As we left the Falkland Islands and cruised into a storm, I knew we were going to witness the full Drake Passage/Antarctic experience.  We were told that as we left Port Stanley, the port authorities had closed the port, no turning back. The Captain had warned the passengers that it would be a rough crossing and the outside decks would be closed. Winds near 55mph and 20 ft waves rocked the ship. The storm followed us all the way down to the Arctic Sea. 

Holland America had scheduled a “5-day Antarctic Experience” with no set itinerary. During the Captain’s presentation, he said that he would be in contact with other cruise ships and Antarctic stations to find the best weather and whale sightings, and we would then set our cruise according to that information. As the Captain put it, we have a Plan A, but by the time we are done, it may be Plan Z.

 

Elephant Island, Antarctica, gets its name from both its resident elephant seals and its distinct elephant-like shape. Located 150 miles off the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula in the outer South Shetland Islands, this ice-covered rock towers dramatically over the ocean. We made our way to Point Wild, where Ernest Shackleton and his crew were famously stranded for four and a half months in 1916. Our captain got us incredibly close to the monument commemorating the expedition. While the monument technically stands alone, it was surrounded by hundreds of penguins and a few lounging elephant seals!

After motoring around the northern end of the island—spotting fin whales, seabirds, and seals along the way—we headed south toward the Endurance Glacier. Navigating through the fog, the sheer remoteness of Antarctica really sinks in. The glacier, named after Shackleton’s ship, eventually emerged from the mist at the water’s edge with a rugged face of brilliant blues and whites. Despite the predictable cold, snow, and wind, the weather actually turned out better than expected, even feeling warm at times in the shelter of the bay.