8 Things i didn't expect in Antarctica
1. The Temperature
Even though cruises only travel to Antarctica in the summer, it was a lot milder than I expected. Because they outfit you with a thick insulated coat and the appropriate boots, I was surprised at how warm I was during land excursions. There were times where people were removing their coats, or even wearing shorts outside on the boat when the wind was calmer. Don't get me wrong, if it's not sunny and the wind is strong, it's definitely cold. As a whole, it was significantly less frigid than I anticipated.
2. Time On Shore
The amount of time we spent on shore felt rushed. Antarctica has strict regulations on how long a ship can occupy a specific area as well as how many people can be on land at one time. Because of this, you are limited to an hour each time you leave the boat. It was surprising how fast time passed during those excursions.
3. Drake Shake
The drake shake did not impact me as bad as I thought it would (read more about the details of my experience here). Motion sickness medication worked great, and although the balancing game remained comical, my body adjusted to the rhythm of the waves by the second day.
4. Sense of Adventure
Being in Antarctica brings out everyone's adventurous side and makes you do things you never thought you would! You can read more about my adventuresome spirit in Antarctica here.
5. Freedoms of Camping
There are very strict rules that everyone must follow when stepping foot on Antarctica. I was surprised to find out that camping on the continent allows you a few extra freedoms. Regular ship landings require everyone to follow all rules. For example, we could not kneel or set any bags down on the ground. This is obviously not possible to comply with when camping, so the locations that are chosen for camping have slightly fewer restrictions. It was enjoyable to have that flexibility.
6. Eco-Friendly
I loved how environmentally focused everything was. We had to go through a very detailed inspection of our belongings to ensure we wouldn't introduce any foreign biological specimen to the ecosystem. We rinsed our boots before and after each departure from the boat, and we couldn't set any bags down on land.
7. Expedition Mentality
Every single day was different from the previous. Locations were planned one day in advance, so we did not know what the trip was going to hold. Weather and wildlife were a total gamble and it kept each day exciting and filled with surprises.
8. Camaraderie
I didn't expect to connect with so many other people on the trip. Given the smaller ship size, we were able to get make friends with lots of people, including the staff.
Jacob and I accompanied by my aunt and uncle with our lovely server Sheila.