Cruising to Antarctica
It takes two days by sea from Tierra del Fuego to reach the White Continent. The Drake Passage, a narrow stretch of water separating South America from the Antarctic Peninsula, is notoriously rough, but we enjoyed calm seas and mild weather in both directions.
Life aboard Le Boréal was pretty comfortable. We had a French chef, two restaurants, a spa, a good-sized room with a private balcony, WiFi (spotty, but not bad for such a remote location), and a New Year’s Eve party at sea where we celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary. Connor was among the few passengers who braved the (heated) on-deck swimming pool.
During our days at sea, we had lifeboat drills, collected our ship-issued parkas and boots, listened to talks by naturalists, and learned how to get into our dry suits.
On the first day of 2020, a Zodiac boat took us ashore at Neko Harbor.
Kayaking in Paradise Bay, later the same day, was a mesmerizing experience. The water was dark grey-green and mirror-smooth. It was silent except for the sounds from our kayaks and the sizzle and pop of floating ice. Occasionally we’d hear a sound like thunder; it was an icefall, usually distant, although we caught sight of one.
The sky was full of light. Sunrise was around 4 am, and sunset around 10 pm.
