Sail with Destination Expert, Adam Laughter on a virtual voyage to the remote tundra of Antarctica aboard the Ocean Nova. Follow along this Explorer’s Journal as he cruises the Polar Circle, spotting hundreds of penguins, breathtaking leopard seals, and plunges in the freezing Antarctic waters.

Hi y’all – SA’s Destination Expert, Adam here to share my latest polar adventure! I just got back from an exciting fly-cruise to Antarctica onboard the Ocean Nova. Follow along on this wild adventure to cross the Polar Circle!

Let the adventure begin

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Boarding the penguin plane. (Photo: Adam Laughter)

My journey began from Punta Arenas, Chile which is the main launching point for flights heading south to the Antarctica Peninsula. Though flying to Antarctica requires a lot of flexibility and perhaps a bit of luck for ideal conditions to land. I learned this quickly with a 1AM wake up for a 5AM flight time that then turned into a sad return to the hotel by 7AM. After another full day and a half in Punta Arenas, I finally boarded our penguin plane for Frei Station. We landed at King George Island for a quick shuttle bus to shore and a proper Antarctica welcome from a few Gentoo penguins as we hopped on the zodiacs.

Cruising to the Antarctic Polar Circle

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I present to you the Antarctic Circle! (Photo: Adam Laughter)

Our delay getting out of Punta Arenas meant full force ahead to stay on track with crossing the Polar Circle. We cruised all night crossing the Bransfield Strait and arrived to the Gerlache Strait for some stunning views of the Antarctica Peninsula. The expedition team kept us occupied with lectures onboard covering history, geology, and the wildlife of Antarctica. The ship had to take a quick pause though as a pack of playful orca whales came by to say hello! By 8 PM, we were able to gear up and head out for our first zodiac ride to Port Lockroy and Jougla Point.

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Zodiac Antarctica excursion during cruise

By day three onboard, the Antarctic Polar Circle crossing was now in reach. The Antarctic Circle is the northernmost latitude in the southern hemisphere and lies 66˚ 33’ south of the Equator. This means that every point within this circle will experience one full day of sun each year and in the winter a full 24hrs of complete darkness.

Covering roughly 4% of the earth’s surface, we were about to cross into an area that few people visit each year. It was an almost eerie feeling as the weather seemed to have a notable change with heavy fog and snow picking up in a moment that felt almost cinematic. The crossing happened right around 2:30PM with a full celebration in the panorama deck on the Ocean Nova, equipped with a champagne toast and ladle of polar water over the head to commensurate the moment.

Snowshoeing at Winter Island

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Snowshoeing was a huge highlight of the trip! (Photo: Adam Laughter)

The ship had officially gone as far south as we could within our timeframe, and we turned around at Lallemand Fjords to head back north. By this point, I was itching to get my feet on land and explore the white continent on foot. Our time had come to land on Winter Island, and I had gotten lucky to just make the cut on the snowshoeing list. This was by far one of my favorite outings and I would recommend any traveler visiting to take advantage of this activity on their Antarctic cruise when available. The higher viewpoint was only accessible with the help of the snowshoes, plus the fun of crossing over a few penguin highways in route really topped off the experience. Not to worry, I was sure to look both ways for any oncoming traffic.

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Gentoo penguins and a Weddell seal basking in the cool breeze. (Photo: Adam Laughter)

First steps on the Peninsula & Polar Plunge

Yet another landmark moment, day five onboard was met with a full day of exploring and our official first steps on the Antarctic Peninsula. By 9AM we were all geared up for stepping foot on Neko Harbour. After sending dozens of travelers a year on Antarctica expeditions, I finally had a complete grasp on the wildlife experiences possible while cruising. I truly never could have fathomed the quantity of penguin interactions that are possible in the summer on the continent. Neko Harbour is home to nearly 250 breeding pairs of Gentoo penguins and I never once got tired of watching them waddle around.

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Lovely view aboard the Ocean Nova. (Photo: Adam Laughter)

After lunch, we headed out again for more penguin fun at Useful Island which was named in the 1950s by a British surveying expedition that felt the accessible location was just as you guessed – “useful”. Gentoo penguins greeted us at shore, and then after a short climb we were able to spot a large colony of Chinstrap penguins taking in the panoramic penthouse views from the top.

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We spotted some cool Chinstrap penguins! (Photo: Adam Laughter)

It was then time for the infamous polar plunge! If you have been following our SA adventures for a few years now, you might remember that this is not my first rodeo with a plunge in the polar regions. In comparison to my plunge in the Arctic, the conditions were MUCH better as the sun started to peak its way out for the first time since we had landed in Antarctica. At a brisk 2°C / 35.6°F, I took the dive off the ship into the waters of Antarctica. The best part might have been the 5 or 6 Gentoo penguins joining in on the fun as they jumped off an iceberg floating beside the ship.

Whaler’s Bay - Deception Island

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An impressive, tall columnar basalt formation at Edinburgh Hill. (Photo: Adam Laughter)

We traveled through the night back across the Bransfield strait to reach the South Shetland Islands. By 7AM, we had officially reached Deception Island and were making our way through Neptune’s Bellows. Deception Island is the caldera of an active volcano and has a rather unique history on top of spa-like water temperatures (why couldn’t we have done the plunge here?). Whalers Bay is the first bay as you enter through Neptune’s Bellows and was named because of the notable whaling activities that happened in the 1900s. The site is now considered historic under Antarctic Treaty as it includes remains of a Norwegian whaling station and British base that had to be evacuated in 1967 due to an eruption.

I had first thought the warmer waters would mean no wildlife, but the turns out the penguins and leopard seals love a good spa day too. As we learned about the history of the abandoned bases, a few penguins made their way across the beach, diving in and out of the water for a quick dip. Just down the beach was a leopard seal taking a nap in the warm sand before heading back out for the hunt. Our final evening onboard was a final goodbye toast with the expedition team, captain, and wonderful crew. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful trip cruising the waters of Antarctica.

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Deception Island (Photo: Adam Laughter)

About the Author: Born and raised in the foothills of North Carolina, Adam Laughter has spent the last half-decade traveling throughout regions like the Middle East, Polar Regions, and much of Latin America. With years of first-hand experience, he plans private tailor-made adventures for his travelers from his home base in Lima, Peru.