In February 2024 I travelled to the Antarctic peninsula with my father, a very fit octogenarian, though if anyone asked him his age on the trip he would tell you he was 22. Having talked about going to Antarctica for a long time, when Intrepid put up a great deal, I was in. My confidence in the trip was bolstered by a friend who had travelled with them as a Sony Ambassador (Meghan Maloney). Youtube pic below is us in all our gear.
The trip was 14 days, providing ample time on the Antarctic peninsula and reaching the Antarctic Circle. We loved the Ocean Endeavour ship for its easy access to a full 360-degree deck. Our cabin on Deck 5 was spacious and conveniently located, with plenty of room under the bunks and a large wardrobe.
Tip: Not all rooms had space under the beds so bring a soft bag for easier stowage.
The blog has got a bit long so quick links below and if you just want some photos check out the video.
How we got there from NZ
What we took including camera gear for antarctica
Photography tips for Antarctic Peninsula
Life on the ship
The trip day by day
Which trip to choose?
Deciding was tough. I would have loved to go to South Georgia and the Falklands, but it took longer, cost more, and had a lot of sea time—which wasn’t ideal for me. The 14-day duration was perfect time also for my dad to be away from mum.
Note: Most trips are slightly shorter than expected, with the first night in a hotel, leaving late the next day, and returning early on the last day. Our 14-day trip though was a great length.
Tip: If you are worried about sea sickness try and do a test trip with your meds at home. Mine didn’t work well but my dad’s did so I used them coming back across the Drake passage.
How did we get there
Travel routes varied, especially for those coming from Australia (the largest group on the ship). We flew from our South Island homes to Auckland, then to Santiago with a short stop before Buenos Aires for an overnight stay.
Ordering food in Buenos Aires without knowing Spanish was a fun challenge, resulting in meals fit for a rugby team. Our hotel had a lovely, modern take on an old look. Tip: Taxis from inside the airport were almost twice as expensive as those booked by our hotel.
The next morning, we flew to Ushuaia and stayed at the Wyndham Hotel, enjoying the views and the eagle right outside our window. Though some felt it was too far out of town, we loved it. For $4 US, it was easy to head into town, and we met others who arrived a day early, making for a great start to the trip.
Tip: Arrive a day or two early to enjoy national parks, wildlife trips, and the old prison museum in Ushuaia. Also gives you time for travel delays and to explore the little cafes and waterfront.
What did we take
Packing for Antarctica requires careful planning. Below is a full list to download of what worked for us. Most trips include some gear – we got a puffer (to keep) and a very warm over jacket and warm boots to use while on the ship.
As well as the main list I also took some serious camera gear but many used cell phones it just depends what you enjoy, and I love having all options so this is what I ended up taking with me, some of this on loan from Sony NZ
My Camera Gear for Antarctic Peninsula:
Cameras: Sony a7r5 full frame, Sony a6600 crop sensor.
Lenses: Sony 100-400 f5.6-6.3, Sony 70-200 f2.8, Sony 12-24 f4, Tamron 28-75 (mostly for off the ship).
Batteries and Memory: Five batteries sufficed without frequent recharging. I took enough memory cards to avoid reformatting until home (~10,000 photos). (Tip keep the batteries in your inner pockets to keep them warm)
Rain Sleeve and Lens Shades: Essential for bad weather.
GoPro: Great for rough weather videos and underwater shots.
Ziploc glad bags to seal my camera in when I got back on the ship but I don’t think it was necessary on most days.
To carry my gear, I used light Sony dry bags for the cameras and a larger dry bag with back straps for easy transport on zodiacs. This setup worked perfectly, and I often just kept the dry bag at my feet in the zodiac taking the camera out as needed.
Tip: Don’t bring a tripod. They’re useless on the ship due to engine shake, and you generally can’t take them on land due to bird flu regulations.
Photography Tips for Antarctic Peninsula
Tips for Capturing Wildlife
Burst Mode: Use burst shot mode for moving wildlife, like porpoising penguins, to increase your chances of getting that perfect shot.
Handheld Practice: Steady your shots by holding your camera with arms at your sides, breathing in and out slowly, and using your camera’s steady shot features. Practice at home.
High Shutter Speed: On the ship and zodiacs, keep the shutter speed up (at least 1/200-1/500th sec) to counteract the movement.
General Camera Settings
Filters: Stick to basics; a polarizer might be handy but otherwise, keep it simple.
Camera Presets: Set up presets at home for different scenarios, you will still have to adjust on the day but it makes it a lot quicker an example would be:
Landscapes: f8-f11, 1/200th sec, ISO 200.
Wildlife: f4, 1/800th sec, ISO 600-800.
Exposure: Use your histogram to avoid blown-out shots. Use centre weighted metering to help expose correctly on the iceberg for instance.
Know your camera: Learn how to use it at home, play on full manual, get some lessons, you don’t want to learn on the ship (unless you are with the photography group). I can’t press this enough, you won’t have time to think ‘where is that button’ when you are out in the elements.
Compositional Tips
Details and Scale: Capture both big scenes and small details. Include something for scale—shots of the ship alongside icebergs or wildlife on an iceberg can be striking.
Watch and Wait: Spend time observing wildlife. Patience can lead to fantastic interactions and moments.
Around the Ship: Don’t forget to photograph life on the ship, zodiac loading/unloading, and interactions with fellow travellers.
Wish List
Plan Some Shots: Create a wish list of shots you’d like to capture on the Antarctic peninsula. It can be helpful to remind yourself of specific shots, like a close-up of a penguin’s foot, chicks feeding or icebergs in different shades of blue.
Final Thoughts
Enjoy the experience and have fun with your photography. Remember, for many, this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip, so take the time to capture both the expected and unexpected moments.
Life on the ship
How the zodiacs worked
The ship had a fabulous system of having us in groups of 20 (we were the Weddell Seals). You were called down to the mud room in your groups, so it was never crowded for the daily excursions. To ensure a fair experience for everyone. if your group was 2nd out in the morning you were 3rd out in the afternoon etc so everyone got a go at heading out first and last. The only exception was the photography group that always headed out first – probably to ensure they were all together.
To be honest it really made little difference when you went out as you hardly ever had a zodiac in your way of photos and the wildlife just got on with life regardless of us. Only 100 were allowed on land at a time so you might cruise first or land first depending on your rotation. You didn’t have to wait for all of your group to get ready you just headed out to the zodiacs when you were dressed so you were often on with different people.
Tip: You don’t really get an option of where you sit as its sorted when you get on but if you have a big lens avoid right up by the driver as it can be tricky to manoeuvre past them for shots. Usually people sit and stand alternately to give everyone a great opportunity to see and photograph.
On board
Mealtimes varied with our excursion times, with buffet breakfasts and lunches, and four-course à la carte dinners. Evening briefings covered the next day’s plans, and our expedition leader and captain worked hard to get us to spots where we could disembark and explore.
If you left something behind there was a little boutique on board to stock up and get some treats as well if you wanted. I, probably predictably, found a great wee book on the birds of antarctica.
There were regular lectures, entertainment in the evenings (quizzes, jam sessions, open mic, etc.), and plenty of spaces to relax when not out on a zodiac.
Tip: Whatever is on in the main room is also on one of the TV channels in your room for when you are feeling a bit tired (or in my case sick) and don’t want to miss out.
Antarctic peninsula and circle day by day
The journey involved two days of crossing the Drake Passage each way, but upon arrival, the goal was to disembark from the ship both in the morning and afternoon. A typical outing included a 60-minute Zodiac excursion and then onto the land for 90 minutes. We were fortunate to go ashore twice daily due to favourable weather and the hard work of our leader and captain. Sometimes we only had a Zodiac ride or a brief zodiac just to get us to a landing. I loved both experiences equally, enjoying the proximity to wildlife. Onshore, a designated path was marked by ropes, and staff were positioned to assist and ensure the safety of both visitors and wildlife. Occasionally, Dad would head back to the ship early, but the staff, always obliging, would readily ferry you back if you wished to shorten your stay or if you became too cold.
Every day was different and every trip is different so this is just a quick flick through where we went some of which is shown below. It all depends on weather and landing availability. There are just a couple of photos each day to give you an idea of the places but the main photos are in the youtube above.
Day 1 Wyndam Hotel
The meet and greet session provided an excellent chance to learn about the trip’s logistics, meet fellow travellers, and the crew, and prepare for the next day’s afternoon departure. Docking fees for ships are quite high, which is why they dock early in the morning and depart with new passengers later in the day. It makes a huge day for the staff.
After dropping our bags nice and early at the hotel we filled in our time exploring the town of Ushuaia, I think Dad forgot we were heading to the Antarctic peninsula!
Day 2 Boarding and heading to the Drake Passage
We all met around 3 pm at the waterfront to be bused out to board the ship. On arrival you surrendered your passport, got your room keys and settled in. Your bags had all been left named at the hotel in the morning so were waiting for you in your room. You also had your puffer jacket (that you got to keep) waiting and could go and check you had chosen the right size boots and jackets in the mudroom. If you selected the wrong size, as I did, it was super easy to swap and all this was done as we headed out towards the Drake Passage.
Tip: My room card kept demagnetising, so I put it in a travel RFID sleeve – no trouble to reset it but this saved time.
Day 3-4 Drake Passage
This was fun for some and not so much for a just a few of us. We had a Drake Lake instead of a Drake Shake, as the saying goes, but I was still quite sick. Hence my tip above to check what tablets work for you before you leave.
The doctor was amazing though and sorted my nausea and the other passengers so kind I just knew it was going to be a fabulous sailing. It didn’t ruin the crossing though it was still stunning being in the middle of nowhere. The decks all around the ship are a massive bonus.
We were out on deck spotting whale blows, penguin on an iceberg and the icebergs getting bigger and bigger. I certainly spent a lot of time out in the fresh air on the deck! It’s hard to see in the photo below but there is a group of penguins on the ice in the centre bottom of the photo.
Day 5 Arriving at the Peninsula
Petermann Island: zodiac cruise and landing
Waking this morning we had arrived at the Antarctic peninsular. The sunrise was incredible. Days were long but we did still have an evening. It turned out we were further south than we expected with the captain and our expedition leader taking advantage of good weather. I looked out our cabin window and a whales’ tail was just disappearing and headed onto the deck to watch a huge iceberg carving off a section and create a whole new shape.
We did a 60 minute cruise followed by 90 minutes on land with Adele and Gentoo Penguins. There were plenty of Gentoo, but the Adele you only see this far south. There were Orca in the distance and we spotted three of the four seal species as well as petrels and Antarctic shags and more whales!
Yaour Island: zodiac cruise
Once back on board we headed to our next stop with so much to see on the way and then an afternoon of leopard seals everywhere playing and lying about on the sea ice.
This was the only time we saw another ship and a small yacht. Leaving here for the night there was heaps to watch from the ships deck. While we got off every day the views from the ship never disappointed and I spent a lot of time on deck. Our cabin on Level 5 was almost at the outside door to the deck so it could not have been handier.
We saw so much on our first day on the Antarctic peninsula you just couldn’t imagine how it could get better! but it did. Also, great that seasickness was subsiding now we were near land.
Day 6 Antarctic Circle, Polar Plunge and Detaille Island
If yesterday was crazy today was over the top. We started the day down at the bow of the ship with champagne as we crossed the Antarctic Circle, it was so surreal it may have even made me shed a tear and Dad saying ‘well we are in amongst it now love’ really made me smile. There was sea ice and icebergs all around us, I totally recommend taking a trip this far south it was absolutely mind blowing.
The crabeater seals were just hanging out on the sea ice, It totally took your breath away, as did the polar plunge which we did next. 118 of the 190 on board did it including Dad and I. If you are here you just have to do it and its so quick you hardly notice the freezing water. Plus you get hyped up with music and a shot of vodka to warm you up after. Next stop was the spa. Hard to beat jumping in amongst sea ice and icebergs this far south.
Detaille Island: zodiac cruise and landing
The zodiac trip saw us up close with lots of crabeater seals (who don’t by the way eat crabs they eat krill). A few of them just played by our zodiac swimming under and around for ages – so relaxed about us.
Tip: A GoPro (or similar) is excellent for getting action under the water but maybe practice first, I was hopeless at it but luckily our zodiac driver was great.
Landing on the Island was a little tricky amongst rock and ice but the staff were all lined up to help us. They were incredible standing at their designated spot for hours and always cheerful. Each landing they roped out an area we could walk around and this landing included an historic hut as well as Adele and Gentoo penguins.
This was an old station abandoned and left exactly as it was – food, clothes, equipment. You can read about the history of it here. Each evening in the big lecture room there was something on and this night it was crew and passengers live music – some serious talent out there.
Day 7 Plenau Bay and Port Charcal
You quickly run out of superlatives describing Antarctica. The vastness is just too hard to describe.
Pleanau Island: zodiac cruise
I think a mixture of the wind and no landing site had us just out on a zodica this morning. Personally I loved the zodiac cruises as you never knew what you might come across. Huge bergs, one just like a breaking wave and then up close to a gentoo colony where you got to really watch them interacting coming in and out of the sea.
Port Charcal: zodiac cruise and landing
The highlight of this landing was watching the penguin highway, we could see it happening from the ship but up close it was something else. The penguins follow the same path to and from the sea and it’s like they have a little chat along the way ‘how was the fishing today Bert‘.
We were able to watch them at a safe distance, both in their colonies and walking the highway. We had 90 minutes on land and I could have stayed all day, even though the wind had a pretty good chill factor. Dad headed back earlier than me and the staff were great always just ferrying people back to the ship when they were ready or taking them off for the next zodiac trip before their time on land was up. We either went on land first or second as only around 100 could be on land at a time.
The zodiac trip after this was a bit bumpy but every trip you saw something new, this time an iceberg graveyard where the currents brought huge icebergs together and a berg the shape of roman columns. I am often asked if I got cold. This was the only zodiac trip I felt cold and when I got back to the mud room, I realised I had left my puffer layer behind!
And as if that was not enough, we finished the day sailing through the famous Lemaire Channel on the Antarctic peninsula. Sadly, for us the clouds were a bit low to get the full impact of sailing through such close and imposing mountains, but it was still pretty amazing. They opened the bow for us again to get right amongst it.
Day 8 Cuverville Island and Neko harbour (day paddling)
Cuverville: Zodiac cruise and landing
If I had to pick a favourite day, and that is pretty hard to do, this would have to be it.
Started with a landing at Cuverville, here is where we saw just how little the penguins were bothered by us, as we walked to visit the colonies on the hilltop occasionally one would wander down and we would just stand a respectful distance apart on the path so they could carry on down. On this zodiac ride I got one of my favourite leopard seal photos, it was also fun as Dad was on our buddy zodiac so I could get lots of photos of him. Each set of zodiacs went in pairs for safety.
Neko Harbour: Day paddling
After lunch, we made our way to Neko Harbour where I had a my turn at an afternoon of paddling. This was an optional activity; twenty people had pre-purchased their paddle, while the rest of us entered our names for a random allocation to either a morning or afternoon slot. The general consensus was that we had the best experience – it was simply the luck of the draw with the location and conditions.
We paddled on glassy seas, witnessed whales diving, penguins porpoising, seals lounging on ice floes, and icebergs dotting the horizon. To cap it off, a Minke whale gracefully swam right beneath our accompanying zodiac while we were all getting ready to head back. The level of excitement amongst us was palpable and a photo I took of one of the staff, out with us, won the photography competition back on board.
That was not the end of the incredible day. The crew put on a BBQ for us on the back deck of the ship, calm seas, icebergs, reflections and an awesome meal. What a day!
Day 9 Mikkelsen Harbour and Cierva Cove
Mikkelsen Harbour : Landing only
Following yesterday such an incredible day, calm seas and topped off with a bbq, we woke this morning to a ship covered in snow. It was totally magical, but the seas were pretty choppy so probably one of our more bumpy and wet rides. I had to work to keep the camera dry on the zodiac and on land. I certainly had it in a glad bag (see packing list) to gather the condensation once back on board. It did make for very atmospheric photos especially watching all the penguins hunkering down together.
There were some of my favourite photos with the snow all around, it was a wonderful atmosphere.
Cierva Cove: zodiac cruise
This was a stunning cove with so much sea ice and crazy huge glaciers all around us. We kept our distance as we watched and heard ice break off around us. The zodiac drivers, as well as being skilled manoeuvres of the zodiacs, were also experienced in some aspect of antarctica and this time it was appropriately ice. There were little birds playing around in the ice and a huge research station. In the photo below the black dots are zodiacs.
Day 10 Damoy Point and Orne Harbour
Damoy Point: Zodiac cruise and landing
A bit of a delay to head out today because of the weather but still managed a short zodiac and a really good amount of time on land. I decided on this trip to just focus on interactions with the penguins as by now I had a lot of shots. It was wonderful just watching them in their colonies. I could have stayed all day, sometimes 90 minutes allocated on land just goes so fast. Also, the weather had really improved by the time we got to land so it was easy to just hang around.
Neumeyer Channel and Orne Harbour: Zodiac cruise and landing
Crossing through the Neumeyer channel during lunch was pretty cool but sadly clouded in a bit. It’s an S shape with very close sides, so it looks like you can’t get out, the photo shows the small entrance. On the way to Orne Harbour there were some fantastic icebergs complete with penguins. While having lunch the big call came over the loudspeaker that whales were around us – the restaurant emptied with haste! Every trip to and from the sites is just magic.
Orne Harbour: Zodiac cruise and landing
We were in for a real treat with this landing, it was to see a Chinstrap colony. Nothing against the awesome Gentoo penguins but we were all ready for a new species on the Antarctic Peninsula. We had spotted a few here and there but no colonies. They were all around the rocks jumping out of the water and using their beaks and feet to climb the rocks. The colonies themselves were up a really high hill, a decent trek for us in our boots so how and why they are up that high…
Day 11 Denco Harbour and Foyn Harbour
Hard to believe it is almost over and while we could have gone on it feels like we have seen so much we are ready to have a day or two aboard the ship. It was as always though an amazing day.
Denco Harbour: Zodiac cruise and landing
We had seen a lot of whales on this trip but not that many up really close, well all that changed today. You have to keep a certain distance but sometimes they just come too close to you – we had the most amazing encounter just chilling in the zodiac. On land it was another hike up a hill and a goodbye to the gentoo colonies. Quite cold today where mostly we have managed the temperatures really well – wind chill makes all the difference.
The dirty of it and the clean of it
Foyn Harbour: Zodiac cruise
The final stop on the Antarctic peninsula was Foyn harbour to see an old whaling shipwreck. It was a pretty cold if sunny day and this was a great example of how they looked after us. One of our zodiac people just got too cold so no worries we headed back to let them off then still carried on with our full outing. There were lots of fur seals on the rocks and birds around but the old whaling ship, the stories and wreck were certainly fascinating. Then in the evening it was time to power on home.
Day 12/13 Drake passage
Leaving the Antarctic Peninsula was as surreal as arriving. I took Dads sea sick tablets this time so had a much better trip. It was not quite as calm as the way over but still very calm compared to what you can get. It did mean there were a few more seabirds around though so that was a huge bonus. Lots of time returning gear, paying our final tips and purchases while on the boat and getting ready to depart at 8am on Day 14 back in Ushuaia
Evenings on board the ocean endeavour
As noted above there were some great evenings on board, from jam sessions with the staff to lectures on seals, penguins, conservation and so much more. One evening was an open mike and I was going to head to bed early when one of our friends said, ‘you can’t your dads up tonight’ . It was a great night of entertainment, and everyone was congratulating him for the rest of the trip! He is M’Lord of NZ curling so did a curing poem.
They also ran a passenger photography competition and my picture of Maria out on our day paddle won me a bottle of wine to share with our friends at dinner.
A fond farewell to the Antarctic Peninsula
How to summarise a trip like this. Unreal, incredible, mind blowing, spectacular, fantastic, special, awesome etc etc etc. I had wanted to go for such a long time and to do this with Dad and have someone to share the experience with was just the icing on the cake. I discovered my sea legs are not great but that was only a problem on the crossing, the staff were just outstanding so knowledgeable and so patient with everyone and the trip so so incredibly efficient getting us out and about quickly and every single day.
Any questions you might have I am more than happy to answer, pop a comment at the bottom of the blog as others might want to know as well. In case you were wondering just DO IT!
