The ice formations were fascinating. (Bill Springer)
When it comes to vacation destinations where billionaires like to see and be seen aboard their super-yachts, few are more “exclusive” than the South of France during the Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco, or St Barth to celebrate the New Year, or Bermuda for the America’s Cup later this summer.
But none of those yachting destinations are as “exclusive” as Antarctica becauseonly a relative few yachts/ships in the world are built strong enough to handle harsh conditions of Antarctica. Only a highly select few professional crew and guides are experienced enough to operate in ice strewn Antarctic waters safely. And only a precious few of those ships are tough enough to be able to cruise among the snow, ice, and storms of the Antarctic peninsula for months at a time while also providing five-star service and luxury accommodations to a small group well-heeled guests.
Neko Harbor (Photo: Bill Springer)
I found out recently the 160-foot-long Hanse Explorer is one of those very special ships. And Antarctica—because of its stunning natural beauty, prodigious wildlife, scientific significance, and harshly beautiful climate that can be difficult to operate in—is maybe the most exclusivedestination on Earth.
Aproaching the ice-choked Weddell Sea (Photo: Bill Springer)
As you might expect, exploring the Antarctic peninsula with a group of 12 people aboard a chartered luxury yacht is amazing to experience and incredibly difficult to plan and pull off. And yes, there are several much larger ships such as the National Geographic Explorer and others that can accommodate 100’s of guests cruising in Antarctica.
We took a break from our private whale watch to have a snowball fight. (Bill Springer)
We soon found there is nothing more “exclusive” than the private whale watches and penguin colony visits that are only possible on a private yacht. And the polar expedition experts at EYOS Expeditions who organized every element of the trip (charter, guides, permits, flights, itineraries) made it all incredibly easy.
Flying to Antarctica saves 4 days of sea travel to get to the prime cruising grounds. (Bill... [+] Springer)
Getting to Antarctica to join the Hanse Explorer couldn’t have been easier. Instead of spending two days slogging across the Drake passage to get to the prime cruising grounds (as many bigger ships do), EYOS logistics specialists arranged a two-hour, semi-private charter flight from Punta Arenas, Chile to King George Island, Antarctica.
Then all that was left to do was to don the industrial-strength rubber boots we were told to bring in our packing lists (absolutely essential for jumping off Zodiacs, wading onto rocky beaches, and hiking on glaciers), and make the first of many Zodiac rides out to the ship that was waiting for us.
Once we were welcomed by the large and competent crew, our days fell into an almost Zen-like rhythm. Richard, our highly experienced Antarctic guide, outlined what was planned for the day—whale watching from the zodiacs (small outboard motor-powered boats), visit to a penguin colony, pack ice, lunch, etc.—at breakfast.
Michelle the chief stewardess told us what was for lunch and everything else we needed to know about the comforts (large cabins, amazing views, gourmet food, laundry service, cocktail hour, etc.) of the yacht. And Captain Jens told us everything else we needed to know (including the fact that we were welcome to visit with him and the rest of the crew on to the ship’s bridge at any time) over the ship’s intercom system
The Killer Whales that were spotted almost as soon as we left King George had us all scrambling up to the bridge with our cameras. And since it was still late summer in the southern hemisphere, we still had plenty of daylight when we stopped to see the seals at Half Moon Island. It was a routine that would only get better as the days passed.
The combination of amazing scenery, amazing company, amazing service, and about 21 or so hours of daylight made it hard to sleep. No one wanted to miss anything.
Meanwhile, Captain Jens took us much deeper into the ice (much further than any non-ice class ship could go) so he could show us just how tough the Hanse Explorer is. The open water between the various chunks of ice closed in. Then he started aiming for large chunks of ice that proved to be no match for the Hanse Explorer’s sturdy steel bow when we made contact. Is there anything more fun than driving a 160-foot long, 885 ton ship through sea ice in Antarctica? Um…no.
Well, on second thought, maybe a private whale watch from a Zodiac is better.
It was later in the trip when we spotted our first humpback whales. Richard made the call to “Get to the boats” and we were off. It was all so easy. His encyclopedic knowledge of whale behavior and decades of experience safely maneuvering around whales allowed us to enjoy countless close encounters with a group of feeding humpbacks.
Then again, being able to sit down the in middle of thousands of fluffy baby penguins and their squawking, strutting, doting parents, at the various Chinstrap, Adele, Gentoo penguin colonies we visited had a profound effect on all of us, too. We saw groups of them floating on icebergs, swimming in the water and on pretty much every beach.
And while we did start to take the tenaciously cute, and sometimes smelly little birds somewhat for granted by the end of the trip, being so close to penguins emerging from the water, or waddling up well worn penguin trails, or feeding their chicks in colonies teaming with life felt like we were living in a wildlife documentary.
After nearly a week spent exploring pristine Antarctic wilderness filled with whales, penguins, seals, and mesmerizing ice formations with knowledgeable and passionate people aboard a luxurious yacht, I’d come to expect spectacular. But our stop at Neko Harbor took things to an entirely new level. And then it was time for the “polar plunge!”
We’d been warned that the jump off the back of the ship was a balmy 31.5 degrees Fahrenheit. But when it was time to jump, but hardly any courage was needed since Michelle and her team of smiling stewardesses were waiting with steaming hot chocolate as soon as we jumped out of the water.
Could there be any better way to cap off the ultimate Antarctic expedition?
After a week spent breathing the freshest air I’ve ever inhaled and communing with whales, and penguins, and seals in an ice strewn wonderland with a small group of fantastic people, on an amazing luxury yacht with a passionate and skilled crew, I can happily and gratefully say, no.
