Antarctica Things to Do

  After the hour-long hike up a steep hill
by leigh767
 
  • After the hour-long hike up a steep hill
      After the hour-long hike up a steep hill
    by leigh767
  • accumlating snow on a snowy day
      accumlating snow on a snowy day
    by 850prc
  • View of Ushuaia and Beagle Channel from Glacier
      View of Ushuaia and Beagle Channel from...
    by klmousseau
  • Ushuaia
      Ushuaia
    by klmousseau
  • Baby black-browed albatross
      Baby black-browed albatross
    by LynCod
 
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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Jougla Point 2

by leigh767

We had an unbelievable close encounter with a leopard seal at Jougla Point! It came right up to our zodiac and hung around for 10 full minutes. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen-- and I am not even a crazed animal fan. According to our marine biologist, it was a relatively young seal (probably in its adolescence) because seals don't typically come right up to a zodiac for so long. Since they're still growing, they are trying to familiarise themselves with their environment, find out who are their friends/foes, etc. As magnificent as the mountains, icebergs, penguins were, I think this really was the capstone moment of the trip for me. I was speechless for a good while after this encounter.Click to see one more photo.

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Port Lockroy 3

by leigh767

When visiting Port Lockroy, please note that there are nesting penguins RIGHT AT THE EDGE of your landing spot and all the way to the main entrance of the huts! Be extra careful at this landing so you don't accidentally step on a penguin/egg/chick. (Yes, these penguins are fearless; they've practically made themselves a doormat for the huts)

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Neumayer Channel 5

by leigh767

Antarctica, I feel, is a place of imagination. When you go, don't just keep your eyes open. Sure, you could see a lot that way. But if you use a bit of imagination you may start seeing a lot more than what your eyes can tell you. For example, I saw a "sphinx-like lion" and a massive penguin and chick in the waters. I think that's the only way to see lions so far south on this planet. :0)Click on the photos to see what I mean.

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Jougla Point 1

by leigh767

From the smallest water droplets to the grandest mountains, Antarctica is incessantly beautiful. When you are surveying the mountains, don't forget to turn around and look down at the sides of your zodiac. you'd be amazing at the patters the water can generate.Please click to full view photo

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Port Lockroy 2

by leigh767

There's also a well-stocked gift shop at Port Lockroy that sells anything from t-shirts to stuffed penguin toys to Antarctica maps. Note that this gift shop will easily bankrupt you. Therefore, remember to bring credit card instead of cash if you are so inclined.Most importantly, this is also where you can buy stamps and postcards and pop your postcards in the undeniably British-red postbox. :0) Personally, I prefer the postcard selection onboard the Orlova so you might want to get your postcards ready beforehand. That way you can maximise your time at the landing. (Trust me; I made the mistake of trying to write 12 postcards at Port Lockroy and almost didn't make it to see another nearby landing, Jougla Point)

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Port Lockroy 1

by leigh767

Port Lockroy is a British base. According to the Antarctic Treaty (first established in 1961) no territorial claims by any nation will be recognized, but the Brits still somewhat cheekily call it "British Antarctic Territory". So if you send off your postcards here you will certainly find your stamps proclaiming this "fact". :0)Today, it is managed by a very competent team from the British Antarctic Trust (see story below). Their main duties focus on maintaining the (amazing) museum, which virtually takes you back through time to see how the early explorers/researchers had lived here.When I visited Port Lockroy, there were two women from the British Antarctic Trust organizing the entire place. Amazingly, they had been travellers to Antarctica onboard a cruise ship like myself the winter before. They fell in love with the continent so much that, upon their return to the UK, they applied...

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Neumayer Channel 3

by leigh767

This photo is the evidence why I believe that it is so important to bring a SLR (professional camera) with a good zoom lens. Many beautiful things in Antarctica are very far away. You cannot control how far away you are from That Beautiful Iceberg or That Humpback Whale. Some of the things are very close! Like the penguins during your landings. So if you are able to, consider bringing a good zoom lens that allows you to take photos of things that are close and far away. Camera jargon:I found the Canon 70-200mm f/4 IS L to be very useful. Sometimes I also used 1.4x extender.Please click to see the entire picture.

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Neumayer Channel 2

by leigh767

The trick to getting more out of your Antarctica trip is: be diligent. It may seem obvious, but just remember to make an extra effort to go up on deck before or after your delicious meals and try to catch some more scenery. Sometimes, they make us do so much during our landings (which is great!) that it's easy to get lazy and stop going out on deck on our own. But from my experience some of the most beautiful photos I took were from those quiet moments of solitude up on deck by myself. Here, we almost seem like we are sailing into nothing-ness.

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Neumayer Channel 1

by leigh767

The Lemaire Channel is a beautiful stretch of the Antarctica Peninsula. (More tips on that later) However, because of the weather conditions on my trip I actually became fonder of the Neumayer Channel. One afternoon, when we were sailing through the Neumayer on the way to Neko Harbour, we came across the most perfect piece of glass that stretched as far as the eye could see. The water hardly moved, and the mountains fell into their own reflections in the calm mirror-like sea. If you'd lilke, please click to full view this panorama photo I created from that moment. Even then, it is hardly enough to ever tell the beauty of that place.

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Neko Harbour 8

by leigh767

Usually, travel tips are used to tell you what to do. Here, I am going to tell you: do NOTHING. You see, there is so much to see in Antarctica that you sometimes feel at a lost as to what to do first. But when you get to Neko Harbour, slow down and take a moment to stop and take it all in. It is a magnificent spot that is, for good reason, near and dear to the hearts of many of my fellow travellers and myself. If you can, complete the hour-long hike and when you get to the destination, find a nice quiet spot to lie down just like my two friends here. Then, let the silence take over. Occasionally, glaciers would calve and plunge into the sea. And it is nothing short of magnificent.

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Fun things to do in Antarctica
 
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Reviews and photos of Antarctica attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Antarctica sightseeing.

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Things to Do: Cities in Antarctica
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Questions and Answers

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Q:  Hello, I'm so excited about my trip to Antarctica on 2/19 on Quark. Questions for those who've been there - 1. packing -... 

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A: There is a tiny place on Deception Island, where the ground is so hot that you can dig out a hole and let the sea-water in that will allow you to take a bath in hot... 

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