13 December 2012 / leggypeggy

A slice of paradise in the Antarctic

Antarctica, birds, Paradise Bay, penguins, Quark Expeditions, travel, Zodiacs

The beauty of Paradise Bay in the Antarctic

In a single day, Poor John and I managed to get to paradise AND visit our seventh and final continent.

It all happened on our second day alongside the Antarctic Peninsula when our ship anchored in Paradise Bay, and the Zodiacs ferried us ashore for the morning. This was a real landing on the Antarctic mainland, unlike our previous stops on islands.

Zodiacs ferry us to the Antarctic Peninsula

Landing at Base Brown

We arrived on the doorstep of the Almirante Brown Antarctic Base, the now-abandoned Argentine scientific research station there.

I can’t determine exactly when it closed but, in 1984, a researcher, who didn’t want to stay for winter, set fire to the compound. He pulled this stunt about the time the last supply ship for the year was leaving. Luckily, he and others who were to stay for winter were picked up. Today the buildings are in good condition, and perhaps the site will reopen in future.

For now, the base is one of only two places that tourists can set foot on the actual Antarctic Peninsula.

As with all landings, some crew members went ashore first to prepare a landing spot and mark paths where we could trek safely and legally.

The legal requirement is that we stay in certain areas and that we remain at least five metres from all wildlife. However, it’s okay if we sit or stand still and the critters approach us.

Trekking to a viewpoint on the Antarctic mainland

This was our trickiest landing so far because the landing spot was steep and blanketed with a thick layer of snow and ice. Not to worry! Several crew went to work with shovels and other implements, and cut a set of snow stairs for us to climb.

That climb was nothing compared to the uphill trek to the best viewpoint. The ‘mountain’ rose only 165 feet, and was really not at all hard if you take it slowly. But it’s a decent challenge when you sink up to your knees in the snow.

After exploring our first mainland stop and checking out the resident gentoo penguins, we took our turn in the Zodiacs. This was our chance to get up close to ice, glaciers, mountains, water and plant life.

No doubt about it, Paradise Bay lived up to its name and reputation as one of Antarctica’s most scenic places.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.