Christina’s Journey Journal

Category: Travel

  • 1/2/2023 – The heli flight seeing!🇦🇶

    One of the main reasons we choose Quark is because of their consciousness—to the environment, their guests, their employees. Everything they do is centered around safety for the continent and their guests. This is reflected in the mandatory meetings we go to, the history we learn, the wildlife we encounter, and their commitment to the standards set forth by IAATO for visitors to the continent.

    The second reason we choose Quark is because of their amenities and what we just did—flight seeing! As I said in a prior post, there are two bright yellow Airbus H-145 on board. Every passenger on the ship gets to do one of these tours and we just did ours! We also signed up for the heli landing tour, which may or may not happen tomorrow. Everything (and I do mean everything) is dependent on the weather.

    We only had 5 people—4 in the back and someone in the co-pilot’s seat. Everyone got a window seat!
    Hi Laura!
    Ready for take off!💛
    Cruisin’ over the Antarctica peninsula

    The heli was super smooth and the weather cooperated. The day couldn’t have been any better with these views. WHOA! Seeing places where no person has stepped foot on…it’s overwhelming (in a good way) 😮

  • Two more pics 🇦🇶

    While we await the helicopter flight seeing tour, we are right next to this same iceberg.

    Angle from the ship💙

    There are 3 main types of icebergs: 1. Growler (less than 1 meter), Bergy Bit (1 meter but less than 5 meters), Iceberg (>5 meters)

    Here’s one that comes with a pool!

  • 1/2/23 – Back from morning zodiac excursion in Fornier Bay 🇦🇶☀️

    Yesterday, I sometimes didn’t know where the sky and the ground came together because of the snow and overcast skies.

    Today, the sky and the ocean are one! Bluebird day at Fornier Bay. Lots and lots of humpback whales hanging around. We have to stay a good distance from them—unless they approach (like the one did with us yesterday). I caught a few tails!

    In addition, we saw a female Leopard Seal hanging out on the ice. Again, we maintained our distance. It is their space, not ours. This type of seal is at the top of the food chain, along with Orcas (Killer Whales).

    Note – NONE of these pictures are touched up in any way. Taken on my iPhone 13 Pro Max. This is Antarctica!

    Leopard Sea soaking in the sun ☀️ – we were a ways away per the requirement—this is zoomed in
    One of about 8 whales tails we saw today
    No words for this. Nature’s art canvas at work!
  • Check out…🇦🇶

    Check out…🇦🇶

    The photos I was able to post on Antarctica Photos page!

  • 1/2/2023 – Gorgeous Day! 🇦🇶

    We will be going out adventuring in the zodiac this morn, flight seeing (via helicopter) this afternoon, and then camping on the peninsula tonight. You should see the kit we have to keep warm. Although temp right now at 9:10 am is 41 degrees Fahrenheit, it will drop this evening.

    Woke up to THIS outside our cabin window. We are in Fornier Bay.

  • 1/1/2023 – Expedition 2 – Graham Passage 🇦🇶

    Fyi—may have to remove the picture from this post as wifi isn’t working very well. Like Laura said, “Well, we are in Antarctica!”

    We took the Zodiac to the passage, explored the amazing icebergs and saw some humpback whales—in fact one went right under our Zodiac!! I have the video to prove it but it will not upload. I will try again later.

    Our guide said that this has only happened to her once before in her 9 years of leading expeditions!

    We saw whales!

  • 1/1/2023 – Expedition 1: Portal Point and Charlotte’s Bay 🇦🇶

    A Weddell Seal taking a little nap! He was directly in our path so the expedition guides created a new path for us 🦭
    Chillin’ and breathing in some really fresh air!

    Pictures will never do this justice. Today was the first expedition via the Zodiac to Portal Point and Charlotte’s Bay. It was our first continent landing.

    History: Portal Point is on the Reclus Peninsula. It’s a long stretch directly from the Polar Plateau. There once was a refuge hut built by the British and in operation from 1956-1997. They could use a nearby snow slope as a gateway up onto the Peninsula plateau. The hut is no longer around.

    Be sure to also check out our other pictures on the “Antarctica Photos” page.

    Dream come true!

  • What a way to kick off the new year!🎉🇦🇶🥂

    Agenda for today—January 1st, 2023!

    A full day ahead of us. The expeditions begin!

  • Stepping foot on the continent🇦🇶🇦🇶🇦🇶🇦🇶🇦🇶🇦🇶🇦🇶🇦🇶🇦🇶🇦🇶🇦🇶🇦🇶🇦🇶🇦🇶🇦🇶

    Portal Point – Charlotte’s Bay, Antarctica

  • It’s officially a New Year in Antarctica!🥂🇦🇶🍾

    So much fun starting the new year with the other 145 passengers (plus some of the crew). Not sure I will ever be in Antarctica to celebrate the new year again!

    Tomorrow we start exploring – zodiac excursions, Helicopter flights and landings on the continent. Everything depends on the weather. It’s 12:30 am here and still a little light out.

    Happy New Year from Christina and Laura🎉💥
  • It’s a Beautiful Day, indeed! 🇦🇶

    It’s a Beautiful Day, indeed! 🇦🇶

    https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cm2T_h2ptJPrjXbpe-5oKmnYq0WuvDZIvAkL_Y0/?igshid=ZmMyNmFmZTc=

  • Land Ho! 🇦🇶

    We’ve reached the South Shetland Islands!!

    Look – we found land! First islands we come to off the coast of Antarctica

  • Happy New Year’s Eve!🇦🇶🎊

    Full day today as we approach the 7th continent. I posted our agenda below. The waters have calmed down considerable but I am now using the patch as well. I feel renewed!

    We finished the Helicopter safety briefing this morn. Our ship has two Airbus H145. We also entered the “who can spot the first iceberg” contest. I have heard different things but we should see one of islands off the Antarctica coast between 3:00-5:00 pm. For reference it’s 9:07 am in STL and 12:07 pm in The Drake Passage.

    Laura and I are sipping coffee/hot cocoa from the 7th deck in the panoramic lounge. It’s time to look for some whales. We’re ready!

    From the bow of the ship—ahoy mateys!
    Our daily agenda onboard Ultramarine💛

  • IAATO – keeping Antarctica pristine 🐧🇦🇶🦭

    In addition to learning about “ice” and how we need to keep 5 meters from any wildlife, we had mandatory briefings today for — How to enter/disembark from a zodiac; 2. Biosecurity. Quark follows the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) to ensure we adhere to biosecurity guidelines so that we don’t introduce alien seeds, pests or diseases and minimize the chance of introducing any non-native species to the continent. In fact, we have an automatic boot washer we will use every time we come back in from the zodiacs (this is also to reduce the risk of avian flu). Any non-new outer gear item had to be checked/decontaminated and then signed off. We can take only photos and memories and leave Antarctica as one of the perfectly preserved places in the world. Click here to learn more: https://iaato.org 🌍

  • 12/30: They call it the Drake Shake 🌊🇦🇶

    We have been in the Drake Passage for over 24 hours. About another day to go. I was doing fine and now I am laying down due to the motion. Seems that while the Dramamine helps, it doesn’t help 100%. Let’s just hope it starts to calm down soon. While we haven’t experienced the 7 meter swells like we did the other evening, it’s a lot of constant rocking. 🌊

    Shout out to Hayley Arceneaux and Dr. Sian Proctor who spoke tonight about their experiences as astronauts on SpaceX’s Inspiration4 Mission last September. Not only are they two talented women who are “firsts” in many ways (Sian-first black woman to pilot a spacecraft; Hayley-first person in space with a prosthetic leg bone after surviving childhood bone cancer), they are also generously paving the way for others to follow!❤️ Did you know that this SpaceX mission raised $250M for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital? If you get a chance, watch the documentary on Netflix – Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space️. It’s super cool that Quark Expeditions advocates for sustainability as well as diversity, equity and inclusion in their programming.

    Laura, Me, Sian, and Hayley in Ushuaia before boarding our ship 🛳️ 🚀

  • Take 2! 🇦🇷 💨

    All ship announcement: In 10 minutes (on 12/29) we are going for it! The captain will take us about 5 hours south to Cape Horn. Once we’re there he will reassess if we keep going on through to the Drake or turn around once again. Fingers (and toes) crossed! If anyone wants to follow the ship, go to www.cruisehive.com and put in our ship, The Ultramarine.

    I circled where we have been hanging out all day. It will take us 5 hours to get to the tip of Cape Horn and out to open water.
  • Nightcap on 12/29 – The Expedition Guides 🇦🇷🇦🇶

    Nightcap on 12/29 – The Expedition Guides 🇦🇷🇦🇶

    Talk about a group of extremely knowledgeable, professional, and interesting people! All of our 34 expedition guides have a specialty—Ornithology (penguins), whales, history, geology, photography, biology, mariner life, helicopter pilots/ops, zodiac, kayak, paddling, and the list goes on. Did you know that there are 8 whale species in Antartica? Blue, Humpback, Orca, Fin, Minke, Sei, Right, and Sperm.

    Laura and I are ready for our evening program in the bar with one of the guides, Tim (British but lives in France now). The talk is entitled, “Working as a Field Assistance for the British Antartic Survey.

    One of many educational sessions on the ship by our expedition team
  • The weather 🌊🌩️🌊

    The weather 🌊🌩️🌊

    We’ve been cruising along the Beagle Channel since the captain made the decision not to cross the Drake at 3:00 am ish. While it’s been relatively calm, the waves are even a bit more rough here in the channel.

    I want you to see what we’re dealing with here. This is a pic of a weather map. The black line represents where we are in Ushuaia, on the southern tip of South America. Then we cross the Drake Passage where we will be in Antartica. The blue color is what we want—nice calm seas with no storms. Green is next in order of preference and then yellow, orange and red. Red truly does mean “STOP” (and turn back). The black circle represents the eye of the storm.

    Update—we just heard that we will try again at 4:00 am to start through the Drake. We found out that we only made it 11 nautical miles through the Drake before we had to turn around.

    The red puts the shake in the Drake

  • Our room👏

    419 – our room during the expedition

  • The ship! 🇦🇷💛🇦🇶

    Our ship with the big yellow Q: 💛The Ultramarine💛

    Our ship is 128 meters in length. Public places are— a library (have yet to see it), the Tundra Spa (I will be seeing this), sauna and stream room, Ambassadors Theater, Balena (main dining). Bistro 487, fitness center, Polar Boutique, Panorama Bar and Lounge (the view is A-mazing!), the ready rooms for putting on our gear, and reception. Dinner was delicious last evening with lots of variety on the menu. They have 4 set main dishes but then offer steak, chicken and some form of vegetarian option every day.

    The Ambassador’s Theatre is where they give their talks. We had a history lesson this morn about Antarctica and now listening to one on the birds of Antarctica. The great part—if you don’t want to go to the theatre, you can listen to the livestream on the TV in our room.