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Why Did I Go to Antarctica?

Traveling to Antarctica has fascinated me ever since I saw icy pictures in school books as a kid. What was this beautiful icy uninhabitable world so far away like?

1. The landscape and wildlife takes your breath away.

I had high expectations traveling to Antarctica. You hear just how beautiful it is to see the landscapes or to experience hanging out with penguins and whales. All the stories in your head don’t do the experience justice! You can look at a photo in 2D but to be able to breath in the cool air and see the glimmering water broken by whales surfacing takes your breath away. It’s all in 3D and it seems like a dream. I think it’s the closest to feeling like you are on another planet.

2. Irish explorer Edward Bransfield may be a relative.

Edward Bransfield is largely credited with discovering Antarctica. We have the same surname. Could he be a relative? After a bit of genealogy research it looks like my Irish ancestors originated in Ireland very close to where Edward was born. I wasn’t able to make a direct link but I like to think that there is some connection. My imagination wondered what his original experience was like.

3. The planet is changing.

There are more and more frequent stories about the planet changing and I hear that the Antarctic peninsula is experiencing a lot of change. In the last 12 months there have been articles about the Lassen C Ice Shelf breaking away, and how that could be the cork on the dam, that up until now has stopped a lot of landlocked glacier ice to flow into the sea. This place will change. While no one knows for sure the rate of change, I wanted to make sure I got there before there were too many tourists or there was substantial change to land and weather. The scientists aboard our ship can tell you about this change.

4. The photographic opportunity is to die for.

It’s no surprise that Antarctica is a photographer’s dream and it does not disappoint. The every changing light and clouds make for dramatic landscapes. Even if I never took a shot it is truly mesmerizing. There were times with camera in hand that I just couldn’t take a shot because I was in such awe. It’s really cool to hike up to penguin rookeries and see day old chicks being fed by their parents and capture that moment.

5. Adventure brings you closer to humanity.

Have you ever noticed how travel brings you closer to humanity? It certainly does for me. I’m sure part of it is being away from home and focused on something other than my normal responsibilities. But, I think a larger part for me is the ongoing mediation of the trip. I felt at one with the planet as I saw small icebergs roll in the ocean or knowing that some of the ice I was looking at was 50,000 years old. To share that in a community with equally impressed humans made for a real human moment. I felt the fragility of the planet and knew the experience was something special. I felt changed. If you want to be transformed, come join us on this epic adventure of traveling to antarctica and see how it changes you.

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