Setting foot onto the Antarctic continent can leave an indelible impression on your psyche as well as a lasting imprint on your boots.
On an eight-night Hurtigruten cruise aboard the MS Fram, roundtrip from Ushuaia, Argentina to the Antarctic Peninsula, we spent three and a half days making seven landings on the surrounding islands and the continent. Passengers divided up into groups aboard polar circle boats and motored from the cruise ship to land. The highlight is stepping off and visiting colonies of penguins. No, this itinerary didn't take us anywhere near the habitat of the Emperor Penguins made famous on the silver screen. But we did see three different types, all belonging to the Brush-tailed family: the Chinstraps, named so because of their permanent smile, the Gentoo penguins that have an orange bill and finally the Adelie's, which have black heads and white rings around their eyes.
The guides instructed us to keep 15 feet away from the penguins, making sure to avoid what is nicknamed the penguin highway, cordoned off by orange cones. It is okay though for the penguins to approach you, and what a thrill to have a probing penguin peck at your pants leg. It's easy to grow attached to the creatures with their comic little waddles and insistent squawks.
We were especially lucky to see baby chicks late in the summer season. The penguins eat krill and small fish, and their main predator is the Leopard Seal which can take them by surprise. One thing that takes some getting used to is the odour of the penguin poop. It can be so strong that it becomes hard to stomach and takes a long time to leave you. That's the main reason why everyone's boots get disinfected when stepping back onto the boat.
Hurtigruten's Antarctica cruises are discounted by 25 percent for select sailings next season.
