Irina Goiningen-Gühne
traveller
The tourism industry market in our time can surprise even the most experienced traveller. Numerous companies offer their clients to climb to the Everest base camp, go on an African safari and even make a journey to the Antarctica. EcoTourism EXPERT correspondent talked to traveller Irina Goiningen-Gühne who had a lucky chance of seeing penguins while travelling during her vacation at sea and kayaking among the Antarctic ice floes.
- The Antarctica is an unusual vacation destination. How did an idea of such a journey leap in your mind?
About ten years ago, my husband went to the Antarctica. He was a sailing master on a sailing vessel. After our wedding, the idea came to go there together. Since I have seasickness, we couldn’t think of yacht sailing. Therefore, our choice was a cruise and we went on a long-awaited journey last winter.
- Did you make any special preparations for the cruise? What should a traveller take to the journey?
In the Antarctica, a summer season lasts from November to March-April. This period is a tourism season. We went on our journey in February. The air temperature was around zero degrees Celsius. Snowfalls and rains are unpredictable in this region. Like in Iceland, the weather can change every five minutes in the Antarctica. The sun can be shining, and in a heartbeat, the snowfall is so heavy that nothing can be seen.
We didn’t make any special preparations for our journey. The cruise company sends a list of things to travellers in advance that they should have in their journey. In particular, it was recommended to take hiking outfit for cold weather like warm windproof pants, thermal underwear, fleece jacket, hat, gloves, etc. Be sure to take sunglasses with you as there is snow all around and sunglasses help protect your eyes. Warm jackets and shoes were given to us on the cruise ship.
- Tell me, how did you get there? What kind of transport did you use? It must have been a difficult journey.
Our cruise started from Buenos Aires. So, it was necessary to get there. Now, it’s not easy. There are several options, for example, via Istanbul, Dubai or Addis Ababa.
We left for Ushuaia from Buenos Aires, the flight to this city takes about four hours. This is the southernmost city in the world, one might say, the uttermost point of the earth. There is a tiny airport and the bus goes to the seaport from there. Most of the cruises to the Antarctica from Latin America depart from Ushuaia. There is a fabulous number of different passenger cruise liners in the Ushuaia seaport.
- In general, how much does it cost to go to the Antarctica? And in your opinion, is it good value for money?
The cruise itself cost $12,500 per person. The price includes one night at a hotel in Buenos Aires, transfer to the airport, domestic flight to Ushuaia, nine nights of travelling by a cruise ship. Meals and drinks on the cruise ship are also included in the price. Actually, we were on board a floating five-star hotel.
In addition, the company provides the tourists with waterproof and windproof jackets, special boots to wear when disembark from the cruise ship, thermos bottles, and waterproof bags.
It seems to me that the cost of the cruise is reasonable, given three meals a day, comfortable cabins and services.
By the way, there are ways to save money. We met a group of Americans on board a cruise ship. They took a plane to Ushuaia and were able to buy tickets for our cruise ship at the last moment at half price. That is, they paid $6 thousand for the same services as we did.
- How long was your journey?
The total journey lasts 11 days. The cruise itself lasts about a week. The transit of a cruise vessel through the Drake Strait in both directions took another 4 days. According to the crew of a ship, we were very lucky because there was no storm. The sea ran high, but, in general, people were fine and cheerful on board a ship. However, some people took travel sickness pills. We found out that Coca-Cola is also good for a seasickness.
We did not reach the Antarctic Circle. The cruise liner reached the very edge of the Antarctic Peninsula. Then we travelled back, disembarking from the cruise ship on the islands along the way.
- Please explain what is so special about the Drake Strait?
This is one of the places on the planet where storms are the greatest. The Drake Strait lies between South America and the Antarctic Peninsula. A fairly narrow corridor is formed here without barriers for cyclones that go from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. Due to strong winds in the Drake Strait, as a rule, the waves are very high and the weather is bad. The wind is so strong that it ‘puffs out’ your cheeks.
Cyclones occur according to a certain ‘regular schedule’, and ships sail to the Antarctica regardless of the weather. If a ship gets into a gap between cyclones when the sea is not very turbulent, such a ship and its passengers are considered to be lucky.
- What is a cruise like? How is it going?
We travelled with the Swan Hellenic cruise company and our liner was Vega. This is a brand-new ship launched in the summer of 2022. This cruise ship is of an icebreaker category approximately 100 metres long. There were about 100 passengers on board. And this is no coincidence. This number of people can simultaneously be at the disembarking point on the land.
Our cabin was with a balcony. It had everything like in a five-star hotel, including a shower room, a double bed, lockers, as well as slippers and bathrobes.
We took several tabletop games and books, but we virtually had no free time for them. The travellers should strictly follow a timetable during the cruise.
- Tell me more about your ‘timetable’?
We had a clear plan for every day. In the evenings, there were special briefings for the travellers. We were told about the weather forecast and disembarking points during the coming day. Several times, we went boating using so-called “zodiacs”. These were motor flat-bottomed boats with inflatable sides. We sailed around the neighbourhood and looked from the water at the surrounding beauty.
We also disembarked from the cruise ship on the coast, mainly on the islands. However, we disembarked on the mainland twice.
All cruise passengers are divided into two groups: a ‘blue’ group and a ‘red’ one. This is done to prevent a crowd on the deck before boarding the “zodiacs”.
We got up at six o’clock in the morning and had buffet-breakfast before 8 a.m. From eight to nine in the morning, we were told to gather on the third deck. From there, we boarded the boats - 12 persons in each “zodiac”. The travellers disembarked at some points for approximately three hours. By noon, we were back on the cruise ship. From one o’clock until two or three o’clock in the afternoon, we had lunch. About four o’clock or some minutes past four, we disembarked at a second point. Dinner was normally at around 8:00 p.m. and sometimes after dinner, we disembarked again at some place.
Usually, we had buffet-style meals and snacks. You can choose one of three side dishes, meat, chicken, fish, and salads. The ship also had vegetarian food, as well as delicious pastries. Dinners were usually a la carte and the chef offered a new menu every day.
At nights, tourists enjoyed the time at discos.
The crew of our ship was really great. There were about 150 attendants per hundred passengers. They were the sailors who navigated the ship, and the hotel staff. Throughout the cruise journey, we were accompanied by a team of 15 guides. Mostly, they were English-speaking people from the USA, UK, South Africa, Russia, and other countries. In one way or another, all of them were scientists and researchers in different fields. They told us about what surrounded us, about the animals’ habits and behaviour. During the cruise, the guides gave lectures on various topics, for example, about the migration of birds or about deep-sea mammals.
- Tell us about the rules that should be followed when disembarking from a cruise ship and staying in the Antarctica?
The rules of behaviour in the Antarctica were sent to us in advance. I have already said that we were given special clean boots and jackets upon arrival. Before boarding the “zodiacs”, we made a few steps on a special disinfectant agent. Boots always stood in a special place. Travellers don’t wear them while on the ship. In general, the staff did their best to prevent anything to get into the area of the Antarctica from other continents.
After the bird flu epidemic, another ban appeared. Now, travellers cannot sit on the snow or rocks. It is not allowed to transfer pebbles or feathers from island to island. In general, nothing should contact with the terrain except for shoes. The tourists can only walk along designated trails. For this, paths beaten by penguins are often used. Flags and signs are placed along them to indicate the beginning and the end of a path.
- Please share your first impressions. What surprised you there?
Seeing penguins live is amazing. They are not so impressive at the zoo. Seeing their behavior in their natural environment is a special experience. A lot of penguin colonies live on the island. They communicate with each other, shouting to each other. We even watched penguins just hatching eggs. We saw tiny hatchlings, small and young birds that were changing their feathers - coats.
On the third or fourth day of the travel, you begin to perceive the penguins as doves or sparrows, they are not so interesting anymore. They are all the same and behave exactly the same.
There are no trees or other vegetation in the Antarctica, that is why there is no dirt. There are only bare rocks and snow, and there is really a lot of snow. By the way, in some places it is green due to algae.
I was also struck by the colour of the ice. We have seen icebergs of all shapes and sizes everywhere. On sunny days, their peaks are snow-white. And, ice floes float under the azure water. They say, the older ice is of more intense blue colour because, while an ice floe has not yet broken away from the glacier, it is constantly under the pressure of newer layers of snow, and tiny air bubbles are squeezed out of it. The ice becomes denser and begins to reflect light in a different way.
As for animals, we also saw whales. However, they did not approach close to us. When we once disembarked from the ship and were on the mainland, we saw whales feeding in the lagoon. It’s amazing and you gaze on them like one entranced and cannot shift your glance.
We watched seals and sea leopards on the islands. It is forbidden to approach them. In general, there are special rules regarding animals in the Antarctica. For example, people should not approach penguins closer than five metres. You should keep a distance of 15 metres from large mammals.
I also really enjoyed kayaking. There were two guides in the team who were professional kayakers. Tourists could also enjoy kayaking for an additional fee, it was allowed for people over 16 years old and with experience in kayaking. My husband and I tried kayaking during a stopover at the Charlotte Bay. It was a very beautiful lagoon surrounded by glaciers and snow-covered mountains. The weather was absolutely calm. The water was like a mirror, ice peaks and ice floes reflected in it, the water was very clear. We could see the icebergs under the water.
Another entertainment that was free for everyone was a very unusual experience. All passengers could dive from the ship into the icy Antarctic water. Almost everyone took part in diving, including old people and teenagers. We jumped right in swimsuits. Each diver was secured with a wide life belt. All passengers were given a briefing beforehand. The water temperature was about zero degrees Celsius. It was necessary to breathe out before jumping. Actually, it was a great experience. The water was so cold that you only realize it when you were back on the ship. A photographer took a picture of the travellers diving. We were even given ‘certificates’ of diving.
By the way, the water in the Antarctica is not as salty as in warmer regions. It is not bitter and the skin does not itch after it.
- Were there any negative experiences? What can be dangerous and what difficulties should you encounter there?
If a person has a seasickness, any cruise can be difficult. This is especially felt while sailing on a small yacht. But we were lucky as our cruise ship had stabilizers that minimized the effect of waves on the vestibular system.
Travelling by a cruise ship is really a special experience. You can’t get away from the ship anywhere, it’s difficult to move, you are under the pressure of a limited space. If you just walk on the deck, it becomes boring and you can’t walk many miles there.
There was a very small gym on board and everyone was trying to get into it. However, it was difficult to find a treadmill or exercise bike not occupied by other travellers as they were in great demand. The pool was too tiny for the number of people who would like to swim in it. So, it was difficult for an active person to be on the ship.
In general, in the Antarctica, you get used to the landscape and it becomes boring very quickly. The travellers on the cruise ship see the same view - the rocks, ice floes and penguins.
- So, you don’t want to travel there again, do you?
I don’t think so. The views in the Antarctica will always be the same. It’s definitely worth visiting this place once. But I don’t feel like going there again.
- Did you have a chance to communicate with other tourists? Who were they?
Most of the travellers were the Americans and British. There was even a large group of 20 American retirees on board who decided to enjoy the adventure tourism. One man in the group was 90 years old, he celebrated his 90-year jubilee right on the cruise ship.
There were about twenty Russian-speaking tourists. A female shaman from Yamal was among them. She even did some practice right on the cruise ship. We also met a woman - an engineer of the “Mir” submersibles. She worked under water with James Cameron, director of blockbuster Titanic. There was also an interesting family from Switzerland who went on a year-long trip to Latin America.
- Did you bring some souvenirs? Maybe, a small piece of a rock or anything like that?
Oh, yes, I did! Our last disembarking was on the Deception Island. This is a very interesting historical place where whalers from all over the world gathered until the second half of the 20th century. There I took two seashells as a keepsake of the trip. They look a bit like mussel shells - outside they are black, and there is a mother-of-pearl wall inside of a very beautiful pink-lilac colour.
We also stopped at Port Lockroy where the southernmost post office in the world belonging to Britain is located. There are several people working on a rotation basis, they lead a rather ascetic lifestyle. There is a souvenir shop at the post office where it is possible to buy cups, magnets, T-shirts, baseball caps, kitchen towels, etc. Of course, you can send a postcard home from this post office with a ‘penguin’ stamp on it. It takes a long time for letters to come to addressees as they are first forwarded to the Falkland Islands, they go to the main London post office from there, and then they are sent all over the world.
I was afraid that the postcard would not come to Russia. But fortunately, two months later, my parents received the postcard sent from the Deception Island!
By the way, it was possible to put a special stamp in a travel passport at this post office, and I have a ‘penguin’ in my international passport!
