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- photo: Matthew Ludeman
Cruise
Polar Opposites: Penguins and Luxury
Quark Expeditions’ Safari to South Georgia Island and Antarctica
Article and photography by Nicholas Kontis
I recently joined 132 other travelers on a 15-day voyage from Argentina to South Georgia Island and Antarctica. We flew from Buenos Aires to the southern port of Ushuaia for a half-day tour of Tierra del Fuego National Park. There, we boarded Quark Expeditions’ new luxury ship, Ultramarine, purposely built to traverse tumultuous polar seas like the notoriously rough Drake Passage, the body of water that separates South America from Antarctica.
The planet’s polar regions are largely unvisited, even by the most seasoned global explorers. This journey took us to scarcely touched South Georgia, for an unforgettable penguin safari, and to the icy southern continent of Antarctica.
Aboard the Ultramarine
Ultramarine, which accommodates 199 guests, is designed to go beyond the familiar in polar exploration routes. It is equipped with two twin-engine Airbus helicopters, which (weather permitting) can take guests high above the icecaps for spectacular views, and touch down on a landscape that few humans will ever visit.
The vessel offers a robust portfolio of adventure activities, spacious suites and breathtaking public spaces for outdoor wildlife viewing. An easily maneuverable deck plan enables easy access to zodiac craft, from which passengers make shore landings and get close-up perspectives on fauna.
The functional changing rooms (“ready rooms”) are on Deck 2. Here, guests store parkas and mandatory muck boots before and after boarding zodiacs. On Deck 3 is the reception and hospitality area, as well as the Polar Boutique, where clothing, gear and souvenirs are offered for sale.
Deck 5 has the large Balena Restaurant with large tables to share with fellow travelers and cozy dining tables for couples. The wrap-around deck provides ample space for viewing marine life and mammals. In the state-of-the-art Ambassador Theater, the passionate and knowledgeable cruise team keeps guests riveted with lectures on history, fauna and safety, as well as announcing the coming days’ events.
Deck 7 has the smaller Bistro 487 restaurant, the fitness center, the Tundra Spa, and a sauna room with windows that provide sweeping views to sea. The cozy Panorama Lounge and Bar is a popular hangout during long days at sea, with a deck for nature-watching.
South Georgia Island
With 50% of the island covered in ice and snow, only a handful of scientists and researchers live on remote South Georgia Island. The “Galapagos of the Poles,” as it is sometimes called, is remarkable for its abundance of wildlife, notably four species of penguins (which inhabit the island in incredible numbers) and more than 30 breeding bird species.
In a short time, I saw black-browed, grey-headed and light-mantled albatrosses; king, macaroni and gentoo penguins; blue-eyed shags, Southern elephant seals, and fur seals. Although the population of fur seals on the 100-mile-long island is estimated at 2 million, it is the king penguins that summon the most attention. Hundreds of thousands of these massive but flightless birds live in a colony on the Salisbury Plain.
The only settlement is the hamlet of Grytviken, once a whaling station. The 1922 grave of Ernest Shackleton, the charismatic polar explorer from Ireland, is well celebrated in a small cemetery that stands amid a collection of dilapidated mines.
Sea Days … and Antarctica
Most days are spent at sea, from Ushuaia to South Georgia, Antarctica and back across the Drake Passage to Argentina. Weather conditions dictate the expedition schedule. Meanwhile, the cruise team conducts presentations and briefings in the Ambassador Theater. Most guests remain on the lookout for potential whale, penguin, seal and bird sightings on the observation decks; others take advantage of free time in the spa and sauna, or socialize in the Panorama Lounge.
Finally, on March 12, we hoisted the baby-blue Antarctic flag on a morning zodiac ride, completing an adventure that very few experience. The South Georgia penguins may have been a highlight, but it was the journey’s pinnacle moment to set foot on the globe’s southernmost continent.
For bragging rights, I undertook an invigorating Polar Plunge. This ritual is enacted once on every polar voyage: Willing and hardy participants, wearing tethered harnesses, jump or cannonball off the ship’s plank into the freezing Antarctic waters for a quick but safe dousing. Liquid courage is provided in the form of vodka.
Onboard meals
Meals were served three times daily in the Balena Restaurant and Bistro 487. On sea days, buffet breakfast (with an omelet station) was offered from 7 to 8:30 a.m.; lunch was served from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., and dinner from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Between meals there were lectures or zodiac excursions. At after-dinner bar talks, guests mingled with the expedition team.
Executive chef Jorg Lehmann and his passionate team showcased such entrees as slow-roasted lamb rump, herb-crusted turkey breast, broiled barramundi fillet, Thai-style chicken (fried with lime and chilies), vodka-baked salmon, and surf and turf. Two dapper sommeliers from Buenos Aires brought their wine knowledge to the sailing, presenting unique pairings of Argentine wines to accompany meals.
