Antarctica: My Journey to the Most Remote Place on Earth

Before making our way to the land of penguins and ice, our expedition commenced in Buenos Aires – home of Messi and the tango. We spent an incredible four days at the Palacio Duhau - Park Hyatt, exploring the vibrant streets of the Argentine capital. From Buenos Aires, we embarked on the next leg of our journey to the southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia, also known as “The End of The World." There, we explored for the day before we eagerly boarded the Scenic Eclipse ||, which would serve as our home for the next two weeks as we embarked on its inaugural voyage to Antarctica.

Image 1: Paddleboarding with Humpback whales ; Image 2: Emperor Penguins of Snow Hill Island

The only way to reach Antarctica is by crossing the strongest current in the world: The Drake Passage. Sailing across the Drake Passage was a lot better being able to spend some of it with the captains on the navigation bridge, who took away any of our worries. There, we saw Albatross birds, some of the largest birds in the world, and exotic Snow Petrel birds along the ride. We also heard the first announcement of an Emperor penguin sighting, before rushing to the front of the ship for this special moment. Plus, spending the two days of tumultuous waters in the spa, observing icebergs from the sauna, wasn't so bad either.

Snow Hill Island - Our first stop: Only accessible by helicopter, the rarely-visited, Northernmost Emperor penguin colony in the world: Snow Hill Island. As I gazed at the largest ice sheet in the world from the sky – Antarctica (95% being covered in ice), I spotted Weddell seals basking in ice. But, the true magic unfolded stepping from the helicopter onto the continent of Antarctica for the very first time, where I was immediately greeted by our welcoming committee of Emperor penguins (the largest penguin on the planet) waving and squawking. Soon, we were surrounded by over 10,000 Emperor penguins, serenaded by the adorable sounds of emperor penguin chicks. It felt like I was transported into a real-life "Happy Feet" world. We culminated this magical day on the sky deck, immersed in a hot tub oasis while beholding the winter paradise around us.

Image 1: Searching for penguins ; Image 2: The Navigation Bridge

A23a: As we sailed into the Bransfield Strait, an imposing sight awaited us head-on: the largest iceberg on the planet, known as A23a. Picture this: more than double the size of London and triple the size of New York City, boasting a colossal 3,900 sq. km area, stretching 42 by 30 miles long, and standing an impressive 400 meters thick. From the front of the ship and the comfort of my jacuzzi, I absorbed as much of the iceberg's magnificence as I could, as A23a is gradually eroding and drifting away from Antarctica.

Deception Island: We navigated the narrow 500-meter channel known as Neptune’s Bellows, one of the few places on Earth where ships can sail directly into the heart of a volcano. After Cruising by zodiac, I set foot on this active volcano and was welcomed by my fourth type of penguin companion – the Gentoo penguin, the world's fastest underwater bird. Before the eruption 50 years ago, Deception Island was a whaling station holding an old fisherman's village, and a historic milestone – the first-ever flight into Antarctica in 1928, marked with an airport hangar. Exploring Antarctic human heritage and encountering history museum pieces that will degrade over time made this day breathtakingly unique.

Image 1: The 7th Continent: Antarctica ; Image 2: Antarctic Polar Plunge

Fournier Bay: We found ourselves surrounded by Humpback whales as we paddle boarded off the ship, across the largest ice sheet in the world. Just to top it off, we were delivered champagne by the captain of the ship. Laying on a paddle board, in the Antarctica waters, a few feet away from Humpback whales singing and blowing water, while drinking champagne – I don’t think it gets any better.

Other Landings: We visited Paulet Island, home to a massive Adélie penguin colony, which are exclusive residents to Antarctica and the smallest species in the Antarctic. We met the Chinstrap penguin during our trek on Half Moon Island and witnessed a Gentoo penguin pebble proposal on Pleneau Island.

Polar Plunge - last day: Like every other day of this trip, it was one I'll definitely never forget, but especially because I jumped in below-freezing waters for the Antarctic polar plunge. Gathering at the back of the ship's top deck, everyone donned their robes and awaited their turn to jump. The atmosphere was electric as we danced, screamed, and cheered. With safety belts strapped on and hands held tight, my mom and I walked towards the ledge, bidding everyone farewell before taking the plunge. I ended up jumping twice more with two staff members that I had become friends with over the journey before receiving my official Antarctic polar plunge certificate.

Finale: On our final day, hearing the recap of our entire voyage from both the captain and the discovery leader gave me goosebumps. It was incredible to hear how lucky we had been these last few weeks, as wildlife sightings and the weather in Antarctica is so unpredictable so expeditions are never guaranteed. I reflected on the great friendships I made with people on board as well as the crew members, so I made sure to spend the last day sailing back through the Drake passage with everyone.

I am so fortunate and grateful to have had this experience and after returning, overflowing with emotions that I felt every human should experience in this one life we get to live, I could not be more excited to be able to use my first-hand experience to advise you in your journey and plan this once-in-a-lifetime adventure for you to experience. No video, photo, or story will fully encapsulate the magic of Antarctica. It is truly something that you must experience. Every single expedition is different and every person on an expedition has a completely unique experience on top of that. I would love to be a part of your planning -- reach out to me for the opportunity to have the trip of a lifetime to Antarctica!

Here is a link to a YouTube of my entire trip: https://youtu.be/cuV1TiyE9CY

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to Antarctica. In need of further inspiration? Check out Madison MacLeod’s guide, An Adventurer's Guide to the Frozen Continent: Exploring Antarctica.