A-ok to do so. There was one staff member to each zodiac. You would typically get a different staff member each time, depending on where you were in line to get on. 

By law, only 100 passengers are allowed on the continent at a time. Quark expeditions were very law-abiding. 
Half the passengers would go to land for a couple hours, while the other half would putz around in the water, keeping their eyes peeled for seals, penguins, whales and ice bergs. Sometimes we would spot a whale in the distance and the driver would rev the engine, sending us flying through the water towards the breaching beast. 

Once we were close, we would observe in awe as the beautiful creature danced in the water, gracefully flipping his tail up and then diving into the icy waters. It was a spectacular sight. The type where you open your eyes as big as you can, ensuring you fully take in the view. 

After the zodiac cruise, we would unload on land and explore for about 2 more hours, depending on weather. 

Weather pending, we would do 2 land and 2 water excursions each day, which kept us quite busy. Between the excursions, there were informative presentations put on by the different staff members. There was a geologist, historian, photographer, doctor, an expert on birds, and many more highly intelligent individuals onboard the Ocean Diamond. It was impressive.
It was a very educational excursion.
After dinner, there would sometimes be a movie showing in the main presentation room, or another presentation. Then it was time for bed and everyone slept well, I'm sure, until the next glorious morning. 
I've said it once, and I'll say it again, nature is awesome. I'm not sure if it can get any more raw nature than Antarctica. It's so untouched. 
Pure. Natural. Desolate. 

Let's talk about penguins

It was day 3 of our Antarctica expedition and everyone on the boat had survived the infamous Drake Passage.  In the gift shop, you could buy t-shirts that proclaimed "I survived the Drake Passage!".
Now that we had all survived the worst, we could enjoy what Antarctica had to offer. Nature at it's finest!!!
This was the most spectacular slice of the world that I had seen that WAS NOT spoiled. Humans haven't gotten their grubby little hands on this place yet. There are no factories spewing out smoke or cars whizzing through on busy highways. However, Antarctica does have it's own sort of "highways". They are PENGUIN highways. Seriously. Penguins follow the same paths, packing down the snow with their cute little feet... and dropping plenty of doo-doo along the way, adding a little color to the snow.

One of the "penguin highways"

Since I was a little girl, I've marveled at pictures of penguins. Of course I was curious about them, but I never dreamed that I would actually be traveling thousands of miles across the globe to see them with my own eyes!!
The thing I could never tell from just looking at the pictures, was how STINKY penguins are!!!
Yes, penguins are the most foul smelling adorable creatures that have ever existed! I stifled my gags in my scarf as I navigated between the smelly animals. I never really got used to the stench either. 
But, let me tell ya, penguins are the coolest birds you ever did see.
Their cute waddle will charm their way to your heart. They have a curiosity of humans which made my heart melt. So innocent. If you sit quietly, the penguins will actually come up to you....

"Hi there, little guy"

They are a little clumsy on land, but when it comes to water, they are expert swimmers. You'll see them bobbing above water every few strokes. I'm not talking about just their heads, they will thrust their ENTIRE body out of the water. It's a spectacular sight, but very difficult to capture on camera. 

They fly gracefully through the water, slicing it with their waterproof feathers. 

Penguins go through a "molt" once a year. This is when they shed their old feathers and replace them with new feathers. This process takes about 2-3 weeks. They fast during this period, so before they molt, they will gorge themselves to bulk up their fatty layer. They look like scruffy, beat up old birds during this phase. But they're still cute!!

We were told to keep our distance from the molting penguins, since they are more sensitive at this time. 

The main reason why I wanted to visit Antarctica, was because of the penguins. 

Have you ever seen the movie "March of the penguins"? If you haven't, watch it, and make sure you bring plenty of kleenex. 

After seeing this enduring movie, I was determined to see these loving creatures with my own eyes. 

 There are 17 species of penguins in the world. Where you go and during what season will determine which penguins you will see. On our expedition, we saw the Adelle, Gentoo, and Chinstrap penguins. 

We were given ample time to wander around at the different penguin colonies. Each one was unique in their own way.

They are loud too! I wonder what they're all chatting about...

Yep, penguins are pretty cool. I can't imagine having to survive in such harsh environments. How do they do it?! Hats off to you, penguins!!