“Return! Come back, now!” our guide shouts behind us, with panic in his voice. Oh dear. Suddenly, I see not one, not two, but three gigantic whales surrounding us. They lift their heads above the surface and then disappear — in my direction — diving right underneath me. My heart skips a beat. I scan the water beside me nervously: Where did they go? Then another one surfaces on my other side, its enormous tail nearly brushing my paddle. It’s so close I could touch it. Wow. Holy moly. Is this really happening?
“Go báck!” he screams again — but just then I spot a whale right behind me, leaving me nowhere to go. If I start paddling backward now and this giant unexpectedly surfaces, I’ll be launched 30 feet into the air. These creatures are up to 50 feet long and weigh 30 tons — I’m the weight of a fruit fly in my kayak by comparison. Okay then, I’ll stay put, surrender, and hope for the best.
Now that I’ve laid down my paddle and am sitting completely still, I can finally grasp how extraordinary this moment truly is. My breath, which moments ago was stuck high in my throat, slowly begins to settle. I stare in awe at the majestic, playful animals, who seem as curious about us as we are about them. They swim gracefully alongside the kayaks, make elegant movements, twirl their massive tails in the air, and glide silently beneath us again. These gentle giants are so composed, they don’t even cause a ripple in the water. They stay with us for a full hour. A surreal, magical encounter.
The End of the World
Every time I think this trip can’t possibly get more incredible, it does. Before I left, I had no real idea what to expect: Antarctica. Ice. Lots of ice. Cold. Snow. A rough sea. But what else?
This seventh continent is one of the most unknown, untouched places on Earth; a white, frozen realm ruled by nature and the elements, home to millions of penguins, seals, birds, and whales — and where humans are nothing more than humble, fleeting visitors.
And that’s exactly how I feel, constantly. It’s hard to believe it’s only been a week and a half since I boarded the French expedition ship Le Boréal in Ushuaia — the southernmost city in the world, also known as “the end of the world.” Even the departure felt momentous: standing at the very edge of the map, preparing to go even further. As we left the harbor and headed into the open sea, the realization sank in: This is the last scrap of civilization I’ll see for weeks. A completely surreal thought.
The first leg is the voyage to South Georgia: three-and-a-half days at sea. Thankfully, the start of the trip is smooth. The days on board are filled with fascinating lectures by the expedition team — about South Georgia’s wildlife, the formation of glaciers, the first polar explorers, and more. Documentaries about the region are shown, and we attend briefings that explain the strict guidelines designed to minimize human impact on nature.
Kingdom of Penguins
“Welcome to South Georgia!” the captain cheerfully announces over the intercom the next morning. When I excitedly pull open my curtain, it’s finally happening: land in sight! And not just any land. This glacier-covered island, with its steep cliffs, is one of the most remote and pristine nature reserves in the world — a true paradise for nature lovers.
Here lives the world’s largest colony of king penguins, along with macaroni, chinstrap, and gentoo penguins. The island is also home to elephant seals, fur seals, sea lions, whales, orcas, and birds such as the wandering albatross, snow petrel, and the South Georgia pipit — the southernmost songbird on Earth.
Then, for the first time, the Zodiac boats are lowered from the ship and we’re allowed to set foot on land. The first stop: Grytviken Bay. Once the heart of the whaling industry, this was where an estimated 175,000 whales were slaughtered between 1900 and 1965. The rusty remnants of the old whaling station and shipwrecks contrast sharply with the icy mountains behind them.
The next day is one of the absolute highlights of the journey: St. Andrews Bay. In this remote bay live over 300,000 king penguins in a single place. As soon as I step off the Zodiac, it feels as if I’ve walked straight into a wildlife documentary. All my senses are instantly….
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