We crossed the Antarctic Convergence before the morning hours. I awoke knowing that I was officially in Antarctic waters. Our ship made its way to the South Shetland Islands. The first sight of land was a joyous occasion.
The other passenger and I were glued to the lobby’s glass in order to get a good view of the chain of mountains sprinkled with snow and ice. Amidst the ice cracks were hints of blue. The blue coloring appeared to glow, welcoming us much like a neon sign greets customers before entering.
The ship made its way to the South Shetland Islands for our first landing. In our parkas, rain pants, waterproof boots, and life vests, we hopped into a Zodiac boat for a short cruise to Half Moon Island. You could feel the excitement among passengers as we drew closer to shore. Stepping off the boat and onto the rocks of the beach gave me a feeling of true exploration. I was exploring a place seldom seen by humankind. As we trekked toward the slope of a steep hill, I used my binoculars to see waves crashing into what I learned was an Elephant Seal. Seeming to be undisturbed by the waves and by us, we continued on our hike.
 |
| Elephant Seal |
After much slipping and sliding, we made it the top of the hill.
From this vantage point, we could see Antarctica in all its icy glory. Following our descent, we made our way to the other side of the island where I had my first face-to-face meeting with a Chinstrap Penguin.
 |
| Chinstrap Penguins |
Mesmerized by the way these flightless birds waddled and pecked at rocks, I was reminded of their habitat’s remoteness by how they were not in the least frightened by their human visitors. After all, these creatures have no reason to fear humans because there are usually never any around to harm them. Once the parcel of penguins I was observing gracefully swam away, no more than 50 yards ahead we spotted two Weddell Seals basking in the sun.
 |
| Weddell Seal |
We couldn’t stay long because a Brown Skua began to fly overhead in preparation for a dive bomb if we did not quickly move away from her nest. We happily obliged.
 |
| Brown Skua |
We neared our first penguin colony at the end of our hike. I could instantly tell that ahead were many penguins due to the rancid smell of their excrement. Despite the odor, the Chinstrap Penguins were incredible to watch. Many were perched on mounds of rocks to seal their eggs while other collected rocks or headed to and from the shore for a nice bath. Dirty penguins went down the hill; clean penguins came up. With paths for traveling, nests for comfort, and squawks for communicating, the colony resembled a working city. A civilization that has existed longer than many of the ones established by man. That alone is reason enough for humans to conserve Antarctica’s wildlife.
 |
| Chinstrap Penguin |
Our next destination was like a scene from
The Lord of the Rings. Our ship methodically made its way through a very narrow but beautiful passage known as Neptune’s Bellows to Deception Island.
 |
| Neptune's Bellows/Deception Island |
At Deception Island resides an abandoned whaling station known as Whalers Bay. The relics of this enterprise are proof of the progress humans have made to not only explore Antarctica, but to keep it and the animals who live here, protected. Now instead of humans coming to the White Continent for whale blubber, we come to research Antarctica to better understand its impact on life as we know it.
The other passenger and I were glued to the lobby’s glass in order to get a good view of the chain of mountains sprinkled with snow and ice. Amidst the ice cracks were hints of blue. The blue coloring appeared to glow, welcoming us much like a neon sign greets customers before entering.
The ship made its way to the South Shetland Islands for our first landing. In our parkas, rain pants, waterproof boots, and life vests, we hopped into a Zodiac boat for a short cruise to Half Moon Island. You could feel the excitement among passengers as we drew closer to shore. Stepping off the boat and onto the rocks of the beach gave me a feeling of true exploration. I was exploring a place seldom seen by humankind. As we trekked toward the slope of a steep hill, I used my binoculars to see waves crashing into what I learned was an Elephant Seal. Seeming to be undisturbed by the waves and by us, we continued on our hike.
From this vantage point, we could see Antarctica in all its icy glory. Following our descent, we made our way to the other side of the island where I had my first face-to-face meeting with a Chinstrap Penguin.
