Collection: Antarctic Adventure

A number of years ago, my daughter and I had the incredible opportunity to travel to the frozen, wind-whipped shelf of fast ice in Antarctica’s Weddell Sea, where a colony of emperor penguins thrives in one of Earth’s darkest and coldest corners. As a travel writer and photographer, I was captivated by this unique landscape, capturing countless images that now hold a special place in my heart. From that adventure, I’ve selected my favorites to share with you in this collection. We were part of a small team aboard a rugged Russian icebreaker—no frills, just a vessel built for one purpose: crushing ice to penetrate the more remote areas of this icy frontier. The lack of stabilization on the ship made our journey through the notoriously turbulent Drake Passage even more harrowing and chaotic, but that's a story for another day! Once we parked in the ice (moving from day to day to find more suitable spots to rest the ship), our adventure really began. Each day, we were transported via helicopter about 25 miles to the colony site, landing just about a mile from our destination. Upon arrival at Basecamp, we would trek across the glacier to locate the colony. Interestingly, the helicopters hadn't been able to survive the rough conditions of the Drake Passage, so they were brought over in pieces and assembled once we reached Snow Hill Island. This part of my collection includes many images of the emperor penguins, of course, but it also showcases what I consider to be some of the most startling and breathtaking moments captured from “Iceberg Alley.” Here, beautiful, strange, and unique icebergs drifted by, each one a masterpiece of nature. Some resembled elaborate desserts, while others looked like crumbling blue and white cities. Each iceberg carved out its own unique piece of character, contributing to the stunning tapestry of this icy landscape. When the conditions finally aligned, the reward was astonishing: we were greeted by the sight of up to ten thousand regal emperor penguins and their fuzzy gray chicks, somehow thriving in an environment that seemed utterly inhospitable to life. The remarkable feats of parenting, the long-distance walks, and the heart-melting cuteness of the chicks—made famous in the film March of the Penguins—are just a few of the reasons travelers like myself take the plunge into this arduous journey to Snow Hill Island. I invite you to explore my favorite images from that unforgettable trip, capturing the wonder of these magnificent creatures and the breathtaking beauty of their frozen world.