I hate to admit it, but I went to Antarctica kicking and screaming! And much to my amazement, it was the most amazing experience of my life! There are really no words to describe it. Gorgeous, amazing, phenomenal, breathtaking, magical....I could go on and on. Here are just a few of the thousands of pictures Mike took while we were there.
A friend of ours, Jane Santora, made penguin hats for 15 of us. She and her husband Steve have a group from Salt Lake that they travel with all the time. We just happened to be included in their group. Each couple had a different colored headband (one wife didn't come--hence the odd number). The women's hats all had a little matching bow on the top....
Mike and the Russian captain.
This is called brash ice. When it melts it makes popping sounds from the air trapped inside. They brought it back to the ship and served it in drinks at the bar. I had a diet coke and sure enough--it popped!
That is David German, the ship director.
Leopard seal
Adelie penguin
We stopped at an Argentinian research base. There was also one from the Ukraine and one from the United Kingdom. They were happy as could be to see people from the outside world!
Can you imagine being there all year?
There's something awe inspiring about whales. I never tired of seeing their blows.
I decided that the only place a burkha would be a nice thing would be at the bottom of the earth!
Kinda wished I had one
The water was so clear you could see the iceberg underneath the sea
Gentoo penguin
The face of a humpback whale. The bumps are hair follicles
A humpback whale "spy-hopping." They stick their faces out of the water to see what's going on. At one point we had a mother and calf both doing it to our Zodiac boats. It was so cool!
Rob Reider was one of the guides for the trip. He was one of the most gifted storytellers! Big guy with a big booming voice. You could hear him from anywhere. Owns a restaurant in Canada.
Here are a few of the penguins....the gal in the middle isn't an "official" penguin, hence the different hat.
On the way home we had whale after whale playing by the ship! Here's just one.
They were everywhere!
Mike with David Hahn and Santiago. They were both guides.
David Hahn again. He is top climbing guide in the world. He has summited Everest more than any other person in the world. And about the kindest, unassuming person you'll ever meet.
