Antarctic Basecamp Adventure Reviews

How do I choose just one moment? Was it being close enough to touch a humpback whale and her calf as they fed? Was it kayaking in a bay, watching penguins "dolphining" as they swam, watching seals lolling on icebergs? Was it taking a Zodiac cruise and seeing an old shipwreck? Was it going on a mountaineering trek and getting the most amazing views? If I have to choose just one moment, I will choose the first time I set foot on the continent--such a thrill!!!--but honestly, the whole trip--each and every day--was made of memorable moments.

Too many memorable moments to list though, if pushed, I'd have to say the look on my husband's face when he saw Brabant Island, an island he'd spent 9 months on back in 1984, for the first time in 39 years. This would shortly be followed by reaching the summit of Cuverville Island on snow shoes, taking the polar plunge and disco dancing on the helideck of m/v Ortelius on New Year's Eve.

Catching my first glimpse of the icebergs on arriving at the Antarctic Peninsula in the early hours of the morning.

Sleeping on the continent in my bevy bag to wake up at 3am to light snow, peace and a phenomenal view of glaciers and a waterfall. The watching a group of artic turns chase a skua right over me as I lay snug in my bag. The windy wet ride through iceberg alley with dark clouds on the horizon, making it look like one could fall off the edge - cerulean blues iceberg caves, huge icebergs with turrets and knife edge peaks and, to top it all off, a leopard seal on an iceberg. And penguins frolicking in the water - torpedo like in their speed and jumps, clearly having a blast. I could go on...ice climbing with calving icebergs, swimming penguins and seals below, and snow waterfalls from avalanches in the mountains across the bay; Damvoy Point - blue sky with great clouds coming across the peaks and that amazing blue streaked, cracked glacier ...and baby penguins! Love the Adeline's her and there and sharing the penguin highways with them...wacthching them hoping, sliding, jumping, braying....could watch pimguisn forever.

It is impossible to single out one experience. Carola was with us in every step and her help was incredible - she made this experience perfect for us. Due to a late flight, we needed rebooking of flights and communication with drivers and hotel which she handled seamlessly and without any hiccup. Carola made everything happen like it was a walk in the park for her. Swoop does an excellent job and Oceanwide ship, facilities, staff, crew made the experience incredible. If there was any one thing that might be improved it would be the shipboard TV as there was constant buffering of the programs as well as erratic behavior. Granted, the trip is best without any TV but my mate had difficulty with sea sickness and reliable TV would have helped her. I realize it is satellite based and that is difficult in Antarctica but this is just a comment. If I ever do another booking through Swoop, I will definitely ask for Carola if she is available. Hold onto her in every way as if I had a professional need for her, I would offer her a executive position in an instant.

Seeing orcas trying to drown a humpback whale Meeting some of the most amazing people

The otherworldly scenery of Antarctic. Plus the penguins, seals, and chance to mountaineer, kayak and sleep on the continent.

The Moment when one of our guides, Steffie, told us to put down our cameras when we were on an outing on the Zodiac, and just listen! It was surreal - the peace that surrounded us, the sound of the whales, blowing through their blow hole, the water lapping around us - I realized, I have not actually been listening for years!

Too many to mention them all. We were so close at times to bubble-net-feeding humpbacks in our Zodiak, I could not fit the huge heads in my photo frame! We sailed through a "conference" of orcas about 50 strong; one swam under the Ortelius (our ship) and popped up right under where I was standing. I gained a deeper appreciation for the athleticism and resourcefulness of gentoo, chinstrip and Adelie penguins. The blue-eyed shags were a hoot with the crazy necking courtship dances. Even more impressive were the people. The guides, crew and staff were super helpful and worked hard to make as many adventures possible while keeping us safe. I enjoyed the camping in a snow pit, kayaking through brash ice, snowshoeing in blizzard conditions, the polar plunge, the photo workshops, the many related talks about wildlife, glaciers, avalanches, history. I especially liked being included in viewing the weather forecast maps. The travelers (about 113 from 20 countries, I heard) were as excited and enthusiastic about our adventures as I was. I have found a new "tribe" to which I am proud to belong.

It's difficult to pick one. Our first day on land, the fog was so thick that we could barely see the ship in the water. As we hiked up the hill to penguin colonies, we turned around and saw what looked like an outline of a mountain through the fog, but figured it was just thin clouds. We turned around just a few moments later to see a massive, glacier-laden mountain towering over the water, making our boat look miniscule. It was a moment of surprise and awe that kick-started this amazing trip. Each whale sighting had me on my toes, in awe of the humpbacks especially.

Seeing penguins for the first time as we were on the mountaineering walk. Chinstrap penguins - they were so close! ?

Highlight was kayaking alongside a humpback whale in stunning scenery. Both clients and staff/crew on board were very friendly and the big surprise was the amount and quality of the food.

Initially seeing the breathtaking landscape. Saw Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins (though only on the first morning) Wish we encountered additional species of penguins as the rest of the trip were only Gentoo, not that I'm complaining, just wish I could see others as well. Did not see a great variety of wildlife, whales mostly from a distance and a few seals though I almost stepped on one camouflaged in the rocky shoreline...oops! Most magical moments was being with Kelly and sharing such exquisite beauty!

ALL OF IT!! Kayaking with humpback whales, seeing some much wildlife, the indescribable landscapes, the overwhelming awe, the incredible captain, staff, and crew, and all the open minded and flexible passengers who brought so much positive energy to the experience.

There were so many, it's hard to pick one. Getting upclose with a leopard seal, seeing the beautiful twin arch iceberg, stepping onto the Antartica continent the first time, so many memorable moments.

We were on our way to Cuverville and ran into a large pod of Orcas and they got us all off the ship and we spent 3 hours in zodiacs surrounded by about 25 orcas and a humpback whale.

Outdoor Camping! And just how much wildlife is down there. Absolutely stunning

Camping in the snow, going to sleep with clear skies and being woken up by snowflakes

The entire adventure was amazing, I could literally highlight all the activities one by one. The crew was fun and extremely helpful, the food and the services were excellent and every little thing on the ship was designed to make sure that we had the time of our lives. What did I love the most? The animals for sure! I wanted to snuggle up with those curvy seals that always had a smile on their faces and I had a hard time not to hug those clumsy little penguins always curiously staring at us. Seeing a whale made us run to the windows or out to the deck every single time, even on the last day, even if it was 6 am in the morning and we wore nothing but our pyjamas under our coat. Last, but definitely not least, Antarctica is the cupid in my life's love story. My boyfriend had never heard of anyone dreaming about Antarctica before but wanted to get on board. One thing led to another and we suddenly were not only planning the trip but were also falling in love. My best and dearest memories would already tie me to this amazing continent but in Neko Harbour he also proposed to me making this journey truly unforgettable.

The majority of the trip was a memorable moment, but the giant, steaming pile of male elephant seals was incredible! Got some great video of them "talking" to each other. Also got some great video of a close-up humpback whale slapping his fins back and forth.