Polar Destinations...

The Trip of a Lifetime

from GALAPAGOS TRAVEL

King Penguins (South Georgia Island)

Special Offerings from Galapagos Travel

Polar Destinations

For the past 15 years, the Galápagos Islands have been my second home, a home I have shared with many visitors. Galápagos is the place that magically brings us closer to the natural world. To snorkel with playful sea lions, ageless giant tortoises in the wild, blue-footed boobies diving together in a coordinated squadron - and all on schedule as set forth in the daily briefing; it's a tough act to follow. After all, where else can you get that close to the animal kingdom while they are "being themselves" in their world.

As I found out several years ago, Antarctica was one such place. Colonies of hundreds of thousands of King penguins on the shores of South Georgia Island, the same South Georgia of the epic story of Sir Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance Expedition. On South Georgia, one can also view the courtship of the wandering albatross, spreading its 11 ft wings in full display. In the protected waters within the Antarctic Peninsula, close encounters with humpback and minke whales are often experienced. And there's more. In a word, Antarctica is "awesome"! How else to describe vast icebergs (some over tens of miles long), fierce katabatic winds (sometimes well over 50 mph) sweeping down from majestic peaks, and a land that has proven throughout history to be unforgiving, especially so to the inexperienced explorer.

I began sharing the Antarctic with "Galápagos Travelers" in 2000, and now every couple of years we offer a special trip that takes in the heart of Antarctica as well as its soul: South Georgia Island. Each member of our office staff has now also made this voyage, and they would to share their adventure while they answer your questions about this special place.

The more I learned about Antarctica from reading and experiencing first hand, the more I began comparing it to the Arctic - the other Polar frontier. My first trip to Svalbard (a group of islands above Norway in the high, high Arctic - crossing 80°N) was in 1999, and I was quite surprised at the depth of emotion one experiences up there. It is a vast area, much like Antarctica. And it has bested many efforts to reach the furthest north - the Pole itself. But unlike Antarctica, which is always the dominant force, strong and aloof, you do "connect" to the Arctic. No doubt, the connection is a bit different for each of us, but the mind definitely opens up and touches this place. With expansive reaches of pack ice, an imposing obstacle to virtually everything in its path, I felt like an explorer at the ultimate end of the known civilized world.

And on the edges of this ice, one finds the King of the Arctic - the Ice (Polar) Bear. You never stop looking for them, and the more you learn, the more fascinating they become. Not far from the Ice Bear, but far enough to hopefully stay out of its reach, are the seals (4 species) that live and breed in the Polar environment. As do reindeer, Arctic fox, and herds of walrus, hauled out all over each other.

This is summer in the High Arctic, when the Sun does not set, instead staying between 10-30° above the horizon as it produces the energy to start the 'round-the-clock food machine in the form of continuous plankton blooms. From there, the food web rapidly spreads, with tiny crustaceans and fish taking part, in turn feeding tens of millions of migrating birds. Including enormous colonies of seabirds nesting on the majestic cliffs - puffins, kittiwakes, fulmars, murres (guillemots), skuas, terns, and gulls. Waterfowl and shore birds also take part in the feeding frenzy - all here for a short intensive breeding season.

The scenery is moody and quite spectacular. As you look around at the glaciers, fjords, and the vast open areas, you almost hear the classical music of Grieg, Sibelius, and Smetena - even the haunting sounds of Enya.

Svalbard is unique - and (given that you are 80°N) surprisingly accessible. Since 2004, I have been guiding (as well as lecturing) in
Svalbard during the summer months. GALAPAGOS TRAVEL is currently offering 11 day circumnavigation trips of this beautiful archipelago; the prices re quite reasonable, and the ship is just the right size (carrying about 50 participants), speed, and strength to get through and around the ice, with reasonably short transit times.

Beginning in 2005, Mark Grantham, the General Manager of GALAPAGOS TRAVEL, will accompany passengers on a circumnavigation of Iceland - a majestic land of contrasts that sparks the imagination. Geologically very active (an undersea eruption can give rise to a new island virtually overnight), the majority of the interior of the island consists of lava fields and glaciers. By contrast, the coastline (which we will explore in depth), is absolutely teeming with wildlife and equally rich in history. These North Atlantic waters support some of the world's largest bird colonies, and this is the perfect time to see them.

Barry Boyce

Iceberg detail: Antarctica Peninsula