DAVID PAUL

Wanderlust reader David shares his first experience in Antarctica

How did you reach Antarctica? I flew from Buenos Aires down to Ushuaia, and from there I boarded an icebreaker that was once part of the Dutch navy. This then took us to the Falklands, South Georgia, the South Orkney and South Shetland Islands, and eventually Antarctica itself. What activities did you do? We made many stops on those islands along the way, but around the continent itself we took Zodiac cruises to explore some of the different bays and went ashore twice to walk around and watch the wildlife. We could see Adélie penguins making nests; it was just like watching a David Attenborough documentary. We went for a hike on one of the nearby islands, and I ended this with a swim in the cold Antarctic waters wearing nothing but swimming trunks. Is there anything you wish you’d known beforehand? Spending a lot of time getting to the continent meant our time there was limited, but every single second of it was worthwhile. We got to see five different species of penguin, but I hadn’t realised the chances of seeing emperor penguins would be low. We saw king penguins, which are similar, but emperors at that time of the year nest a lot further inland. If I was to visit Antarctica again, I’d want to look at how I could get further inland, probably venturing there by helicopter. What advice would you give to first-time visitors? I’d recommend they keep an open mind. Weather conditions can mean plans don’t always go the way you want them to, so you have to be flexible. It’s best to wear layers, so you can loosen or remove any as necessary. One morning we had a blizzard, with temperatures that needed chemical hand warmers. But then it was shorts-and-t-shirt weather in the afternoon. It’ll be an experience like no other though.