Journey to Antarctica

Wilhelmina Bay, which lies between the Reclus Peninsula and Cape Anna on the Antarctic Peninsula, is a must-see in Antarctica. Steep, snowy cliffs and floating ice bergs create the glacial scenery that make this region so iconic. The bay is full of krill, so it’s also a favorite feeding spot for certain species of whale. Before whaling times, there were up to 100,000 humpback whales in the Southern Ocean. After facing a close encounter with extinction, the whale population has bounced back to roughly 60,000.

Cuverville Island, at the start of the Errera Channel along the Antarctic Peninsula, is a unique environment. This 800-foot-tall rocky island has some of the only identifiable flora in the region, including Antarctic hair grass and Antarctic pearlwort. While there are several other species around the island, one has made Cuverville truly special—the island has one of the largest penguin rookeries in the region. There are up to 7,000 breeding pairs of Gentoo penguins wandering around the island and swimming in nearby waters.

Six species of seals can be found in Antarctic waters: Ross, Weddell, crabeater, leopard, fur, and elephant. Fur seals are the smallest, with males weighing roughly 330 pounds. Elephant seals are the largest, as males can weigh several thousand pounds. In winter especially, some species of seal spend significant amounts of time under sea ice where the temperature is consistent. Thick layers of blubber and fur keep them warm in freezing temperatures. Seals communicate by calling to each other under water. Sometimes, their calls can be heard above the ice.

Brittle stars are some of Antarctica’s more unusual looking creatures. These echinoderms are closely related to starfish, using their flexible arms (which can reach up to two feet in length) to move along the sea floor. Over 70 species of brittle star are endemic to Antarctica, with some able to be seen around Whaler’s Bay beach, along a small natural harbor formed in a volcanic caldera on Deception Island.

Damoy Point on the west coast of Wiencke Island has two well-preserved expedition huts. Damoy Hut was used by the British Antarctic Survey between 1973 and 1993. The interior still looks much as it always did, as if it was frozen in time. Argentina built the other hut—an emergency refuge that is still available today—in the 1950s. Aside from these historic buildings, Damoy Point has a variety of sea birds, with keen-eyed travelers having spotted over 40 species of birds while on Antarctic voyages. Gentoo penguins, Antarctic terns, kelp gulls, and subantarctic skua all use Damoy Point as a breeding spot.

Two-thirds of Culverville Island is covered by a permanent ice cap that changes color with the light. The island is a steep dome roughly one mile by a mile-and-a-half in size. Remnants from whaling times (including whalebones) are often visible on the beach. Leopard seals regularly hunt near shore, while fur seals and Weddell seals haul out. Antarctic terns and blue-eyed shags nest on the island, which is in the Errera Channel between the Arctowski Peninsula and Ronge Island.

The South Pole has roughly half a year of sunlight and half a year of darkness, with two-month-long periods of dusk on each end. Sunrise happens once a year on the spring equinox in late September. October through March sees never-ending daylight. After two months of a gradual sunset from March through May, Antarctica is in total darkness from May through August. Many people watch out for the notorious green flash (an optical mirage caused by the dispersion of light) at the sunrise and sunset each year.

Horseshoe-shaped Deception Island is off of Antarctica’s northern tip. The island was formed by a volcanic eruption that happened more than 10,000 years ago. The caldera, now filled in with sea water, offers ships a safe harbor from rough seas. The island is also home to a large chinstrap penguin colony, on Baily Head in the island’s southwest corner—many parts of the island are protected and only accessible with a special permit because of this.

Antarctica’s frozen interior is surrounded by glacial ice flows. Glaciers may look like merely ice, but they take hundreds or thousands of years to form from compacted snow. The temperature has to be cold enough for regular layers of snow to accumulate, which is why glaciers are commonly found in polar regions and at altitude. Icebergs are smaller pieces of ice that have detached from a glacier. Ice sometimes takes on different hues of blue. When air bubbles are squeezed out of layers of snow, the ice appears blue because it absorbs light at the redder end of the spectrum, reflecting the bluer wavelengths.

As far as we know, Neko Harbour was discovered in the early 20th century. The scenery is iconic Antarctica: Icebergs, glassy waters, bright snow, and an active glacier that calves frequently—loudly delivering chunks of ice into the bay. Weddell seals frequent the beach, while more than 250 pairs of Gentoo penguins nest on the slopes overlooking the harbor. Kelp gulls and skuas also nest in the area.

On many Hurtigruten Expeditions, travelers can participate in citizen science programs, which allow everyday people to help researchers collect data about wildlife. Participation is voluntary and can range from taking photos during whale watching to collecting water samples. This region is difficult to study, so visitors have the chance to make a huge impact while enjoying the scenery. Each expedition vessel has an on-board science program for guests who are inspired to learn more about Antarctica’s complex and fragile environment.