Antarctica, the southernmost continent and site of the South Pole, is a virtually uninhabited, ice-covered landmass. Most cruises to the continent visit the Antarctic Peninsula, which stretches toward South America. It’s known for the Lemaire Channel and Paradise Harbor, striking, iceberg-flanked passageways, and Port Lockroy, a former British research station turned museum. The peninsula’s isolated terrain also shelters rich wildlife, including many penguins.

Our voyage to Antarctica was 22 days and went to the following places/areas\countries

I had the privilege to be on one of these vessels visiting Antarctica – the last ports before we start the crossing are in the southern part of Argentina, places like Ushuaia. From there on, we start the crossing via Drake Passage, a 1.5 day crossing where seas can be rough – in our case, we lucked out and had a very calm passage.

After a day and a half crossing the Drake Passage, which separates South America from Antarctica, we reached the islands of the Palmer Archipelago, off the northern tip of the long Antarctic Peninsula, which reaches out toward South America. Encircled in a landscape of snow and ice in every direction, the ship slowly navigates the iceberg-dotted waters.  As you pass dark, rocky Cuverville Island, you’ll see some of the 6,500 pairs of gentoo penguins that make their home there, the largest known colony in the world. Continuing on to Paradise Harbor, you’ll have a chance to observe not only gentoo and chinstrap penguins but possibly humans as well: Both Argentina and Chile have manned research stations here. Throughout our stay we saw so much wildlife, from birds to penguins and from seals to whales, all in this amazing environment.

I’m sharing you my most valuable moments which I was able to capture throughout our stay in the white continent.

Once we reach Anvers Island, we get the researchers on board from Palmer Station which is a United States research station in Antarctica located on Anvers Island, the only US station located north of the Antarctic Circle.

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