
Without a doubt, the day we arrived in Antarctica will always remain one of the most special days in our lives. Incredible!
Our first real taste of Antarctica came during the first of many very cool Zodiac rides away from the Ioffe, during which we’d cruise around looking for wildlife, checking out the icebergs and just admiring the amazing-ness of it all in general. (Amazing-ness? There’s a new word.) And we managed to take lots of very, very cool pictures during the ride. Here are some of the highlights! Including our nifty visit to Vernadksy Station, the Ukranian weather outpost where we warmed up our insides with some homemade Antarctic vodka. Enjoy!
[Click on any photo for a larger version.]

The beautiful, other-worldly landscape of the White Continent.
Dusty admires the scenery as we pass through the Lemaire Channel.
The cloud cover made for a dramatic scene.
Checking out one of the many crazy cool icebergs during a Zodiac cruise.
Enjoying a Zodiac cruise through the ice.
Incredible!
We had to get in for a closer look..
…and this was about as close as we could safely get.
This incredible arch actuallly collapsed with a thunderous roar minutes after we took these shots.
A seal enjoys a nap in the ice as the Ioffe drifts past in the distance.
Dramatic mountains rising from the Antarctic Sea.
An Adelie penguin stares and tries to figure us out as we pass by.
Cute lil’ guys, huh?
The rugged landscape is covered in a blanket of massive glaciers that reach up into the clouds.
A creabeater seal strikes a pose for us as he lifts his head from the water.
An Adelie penguin, with the Ioffe in the distance
More penguins. We never got tired of photographing these guys.
Approaching Galindez Island and Vernadsky Station.
Selfie! At Vernadsky Station. Now where’s the vodka?
Ahhhh vodka! Cheers!
Vernadsky Station from the Zodiac.
The beautiful but dangerous leopard seal. Thankfully taking a rest.
Oh, shit. It’s awake. We’d better move on…
Smiling seal. Life is good at the bottom of the Earth.
An Adelie penguin playing peek-a-boo as we cruise by in the Zodiac.
The penguin dance!! There it is!
Yeah. So. It was pretty cold on the ride back to the ship.
Back to the Ioffe after an incredible day!
Magical Antarctica. Stunning.
Incredible!
Thanks Sharon! It was incredible indeed. Something we’ll always hold dear to our hearts. 🙂