Antarctica 1 - 14 November 2017

Day 0 – 31 October 2017 We stayed one night in Punta Arenas before entering MV Polar Pioneer the day later. Around sunset there were hundreds of cormorants flying outside the beach in Punta Arenas. This was a perfect moment for practising bird panning which we would soon be helpful when photographing albatrosses in the Drake Passage.

Imperial shags at sunset in Punta Arenas

Day 1 – 1 November 2017 We embarked MV Polar Pioneer in the afternoon and entered the Beagle Channel. During the night we headed south for the Drake Passage.

Day 2-3 – 2-3 November 2017 Drake Passage is known for wind and waves, which is perfect for seabirds like the albatrosses. Some of the birds we photographed were Cape petrel, Giant petrel, Black-browed albatross, Wandering albatross, Southern fulmar and Blue petrel.

Seabirds in the Drake Passage

Day 4 – 4 November 2017 Our first landing at Half Moon Island was very successful. Chinstrap penguins in morning light surrounded by great landscape gave us plenty of photo opportunities.

Chinstrap penguins in great landscape

Backstage

Day 4 – 4 November 2017 In the afternoon / evening we visited Baily Head at Deception Island, where we found even more Chinstrap penguins than in the morning. At least 100.000 pairs of penguins are nesting in this area, which is located on top of a caldera of an active volcano. The black beach at the landing site also gave great photo opportunities.

Chinstrap penguins at Baily Head Deception Island

Day 5 - 5 November 2017 We entered Antarctic Sound in amazing sunrise, surrounded by big icebergs. This was one of the great moments for the landscape photographers onboard. In the afternoon we had a zodiac cruise where we photographed some Adelie penguins and our first Leopard seal, before we left Antarctic Sound in great evening light.

Sunrise in Antarctic Sound

Evening zodiac excursion in Antarctic Sound

Day 6 – 6 November 2017 Another crazy sunrise! The sky turned red for a few minutes and we photographed icebergs with penguins and some seabirds passing by our ship. Later in the morning we arrived at Gourdin Island where we had a landing. The polecam team also got their underwater photo opportunities of icebergs in the clear water.

The polecam team heading out for split photography of icebergs

Day 7 – 7 November 2017 Visiting Useful Island was a nice experience with Gentoo penguin, Chinstrap penguin, Adelie penguin and icebergs. After the landing we did a zodiac cruise among icebergs in the area.

Penguin and icebergs

Day 8 – 8 Noevmber 2017 Cuverville Island in the Errera Channel is a very popular place. Gentoo Penguins are the main citizens of this island and outside the Leopard seals are patrolling the rocky beach. The landscape in this area is great with thousands of penguins.

Gentoo penguins, Antarctic shag and icebergs

Day 9 - 9 November 2017 We visited Neko Harbour which have great photo opportunities both on shore and from the zodiac. Gentoo penguins and Antarctic shags are most common in this area, in combination with stunning landscape.

Antarctic shags, Gentoo penguin and photographer at Neko Harbour

Day 10 - 10 November 2017 Our mornings started with a zodiac cruise among icebergs photographing birds in landscape or icebergs. Calm weather gave us some nice reflections and even forming of ice on the surface.

Photographers, MV Polar Pioneer, Arctic tern and Kelp gull

Day 11 - 11 November 2017 Last landing on our expeiditon was on Half Moon Island - the same island as we started. Another great visit to this island, but now with wind and blowing snow. These conditions gave us different photo opportunities than a week earlier. Back on MV Polar Pioneer we set course for the Drake Passage and Ushuaia.

Chinstrap penguins is wind and snow

Day 12-14 - 12-14 November 2017 After the crossing of the Drake Passage we were greeted by dolphins along the Chilean coast. This gave us some photo opportunities on our last day of our expedition.

This trip report is from our first Antarctica photo expedition in 2017, and it was a great success. We want to thank all our guests and partners who participated on this expedition, and we are sure everyone travelled home with great memories and pictures.

Let us know if you want to travel with us on a similar photo expedition to Antarctica.

Text & photo: Ole J Liodden

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