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Penguin playtimes, revelatory science and bikini ice baths in an ocean so still you can hear a whale breathe – this is a holiday like no other
I expected a lot from Antarctica, that ice-peaked expanse at the end of the world. I envisioned Titanic-sized glaciers and mobs of fluffy, Attenborough-worthy penguins, all bathed in the eerie half-light of never-quite-night.
I finally got my chance to visit the Antarctic Peninsula aboard the MS Fridtjof Nansen, one of two hybrid-powered vessels owned by HX Hurtigruten Expeditions. Her sturdy hull kept the 345 guests and 153 crew safe through the notoriously rough Drake Passage.
And conditions calmed once at the peninsula – though the outside world still sat in stark relief to the enveloping warmth within the Nansen. The infectious energy of Torstein, the expedition leader, as he bid us a “wonderful good morning” over the intercom became a kind of ritual, as he outlined the day’s activities. Anything from the pungent reality of a thousand-strong penguin colony to assisting in gathering biopsy material from humpback whales as part of a citizen science project.
Cruises that explore the world’s most
remote continent
Antarctic adventure
I was reminded of Antarctica's impermanent nature: icebergs melt, wildlife migrates and the ocean ablates the land
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Take two
Double kayaks allow guests to get close to the icebergs
ONCE IN A LIFETIME
Ally Wybrew meets Adélie penguins and assists scientists on the trip of a lifetime
There was even the option to take the “polar plunge”: dashing into 2C Antarctic waters in nothing but a bikini. All of which I did, to a backdrop of slate-coloured seas, cerulean-flecked icebergs and skua-studded skies. I soon learnt that vibrantly varied days were something of a USP for HX.
When not off-ship being mesmerised by the comical activities of chinstrap, gentoo and Adélie penguins, I learnt the varied classification of icebergs (which must be over 15 metres long and five metres high) from environmental scientist Laura.
And with each new piece of information, I was reminded of Antarctica’s impermanent nature: icebergs melt and calve, wildlife migrates and the frigid ocean relentlessly ablates the land. Ours were truly once in a lifetime views.
The ever-changing environment was a focus for our eco-conscious crew. One afternoon, somewhere between gawping at a comatose leopard seal digesting its dinner and climbing Orne Harbour’s 100m-high peak to whale watch, I was escorted into the bowels of the Nansen.
Here, a huge, empty space awaited batteries designed to further cut the ship’s CO2 emissions. It was just one part of HX’s sustainable future-proofing plan, and it filled me with hope: a cleaner, more mindful way for us to explore our beautiful planet was on the horizon.
Have a nice bay
The peace and stillness of Orne Harbour
Few people visit Antarctica more than once. But for Dr Verena Meraldi, who began working with HX Hurtigruten Expeditions in 2007, trips to one of the planet’s last great wildernesses are a regular fixture. First as a science lecturer and, since 2018, as the first chief scientist on any cruise line.
“No one can visit Antarctica and remain untouched by it,” Meraldi says. “It’s a wonderful place – but so fragile. As a species, we only care about the things we understand. That’s why I want every one of our guests to come away with a greater understanding of this extraordinary place and the responsibility we share to ensure it survives.”
Life among the glaciers is a long way from Meraldi’s original job as a cancer research scientist. “I blame my children,” she laughs. “Research is not compatible with parenthood – tissue culture needs as much care as a third child. Then the opportunity came to join HX and developed into something I could never have imagined.”
‘Guests are curious’
Dr Verena Meraldi, chief scientist for HX, tells Annabelle Thorpe how an Antarctic trip can be truly life-changing
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On a calm sea, about 50 whales began to break the surface. It was so quiet, you could hear them breathe
Change came with the launch of a new ship, the MS Midnatsol, in 2016. “Scientific research has always been an integral part of our expeditions but with Midnatsol we wanted to involve guests more,” Meraldi says. “I was very involved, from setting up microscopes for guests to the logbooks we send them afterwards.
It soon became clear that being part of the scientific research taking place on board made our guests far more curious. Rather than just observing, they became part of the place and our work within it.”
The key to Meraldi’s work is bridging the gap between guests and scientists. “Research has always belonged to a privileged few and the information produced is not always well communicated to the general public,” she says.
“On our expeditions, we translate scientific language into something everyone can understand, and create projects our visitors can help with. It might be logging bird species or whale numbers. Our scientists are right alongside our guests, sharing their knowledge and working together.”
For Meraldi, Antarctica is like nowhere else. “Just being in such a remote, untouched place is amazing,” she says. “And the silence – it’s multilayered, never completely silent. You hear the ice cracking or suddenly you might hear penguins.”
Take a closer look
Expeditions bridge the gap between guests and scientists
The ice of life
Off-ship adventures provide unique experiences
The region’s rich wildlife is at the heart of many of Meraldi’s favourite memories. “Once we were cruising the calm Weddell Sea when a pod of whales began to break the surface – probably around 50. It was so quiet, you could hear them breathe. It was wonderful.”
These kinds of experiences are what makes a trip to Antarctica unique, but Meraldi believes guests should come home with more than great memories.
“When I hear people say, ‘This trip has really opened my eyes,’ or that they’re going to go home and invest in citizen science or join a conservation organisation, that’s the most rewarding thing. Every guest we bring to Antarctica, I want to send home as an ambassador – for a better understanding of our planet and the challenges it faces.”
Tail to tell
Guests can take part in whale identification
Tell some people you’re heading to Antarctica and you’ll be met with a confused look as they remember footage of Sir David Attenborough grimly trudging across a desolate polar desert. Why, they might ask, would you want to go to a place like that? Isn’t it all just ice?
The world’s wildest, whitest continent does of course have plenty of ice, but it also has extraordinary variety. Trip to trip, things change and over the course of the five-month summer season when people can visit, entire life cycles of Antarctica’s menagerie play out in plain sight. Visit the same site twice in a week and only the historic buildings, such as old expeditionhuts, are likely to be the same.
To make the most of this singular environment while respecting Antarctica’s position as the last pristine place on Earth, HX Hurtigruten Expeditions carefully plans its trips while remaining adaptable to changing weather conditions, navigating up and down the Antarctic Peninsula.
Here, on the magnificent coast, there are chaotic penguin colonies, Weddell, crabeater and leopard seals lounging on the ice – and, from December onwards, legions of migratory whales.
The last pristine place
When it comes to the wonders of Antarctica, its frozen landscapes are the tip of the iceberg, says Jamie Lafferty
The clue's in the name
Paradise Bay
Living on the edge
Curious penguins check out their visitors
Typically split between guide-led landings on shore and cruising in specialised motorised Zodiacs, days are packed with experiences so rich and varied they can rightly be called life-changing. Sites are selected depending on availability and weather conditions, but many are safe harbours.
These were discovered during the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration, such as the calamitous Belgian expedition of Adrien de Gerlache during his fraught push south in 1897-99, leading the first ever party to over-winter in Antarctica.
Today, spots like the Lemaire Channel, Neko Harbour and the Neumayer Channel afford sights so majestic they feel as though they could exist nowhere else on Earth. Hanging glaciers, soaring mountains and fleets of icebergs are near-permanent features.
To make the most of this scenery, HX’s professional photography guides provide lectures on board and offer tips in the field. They are joined by HX’s Expedition Team of naturalists, historians and marine biologists, an expert array of guides employed to make the impossible environment more comprehensible.
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Get involved, with seabird surveys and whale identification
Expert guidance
Naturalists, historians and biologists are among the crew
Despite many of the sites on the peninsula bearing the names of Belgians on board de Gerlache’s ship, arguably the most important was the now legendary Roald Amundsen. Then sailing as a 24-year-old, it’s easy to imagine Amundsen taking notes on board, gathering knowledge that he would eventually use to be the first man not just to the South Pole, but also to traverse the Northwest Passage and almost certainly the North Pole too.
HX’s MS Roald Amundsen proudly carries the great explorer’s name, while its sister ship is named after Amundsen’s great hero, Fridtjof Nansen. Just as those men were pioneers of their day, these vessels are the world’s first hybrid-powered expedition ships, reducing CO2 emissions by up to 20 per cent.
For passengers with an interest in environmentalism, HX offers an on-board citizen science programme. From seabird surveys to measuring plankton concentrations, from whale identification to ground-truthing Nasa satellite data, there are opportunities to get involved, either during the crossing of the Drake Passage or on the continent itself.
If you have more time to spend in the region, or perhaps if you’ve visited the Antarctic Peninsula before, the gorgeous subantarctic island of South Georgia and the Falkland Islands make sensational extensions.
These British Overseas Territories have fascinating histories of their own, from the bloody business of whaling to their roles as staging posts for the likes of Charles Darwin and Ernest Shackleton.
They are also wildlife hubs in their own right. South Georgia is home to the greatest number of Antarctic fur seals in the world, while the million or so king penguins account for just one sixtieth of the total birdlife.
The Falklands, meanwhile, have five penguin species of their own and are frequently visited by orca, Commerson’s dolphins and elephant seals.
In fact, just about the only thing you won’t see on your trip is a mass of featureless ice.
Three to see
Elephant seals
The world’s largest pinniped, the southern elephant seal is found in Antarctica, the Falklands and South Georgia. The males’ colossal size beggars belief – as does the cuteness of their pups.
Adélie penguins
“They are like children, these little people of the Antarctic world,” wrote explorer Apsley Cherry-Garrard of Adélie penguins. They are the only true Antarctic penguin alongside the Emperor.
Wandering albatross
The largest bird in the sky rarely, if ever, visits Antarctica proper but travelling across the Drake Passage or the Scotia Sea, they are one of the Antarctic region’s indisputable highlights.
Save up to 25 per cent on selected Antarctica expedition cruises, departing from October 2024 to March 2025. For details call 020 3553 2072 or visit travelhx.com/uk. T&Cs apply
Save up to
on selected Antarctica expedition cruises, departing from October 2024 to March 2025. For details call
020 3553 2072 or visit travelhx.com/uk
T&Cs apply
25%