The first sight of Antarctica will stay with you for ever

The first sight of Antarctica will stay with you forever. Having crossed the Drake Lake or, much more likely, the Drake Shake as the Drake Passage is known, hopefully finding more settled weather as you close in on Antarctica, a shout will go up at the first glimpse of the ice continent.

Somewhere between grey to brilliant white, with dashes of blue, green and black, depending on the weather and the time of the day. That first glance will be superseded hundreds of times, but you always remember your first, don't you?

In fact, it is quite easy to become blasé about the scenery. Never less than spectacular, when the sun shines it can be simply awe inspiring. It will provide those moments when you are quite happy just to sit, and stare, and be at one with the world, or yourself, or

whoever is with you. Many people just don't realise how mountainous parts of the peninsula and surrounding islands are, with the highest point on Smith Island rising over 6600 feet from the sea. The mix of fjords, wide, flat beaches and ice cliffs with the odd glacier thrown in make this scenery incomparable. And you wonder how it can get any better.

And then it does, as a pair of humpback whales surface between you and the shore. They start breaching, flipper-slapping and spy-hopping, and, if you are lucky, you might just get one framed against the backdrop of an iceberg. The sight of one of these 30-tonne leviathans leaping out of the water, seemingly just for the fun of it, is truly something to behold. You could go home happy now, but you have only just arrived.

Aside from the whales, you can expect to spot a lot of seals; crabeater, fur, leopard and the enormous and ugly elephant seals are all often seen. Adelie, gentoo and chinstrap penguins live here in abundance, and the visits to the penguin colonies are the highlights for many people. You will certainly know when you are close, as the noise and the smell often hit you before you can see them. It is thought that there are as many as 18 million chinstrap penguins in Antarctica, and 6 million Adelies. With perhaps just 750,000 gentoo as well, that is a lot of penguins.

Photo credit: Quark Expeditions.

THE SHIPS.

If you want to experience the Antarctic, rather than just see it, avoid any ship larger than 150 births, and that is pushing it. By far the best suited ships for this harsh and unforgiving environment are Russian built, ice-rated vessels that were built for "scientific and research" purposes. They are small enough to get into the smallest bays and inlets, yet specifically built to operate in this environment and crewed by a staff who operate all year round in the Polar regions, apart from the twice a year dash from north to south and back. Even more importantly, they carry enough Zodiacs to allow everyone to make at least two shore journeys every day, so you can get out on foot on the Antarctic. The crew are all very familiar with the conditions, and the experts on board will know everyone by their first names, and have plenty of time to answer any and every question.

Photo credit Simon Vaughan.

THE WHALES

You will see whales, but how many and what variety differs from one trip to the next. Minke and humpback are probably the most commonly seen, but blue whales are not uncommon, and rarer pelagic species such as Cuvier's beaked whales sometimes put in an appearance.

The towering black cliffs contrasting with the deep blue of the ice and the white snow are a photographer's dream. 10 years ago it wasn't uncommon for the keenest on board to get through 100 rolls of film in two weeks; that's as many as 10 per day while in Antarctica, as not many shots get taken crossing the Drake.

Literature

A complete guide to Antarctic Wildlife. An absolute must. Does what it says on the tin, but much better than anything similar. This comprehensive guide to the mammals and birds of Antarctica is a must for anyone travelling to the region, and the region includes all the subantarctic islands from The Falklands to the Kerguelen Islands, via Tristan da Cunha, Prince Edward Island, Amsterdam Island, Chatham Island and the Islands to the south of New Zealand.

Click here for a review of A complete guide to Antarctic Wildife.