By Nick Wilder
In December, 2019 I flew to southern Argentina and crossed Drake’s Passage to Antarctica. It was an eye opening trip to a beautiful and exotic world I’d never seen. I planned another trip to the far south this March. This time the main attraction was to be South Georgia Island known as the site of Shakelton’s grave and millions of penguins. A month before our scheduled trip I received notification that the highly contagious bird flu had been discovered on South Georgia and our trip was rerouted back to Antarctica. My second trip to Antarctica was somewhat of a letdown with shorter days, less snow and fewer whales. However, we visited abandoned whaling villages and spent two nights in the Falkland Islands. Here are some of my favorite photos from the heat of Buenos Aires to the bleak beauty of a land that sometimes looks like photos of the Martian surface.
The tango dancers performing outdoors in Buenos Aires are really talented!
Zodiac boats shuttle us ashore from the ship
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A few of our guides
King Penguins
Adelie penguins on an iceberg
Our captain breaks open a bottle of champagne
Enjoying alfresco dining in Antarctica
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Passenger pics
Orca whales
Deception Island, site of an abandoned whaling village
Old whale oil storage tanks
View from inside a tank |
Another view from inside a tank |
Observing penguins on the Falklands
Dolphins
Seals
Owner of sheep shearing station in the Falklands
A guanaco (related to llamas)
Trying to hold onto a sheep and fend of a guanaco
Walking along a rocky beach with seals
