How lucky am I? Super lucky! Having finished my Arctic Nature Guide education on Svalbard, I applied for a trainee position onboard MS Fram, to join 2 expedition cruises to the Antarctic Peninsula (Graham’s Land).

MS Fram commutes between the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Having sailed down the Atlantic for the first expedition of the year, I boarded the ship in Buenos Aires. From here, we set sails to the Falkland Islands / Islas Malvinas. The abundance of Gentoo, Macaroni, Rockhopper, and King penguins took me by surprise. 

Further south-east, desolated South Georgia reminded me of a with steroids injected version of Svalbard (Spitsbergen), sprinkled with penguins, aggressive fur seals, and enormous elephant seals. South Georgia might be the most stunning, breathtaking, awe-inspiring, surreal place I have ever visited. It was an honor to walk in the footsteps of polar explorer Sir Shackleton and learn about his ventures.

Finally, we arrived at the Antarctic Peninsula / Graham’s Land. There are just not enough superlatives in this world to express what you feel when experiencing Antarctica: the mountains, glaciers, icebergs, penguins, and the dynamics of the smells and cacophony, all at once.