Bear Down Wildcats

Wife and I just got back from the most incredible trip of our lives, which started in Buenos Aires, took us to Ushuaia, then 10 days on a Quark Expeditions ship to Antarctica, two weeks in Argentinian/Chilean Patagonia, and then back to Spain.

My wife has been to all 7 continents now, and about 70 countries, and Antarctica blew everything else out of the water. It was like visiting another planet, and I want all of you to know that if it's not on your bucket list you should fucking put it on there, if it is on your bucket list you should hurry the fuck up and get your ass there ASAP, and if you've never even thought about it you better check your head because it's simply the most life-changing trip you'll ever take.

Expensive, but worth every fucking penny and more.

The wildlife (more penguins than you could ever count, same with whales, seals, birds, orcas)
The landscapes
The ice
The camaraderie with your fellow shipmates
The educational aspects
The polar plunge
Camping overnight

The list goes on and on.

Share some pics!

Especially while it's still there, since it's melting faster than ever and accelerating.

Dude awesome! Post pics when you can!

Merkin wrote:Share some pics!

Yes! Sounds amazing

https://photos.app.goo.gl/nhDL7EBQ4nj7Amja8" target="_blank (chinstrap penguins on Deception Island)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/wLbhnWeYcw2TzTdR9" target="_blank (crabeater seal)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/cv1mN3vVRcfjyAjv9" target="_blank (my polar plunge bellyflop)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/9wFrpJwoSqxfMcWR6" target="_blank (video of it)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/MwGiJS75RiwKvGgS7" target="_blank (zodiac cruising)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Fw2iDDLnkDoqXaRP7" target="_blank (Adelie penguins)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/frxwbXF1G6aeeQpJA" target="_blank (humpback heading right at another zodiac)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/BEsoRp3WgdDPLcmj7" target="_blank (penguin falling over on iceberg)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/jFaRghHm88ZYz5kH6" target="_blank (iceberg selfie)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/iv7VWuXjikCnxA8HA" target="_blank ("sugar water" boomerang)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/phqHeLAkdNGZECov7" target="_blank (lone gentoo penguin on iceberg)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/3TEuFefKJFJdRSe86" target="_blank (same one with zodiac nearly)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/4znW1V1Wm9VmDZrTA" target="_blank (aftermath of an avalanche - look closely, it looks like a waterfall)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/d4qQ7N8broThAJYBA" target="_blank (me holding glacial ice that is over 10,000 years old)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/nWKSC3S5SNAo881A6" target="_blank (layered iceberg - caused when it flips and resettles differently in the water)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/GnAuZVXeQBoVwwxm6" target="_blank (1 month old leopard seal)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/iMYdrisNzFWNMkHt6" target="_blank (continent flag)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/9y3t4ZdoWgKrB24t9" target="_blank (crazy iceberg)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/7o4FZsG2rEbJFLDz9" target="_blank (amazing blue iceberg, white walker eye color haha)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/oStyPRiZqPtmRaZr9" target="_blank (Yoda santa hat snow angel ON the sea ice with a Weddell seal behind me)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/naptXYtkGT7QmhrE8" target="_blank (crabeater seals chilling)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Kp9Ufmxqc2kDpEZBA" target="_blank (the gentoo waddle)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/2pPRm5vaQggBtWvu5" target="_blank (overnight camping, no tents)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/R618kqLzbgxhpi2NA" target="_blank (crabeater with huge belly scar from an orca)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Bgg384rz9G6GPgzf8" target="_blank (penguins everywhere and some awkward narration by me haha)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/zYE6jMrgSfLuz1cK8" target="_blank (crabeater and ice)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Xyq1Uy6gb5362dAC7" target="_blank (ice Arch)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/4npJWSHAEpyfkQs46" target="_blank (check out the color underwater)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/pwC9pZPJ8ZrGL2Mw6" target="_blank (first iceberg of the journey - looks like that because it broke off from the sea ice that is formed every winter - also had my wife tongue tied)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/NfDoKGjXoLyzadACA" target="_blank (all those tiny dots in the background are penguins)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/cQtWtb5hwhMWBtA17" target="_blank (sunset first night, in the Beagle Channel prior to reaching open Waters and the Drake Passage)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/L98hMJubAEvQCCVp6" target="_blank (big waves in the Drake on our way back, shot from our room window)

Well, that should give you a pretty good sense of the trip. Those are all from my phone, so the quality isn't the best (especially the videos), but I've yet to go through the thousands I took on my DSLR so it will have to do.

Those images are fantastic, what phone do you have?

Those first penguins are adorable.

Also, camping with no tent? I won't even do that out here in coastal California in the summer.

Merkin wrote:Those images are fantastic, what phone do you have?

Those first penguins are adorable.

Also, camping with no tent? I won't even do that out here in coastal California in the summer.

Pixel 2 XL. Camera is the tits, for sure

Amazing. What was the air/water temp for your plunge? Those shoes made it home?

Jefe wrote:Amazing. What was the air/water temp for your plunge? Those shoes made it home?

Air - 30 degrees
Water - 33 degrees.

Yeah the shoes made it home. We had four days before we got back on land, and it took basically the whole time for them to dry.

A friend of mine worked at the research facility down there two winters ago. He met someone you all might know.