I joined a 10-day expedition to the Frozen Continent, Antarctica, aboard the M/S Explorer (a/k/a the Little Red Ship). This trip-of-a-lifetime began in Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world, and continued through the Beagle Channel, across the Drake Passage, and to the South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula.
Antarctica was the seventh continent that I photographed, and in many ways it was the most memorable place that I’ve ever been; certainly it was the most awe-inspiring and other-worldly. Although I saw only a speck of the continent, it was still the most vast place I’ve seen. The ice was truly a spectacle. From pure white to an indescribable blue, it was everywhere and in every form — from glacial sheets to flowing sculptures. But most memorable was the wildlife: humpback, killer and minke whales; giant wandering albatrosses, petrels, shags, skuas, and other seabirds; fur, crabeater, elephant, weddell and leopard seals; and of course, the penguins — gentoo, adelie, magellanic, king and chinstrap adults and chicks.
If you’re interested, please read my articles about the trip, which appeared on the cover of the Kansas City Star’s Sunday travel section and on the cover of the Dallas Morning News’ Sunday travel section.
Sadly, less than a year later, The Explorer struck ice and tragically sank. Fortunately, no one was killed or seriously injured. The accident highlighted some of the safety and environmental implications of traveling to Antarctica. For more about this issue, read my articles which appeared in the Dallas Morning News as well as in The Ottawa Citizen and throughout Canada.
(And if you’re really curious, check out this brief video to see one of the craziest thing I’ve ever done in my life.)