What to Expect on Your First Landing
People spend years imagining the moment they step onto Antarctica. What they don't usually imagine is the twenty minutes before it.
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What to Expect in a Zodiac
The zodiac is how Antarctica actually happens. It's worth knowing what you're getting into before you climb aboard one.
Will I Get Woken Up for Whales?
For many travelers, one of the more pleasant surprises on an Antarctic expedition is the PA system at 2 am. One of the more unpleasant surprises is finding out about it without any warning.
Icebergs and Glaciers, Guaranteed
People come to Antarctica for the wildlife. Many of them leave talking about the ice.
The Quietest Place on Earth?
Antarctica offers a quality of quiet that most people have never experienced. But silence in Antarctica is not the absence of sound. It's the absence of human noise.
Setting Foot on the Continent of Antarctica
Standing on Antarctica is a lifetime dream for many travelers, and in some cases, it borders on obsession. There is a debate about whether standing on an island along the peninsula counts.
What It’s Like to Cross the Antarctic Circle
The Antarctic Circle sits at 66°33' South. It's a line on a map. Crossing it takes about thirty seconds. For reasons that are hard to fully explain, it tends to feel like considerably more than that.
Antarctic History and the Heroic Age
Antarctic history is not the kind you read about in glass cases. It happened on the same shores where you'll stand, on the same water your zodiac crosses, in the same cold that will make your face ache on a windy morning ashore. That proximity changes how it lands.
Will I Visit a Research Station?
A station visit is possible but never guaranteed, and on most standard Peninsula voyages, it won't happen at all.
What's the Food Like on an Expedition Ship?
Food on expedition ships occupies a strange middle ground. It's better than people expect, occasionally surprising, and virtually never the reason anyone books a voyage to Antarctica. Which is fine.
Will I Have WiFi and Cell Service?
Most ships now offer some form of onboard WiFi, ranging from just enough for email to good enough for video calls. Cellular service does not exist in Antarctica, with the exception of King George Island. Be aware of those roaming charges!
Will I See Other Ships?
One of the persistent mental images people carry into this trip is total isolation, nothing but ice and wildlife in every direction. The reality requires a small but important asterisk.
Tips for Maximizing Your Time on Land
Be ready early, move efficiently, go out every time, and resist the temptation to make the ship your default.
When the Passenger Mix Isn't What You Expected
It is one of the less-discussed realities of booking an Antarctic voyage: you don't get to choose who else is on the ship.
The Antarctic Treaty: What You Should Know
Antarctica is the only continent on earth with no permanent human population and no government. What it has instead is a treaty, and that treaty shapes almost everything about how you'll experience it.
Don't Be the Jerk
Every voyage has one. Usually they don't know it. Here are some suggestions for Antarctic Expedition etiquette.
Are Drones Allowed in Antarctica?
Drones are prohibited on most Antarctic expedition voyages. A small number of operators allow them under specific conditions, but the default answer is no.
Gratuities: How Much Should I Tip?
Tipping on expedition ships is one of those topics that generates more anxiety than it deserves, partly because nobody tells you the norms clearly. Here is the straightforward version.
Things They Don't Tell You Before You Go To Antarctica
There are things operators mention in passing, things buried in the terms and conditions, and things nobody mentions at all until you're already on the ship. Here are the ones worth knowing before you leave.
What to Expect on the Last Day
The last operational day is typically spent returning to Ushuaia or King George Island. Disembarkation takes time. Plan your homeward flights accordingly.
What Is Zodiac Cruising?
If there's a single activity that defines the expedition experience, it's this one. Zodiacs are the reason small ships can do what large ships can't, and they're how you spend a lot of your time off the ship in Antarctica.
What Is a Shore Landing?
Stepping off a zodiac onto Antarctica is the moment most people have been imagining for years. It tends to live up to it.
Stand-Up Paddleboarding in Antarctica
Stand-up paddleboarding in Antarctica is not for everyone. It requires balance, a tolerance for cold, and a willingness to look slightly ridiculous in an extraordinary place.
Scuba Diving and Snorkeling in Antarctica
Antarctica's underwater world is strange and beautiful, and almost nobody gets to see it. That's not an accident. Getting below the surface here requires planning well before you book your voyage.