Hello, everyone! This is my very first post here and I'm excited to join this cutting-edge community of like-minded individuals.

Antarctica, 2009

I wanted to share photos and a brief description of my experience traveling around the Antarctic peninsula in 2009 on a former Russian research vessel: Professor Multanovskiy. As an avid traveler and nature lover, Antarctica had always been on my must-see list; and so, at the age of seventeen I set off for the cruise of a lifetime through untouched glacial landscapes, conjuring images in my mind of a distant time before the civilization man.

As an amateur film photographer, I feel these shots are the best representation of my life-changing experience near the south pole. Our expedition was set to be an intimate gathering of roughly 20 passengers, lasting just shy of two weeks—definitely more my pace instead of a giant luxury booze cruise with no opportunities for day trips touching down on the peninsula itself. I set out seeking adventure, and I definitely found it!

One of the distinctive features about this particular travel package was that we were scheduled to fly by jet from Chile's largest southern municipality, Puntas Arenas, to McMurdo Station, Antarctica, where we would then board our vessel. The vast majority of tour operators typically set sail either from Argentina or Chile, so having the added excitement of running across the slippery tarmac during a brief spell of calm weather added to the giddy anticipation we all felt as we quickly loaded our luggage in the overhead bins before taking off. I was beyond eager to set foot on the sixth continent I'd visited (with Australia following a few months later as my seventh and final).

After successfully touching down at the research station, we gathered our belongings and began trudging through a snowstorm which rendered my visibility so poor that I could hardly see five feet ahead of me.

With each step, my booted foot would crack through a thin layer of sleet before lurching me nearly knee-deep in snow; after ten minutes of slogging through the elements, we finally reached a bastion of sanctuary: a heated building supplied with hot tea and coffee. We warmed up, passing around copies of the itinerary, as our guides introduced themselves and enthusiastically described the coming weeks' activities and safety procedures.

With all the technicalities in order, we made our way to the ship which would be our home for the next eleven days.

Behold—the Professor Multanovskiy!

To start off, we had a welcome toast in the ship's dining hall before setting sail briefly to an unoccupied research station where, rumor had it, we were sure to see plenty of penguins. We were definitely not disappointed.

Our group embarking on its first trek toward a colony of penguins.

Closeup of an Adélie penguin in action!

Every day our group would enjoy a leisurely (albeit early, usually clocking in at 7 A.M.) breakfast, and I got along extremely well with the eclectic group of passengers on board, quickly becoming fast friends by virtue of our shared interest in unusual travel destinations. After our morning breakfast, we'd get a run-down of the day's activities, usually a trek or Zodiac boat ride before lunch, then round two back outside before re-embarking for dinner while continuing our passage through the unpredictable waters overnight.

Our Zodiac boat used for excursions to glaciers and trekking on land.

One of many glaciers I got to see up close.

Otherworldly beauty.

A seal resting unperturbed against the backdrop of an eerie stillness.

About halfway through our trip, we approached Port Lockroy base, owned by the United Kingdom, which now serves as a tiny museum and gift shop. I purchased a few souvenirs for friends, the proceeds of which went to penguin research. I even got my passport stamped here, which was a super cool, rare addition to my growing collection!

Floppy penguins laze about on an unusually clear day, Port Lockroy base.

Seven Sisters range, Port Lockroy. This little guy waddled right into my shot at the perfect time.

Marking the midway point of our journey, we began charting our way back toward McMurdo Station where we would inevitably say our goodbyes. The next few days were spent playing cards in the common area, chatting happily over snacks and refreshments, and periodically disembarking during periods when the captain would drop anchor for the remainder of the day. We were all in high spirits, enjoying every minute of the vacation of a lifetime.

En route back toward McMurdo.

Lastly, a spectacular sunset marked the end of a beautiful voyage to the end of the earth.

Having completed our journey, we again boarded the plane as we flew back toward mainland Chile where we all hugged each other goodbye, exchanging contact information in the hopes of seeing one another again. We had all shared something immensely special together, and so our bittersweet goodbyes marked the end of our shared adventure.

Antarctica truly is a one-of-a-kind destination, one which I'm eager to return to someday despite having many others countries left on my list of places to explore.

There's something indescribably magical about exploring an untouched, uninhabited region of our planet, and it's an experience I full-heartedly recommend to anyone with a desire to go where few have before.

Thanks for reading!

#travel #adventure #antarctica #photography #nature #steemit