A close encounter with huge humpback whale

Editor's Pick Award

Our Editors awarded this travel blog entry for providing relevant information that may be useful and inspiring for other travelers.

I just come back from a 10-day trip to Antarctica. It's an enjoyable trip to me.

The highlight is the close encounter of a humpback whale. It's only a couple meters away, sometimes we can even almost touch it! I am with 8 passengers and a driver on a Zodiac -- an inflated boat. The whale, 13-14 feet long, is kind of curious about us. Sometimes it comes out of water vertically with its head above water for 2-3 seconds and sinks into the water again. Sometimes it swims around our Zodiac wit h its side fin almost hitting us. Sometimes it is just below us. We can see its pale belly in the clear water. Everytime it surfaces, it would bring us chaos on the boat. Passengers would go from one side to another to take photos or videos. When we approach it from far away, I am using a 80-200mm lens which is too large to take photos on it. It's really huge. My roommate takes a good picture for me with the whale as the backdrop.

We see a variety of penguins -- Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins are the most popular, with 2 Mariconi penguins in the last landing. They are in the moulting process -- getting rid of baby feather, strengthening up the water-proof  skin&nb sp; layer and ready to dive into the cold ocean. Penguins on some islands are shy of man. When we approach them a little bit, they would get away. But on Neko Harbour, a penguin passes by me at a distance of less than 1 meter.  We enter a world where the penguins are the hosts. We watch "Marches of Penguins" on the cruise -- a touching movie with good shots. The King penguins spend lots of the time of their life to hetch eggs and shuttle for kilometers between the empire and the sea to find food to feed chicks. It would be an impossible mission unless the cameramen are passionate and determined to film it. There are 47 days in the King penguin emperor without sunlight. The temperature could plummet to as low as  -70 C. 

We also see elephant seals, which is a really big and fat mammals; leopard seals, 3- 4 meters long, which is the top predator in a food chain, feeding on penguins and other kind of seals. They dare trace one of our Zodiacs. There are some other seals like crabeaters, fur seals etc.

There are also Antarctica birds like albatross, petrols, skuas etc

I didn't expect there are so many high mountains (over 1000m, or 3000m) on Antarctica. I thought it is a vast ice plain. Of course, there are icebergs on the sea. The blue color is beautiful and attractive. Glaciers are everywhere.

Some of passengers, including me, swim in Antarctica sea! We land on Deception Island where  volcanic activities still exists. Staff dig a shallow pool near to the sea water. We strip off all the clothings and run into the cold sea water. It's so cold that I kind of have no feeling at all. Within seconds, I come out of water and jump into the warm shallow pool.  When I dress again, I do not feel as cold as before.

On one landing, we land on the real Antarctica continent. I am not aware I have been to 7 continents on that day unless I see some passengers holding a flag of 7 continents to take photos.

We have lots of lecturers during the journey. Topics include sea birds, mammels, geography of Antarctica, history of explorers, sealers and whalers. The journey arises my interest towards Antarctica. Some stories of those explorers  are touching.  The Polar Convergence (the cold and strong water current around the Antarctica) acts an important role to cool down warm water from other oceans to maintain a stable globe temperature.

We have about 9 landings or Zodiac trips. Some of them are visits to Ukranrium and British (Port Lockroy) research stations. Some scientists will have to winter there. Undoubtedly, it would be hard to stay there in winter. They must miss the family and everything back home. I see a kid photo and posters of trees in an officer's room. Throughout the whole journey, we  do not find a single tree there.

Staff are very nice and kind. I do not have my warm clothing with me as my luggage was left in Buenos Aires by the airline. They lend me Gore-Tex and fleece jackets and pants. Without these, I can't imagine how I can have those landings. They are helpful and friendly. Passengers are nice as well. An Australian lady lends me her fleece jacket and a warm inner pant while a British gives me 5 rolls of films. I have got onl y 4 rolls of films in my small backpack when boarding the cruise. With their help, I have a wonderful Antarctica trip. I have some extra good memory over other passengers.

Food, all in western style, is good and abundent. We have breakfast and lunch buffets. At 4, we have tea and at night we have set dinner. I didn't expect the food is so good.

On days without landings, life is relax -- breakfast, lecturers, lunch, lecturers, tea, nap, lecturers, dinner... During the 4 days around Antarctica Peninsula, it's  quite busy. Normally we will have one landing or Zodiac trip in the morning and another in the afternoon. Each landing or Zodiac trip lasts around 2 hours.

The sea is rough when we cross the Drake Passage  -- from Antarctica back to Ushuaia. More than half of passengers do not show up in lecturers or meal time when we are crossing the area. I do not  have any sea-sickness problems. But sometimes it's so bumpy that it wakes me up several times at nights.

We meet a variety of weathers  -- calm and sunny, snowy, raining, windy and stormy. It is good for us to see different  faces of Antarctica.

It may be once a lifetime but it is definitely an enjoyable and unforgetable journey. Hopefully I will be able to come back -- with my luggage with me!