Antarctica: A World Apart Ed and I have enjoyed more than 30 years of exciting In-Depth Wildlife adventure trips worldwide. Our two month-long trips in 2007 and 2009 to the Antarctica are on the top of our list for wildlife observation and photography opportunities. These expeditions included landings in the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island, South Orkney Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. After our first voyage to the great Southern Ocean we were eager to return to this magnificent world of wildlife abundance in the face of a dramatic, severe, yet beautiful landscape. The Antarctic is a world apart. We were with the Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris, an expedition tour group that uses smaller ships, with fewer than 100 participants, so they can get closer to places larger ships can’t go. We had maximum time on shore (an average of eight hours per landing day) plus amazing zodiac and ship cruises. We had the opportunity to join experienced staff and naturalists on this expedition and heard many lectures on November | December 2009
subjects such as exploring how it is that albatross can fly 14,000 miles on a single feeding trip to bring home just one meal for a chick, and how penguins can survive, thrive, and raise chicks in the world’s harshest environments. Of his expedition, Ted Cheeseman, the ecologist and expedition leader, said, “The beauty of the long voyage is that we have the time to explore and come to understand Antarctica’s incredible wildlife and sublime landscapes, for we will only protect what we love, and only love what we know and understand.” We had time to explore the paradoxical relationships with the wildlife and how
man’s presence continues to evolve and alter the behavior of both humans and animals. Our first trip prepared us for the rough sea, boarding the bouncing zodiacs, getting out of the zodiacs, while avoiding splashing waves, and holding on to camera gear once close to shore. What a thrill it was to walk among thousands of penguins and mingle with fur seals and elephant seals. The Falkland Islands are a paradise for viewing birds. Steeple Jason is a most dramatic island and home to the largest breeding colony of black-browed albatrosses in the world, estimated at Mammoth Sierra Magazine
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