We just concluded our biggest adventure by far –- an amazing expedition to Antarctica with National Geographic Expeditions.

We were deeply moved by the pristine beauty of the White Continent and were in awe of its rich wildlife.

We hiked in glaciered mountains, walked on sea ice, cruised and kayaked on breathtaking bays and harbors.

We were delighted by tons of nesting penguins, seals sunbathing on icebergs and many birds hovering in cold sky; and we were in shock and awe as we witnessed group of killer whales attacking then feeding on a poor minke whale.

We saw fascinating relics of old whaling industry and military/research stations.

And yes, we got a bit shaken by the Drake Passage, but it was part of the deal.

We felt privileged to attend lectures and workshops from amazing National Geographic photographers, naturalists, and scientists. We learned a lot from them, and were profoundly inspired by their great works and deep passion for what they do.

We didn’t want it to end……

We’re very grateful for the incredible experience, which we would love to share with you in more details in the next several posts. For now, let us share with you some of the snapshots from the expedition.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOur first landfall in Antartica! It was amazing to be here and to finally step into our seventh and last continent.

Antarctica Nesting Adelie PenguinsSome of the nesting penguins in a colony of about twenty thousand in Brown Bluff.

Antarctica Ciera Cove Glaciered MountainThe majestic icescape in Ciera Cove.

Bird on to of Antarctica IcebergA small bird resting on top of an iceberg in Cuverville.

People hiking in glaciered mountain in AntarticaHiking in Cuverville. (Our fellow travelers look like penguins on the trail.)

Ice field in The Lamaire Channel, AntarcticaIce, ice, ice baby! The Lamaire Channel

People Kayaking in AntarticaKayaking in Neko Harbor.

Sea ice walk in Active Sound, Antartica, National Geographic ExplorerWalking on sea ice in Active Sound

Old whaler's boat in Deception Island, AntarcticaOld whaler’s boat in Deception Island.

Penguin Colony in Danco Island, AntarcticaEncounter with Gentoo penguin colony during a night hike on Danco Island.

Port Lockroy, AntarcticaAn old British military and research station in Port Lockroy.

Full moon in AntarcticaFull moon rising over Mount Francais, the tallest peak in the Antarctic Peninsula.

Man pulling ship, Nationnal Geographic Explorer in Port Lockroy, AntarcticaKeith’s big workout on his birthday.

We hope you enjoyed the preview of our Antarctic expedition. Our adventure continues in Easter Island, the world’s most remote inhabited island. It’s another wonderful journey that we look forward to share with you.

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Linking to The Weekly Postcard, Weekend Travel Inspiration, Travel Photo Thursday. Weekend Wanderlust, Travel Photo Monday

Travel Notes & Beyond Weekend Travel Inspiration Budget Travelers Sandbox

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About Marisol

Taking you on our journey one photo - and footstep - at a time.

69 responses to “Our Journey To Antarctica: A Preview

  1. Whoa! That’s the destination to end all destinations. Is this the trip where you get lectures to go with sightseeing? My friend went to Antarctica and she brought amazing pictures too.

    So envious!!!!!
    Photo Cache recently posted..Leaving town and driving prettyMy Profile

    • Marisol

      Hi Maria, Yes this trip included lectures from scientist and naturalists and workshops and presentations from Nat Geo photographers. It was a very enriching experience.

  2. Mike

    So, THAT’S where you two have been!! OMG Marisol and Keith I’m so incredibly happy for you both! I’ve been a subscriber to Nat Geo Expeditions for a few years now and always read the itinerary of the Antarctica trip. Now, to read a post from two of my friends who made the epic journey!!! This absolutely gave me goosebumps and put the biggest smile on my face! Happy belated Birthday Keith…and hey bud…tug a little harder on the boat. C’mon you can do it!! 🙂
    Mike recently posted..Anthony’s Restaurant At SeaTac Airport In Seattle WashingtonMy Profile

    • Marisol

      Hi Mike, an epic journey it ruly was. We still have goose pimples just recalling our amazing experince in Antartica. I hope you get to experience it yourself someday. Keith thanks you for the birthday greeting.

  3. UNBELIEVABLE!!! That’s the experience of lifetime! Congrats, Guys! So happy for you (and a little bit jealous 😉
    All photos are amazing, but a Moon shot is a killer! Can’t wait to see more pictures!
    Happy Holidays!
    memographer recently posted..Antoni Gaudi – The Architect of the WonderlandMy Profile

    • Marisol

      Thank you Alex.! It truly was an experience of a lifetime. Glad you enjoyed the photos.

  4. Katie

    Wow, Antartica is a major bucket list item! Looks stunning! How cold was it – haha! I love that photo of the moon, and all of the ice with that tint of blue. Of course the penguins are adorable. Can’t wait to hear more about what you were up to while there! 🙂
    Katie recently posted..Winter Squash Pasta with Sage RecipeMy Profile

    • Marisol

      Hi Katie, it was cold -with average of mid-20’s during the day. But we were properly dressed for it sio we were never cold.

  5. What?!? This is mind blowing! What an unbelievably cool experience! Your photos are amazing. I can’t wait to see more!
    Erica Baker recently posted..Maternity Wards: GuyanaMy Profile

  6. WOW! What an incredible experience. The photos are magical, particularly the full moon over the Antarctica. I know a young man who works on the ships that takes supplies to the Arctic and his photos and experiences always blow me away.
    Kathy Marris recently posted..Bountiful BurleighMy Profile

    • Marisol

      Hi Kathy, it truly was an incredible experience and to be surrounded by magical sights, Your friend must loved his job!

  7. Anda

    Wow! You have to tell me more about this expedition because I want to go too. It’s breathtaking indeed, and your pictures are gloriously beautiful. Was it at any point scary? I need to know because I am not brave at all and I really want to take this trip.

    • Marisol

      Hi Anda, I’m so glad to hear that you have an inclination to do this expedition. I say definitely go for it. Nothing scary at all. We were a bit worried about crossing the Drake Passage, but after it was all said and done – it was no big deal. I really wish from the bottom of my heart that you get to do this amazing expedition soon.

  8. Corinne

    Marisol…I’m so green with envy right now. Your photos are absolutely stunning, and to be able to hear lectures from National Geographic…Honestly, I can’t think of anything better. So awesome to have all seven continents. Congrats! Thanks for linking up with Weekend Travel Inspiration!
    Corinne recently posted..Weekend Travel Inspiration – GermanyMy Profile

    • Marisol

      Hi Corinne, thank you! Glad you enjoyed the photos. Traveling with Nat Geo crew was really incredible. Thanks for hosting the link.

    • Marisol

      Hi Nancie, thanks and glad you enjoyed the images. Seeing the full over Antarctica was an awesome experience.

  9. Bama

    See Marisol, every time you leave this blog you’ll return with even greater stories than your previous trips. I thought Bora Bora was already incredible, but there you were, in Antarctica! The landscape looks amazingly surreal. Iceland on steroid, it seems. 🙂 And the fact that you also went to Easter Island is just mind-boggling. I really can’t wait to read more!

    • Marisol

      Hi Bama, I’m glad that you’re able to keep tab of our travels and find them incredible. Antarctica’s landscape was truly beyond amazing. Its beautify is way beyond our expectations. You’re right, it’s Iceland in super steroid but much more pristine. I hope you’ll enjoy the coming posts.

  10. Wow!! I’m honestly not kidding when I say that this is the most epic thing I have ever seen!!! I haven’t read of anyone’s account to Antarctica yet, so I’m so looking forward to reading more!! Your pictures are so, so gorgeous! I can’t even imagine what it must feel like to be standing on the end of the Earth. What an incredible adventure!
    Anna | slightly astray recently posted..Thai porky obsession: khao kha mooMy Profile

    • Marisol

      Hi Anna, thank you! It truly was an incredible adventure and, yes, so epic for us. I hope you enjoy reading more of our posts on Antarctica.

  11. Sophie @ Sophie's World

    Awesome! (And that’s not a word I use lightly).
    Antarctica is high on my list. Look forward to seeing more fantastic photos .

    • Marisol

      thank you, Sophie. I sincerely hope that you make it to Antarctica soon.

  12. Whoa, your photos look just epic! I’d love to visit Antarctica one day, yet I need to tighten up my budget first 🙂

    Can’t wait to see more pictures of the glaciers and snow planes you’ve seen!

    • Marisol

      Hi Elena, I wish for you to see Antarctica one day. The pictures cannot capture the epic beauty of the glaciers and snow planes.

    • Marisol

      Thank you so much Jan. That photo of Keith is my personal favorite as well:)

  13. Amazing photos!! I can’t wait to go to Antarctica someday but I feel like I really need to work on my photography skills before I go to capture the experience.
    Tamara @ We3Travel recently posted..Warming up to Winter at FoxwoodsMy Profile

    • Marisol

      Thanks Tamara! I wish you and your camera a wonderful time in Antartica someday:)

  14. Agness

    Cez is absolutely crazy and obsessed about going to Antarctica so I can just imagine how jealous he is!!!

    • Marisol

      Hi Erin, Antarctica is truly is spectacular. I hope you enjy the next posts.

  15. Wow! This is amazing that you got to travel to Antarctica, that really is the trip of a lifetime! I really love the shot of the full moon, spectacular.

    • Marisol

      Hi Katie, it truly was amazing. We’re still pinching ourselves, we still marveling that we were actually there.

    • Marisol

      Hi Rachel, If you’re properly dressed, you’ll be just fine. So don’t worry about the cold and think about all the amazing experience.

  16. SPEC-TACULAR!!!!! I have always wanted to go here and your photos and stories (those WHALES??!!!) make me want to go even more. Merry Christmas and happy new year to you both! xxx
    Sarah Somewhere recently posted..Allowing AbundanceMy Profile

    • Marisol

      Hi Sarah, I wish for you to go there soon!! I’m sure the whales would welcome the good vibrations you’ll bring:)

    • Marisol

      Hi Noel, this trip with Nat Geo was beyond amazing. I hope you get to do it with them soon. I can’t wait to see the photographs you will take.

  17. I can’t believe you and Keith have already gone there. Am sooooo envious!!!! It’s just too expensive for me. :'( My fave shot is that of the moonrise. What a fantastic view!
    Aleah | SolitaryWanderer.com recently posted..5 Things I Miss About ThailandMy Profile

  18. Katie

    Wow! Completely incredible, and an amazing experience to have in your lifetime! Look forward to reading about this epic adventure!
    Katie recently posted..Christmas Food Around the WorldMy Profile

    • Marisol

      Hi Katie, it war really an amazing experience of a lifetime. Although, we wish we can go back for some more:)

  19. Lauren

    Wow wow wow….what an exciting adventure! I’d love to see everything of course, but it would be so interesting to hear the lectures, too! I’d love to learn up close like this. Amazing photos.
    Lauren recently posted..Join us in Supporting the #JustOneRhino CampaignMy Profile

    • Marisol

      Thanks Lauren. It really was an exciting adventure and the he lectures surely did add a great depth to our experience.

  20. I’m looking forward to reading more about Antarctica. I’ve never had a yearning to go there because I don’t like the severe cold, but maybe that will change as I read your posts. I am curious to know about the National Geographic Explorer ship. I’m soooo looking forward to your posts about Easter Island as that’s one of the places on our travel wish list for late 2015. You guys are travel rock stars!
    Dana Carmel @ Time Travel Plans recently posted..Where to Stay in the Rogue Valley: Weasku InnMy Profile

  21. Kira S.

    Hi guys, such super amazing images of your super incredible epic journey. They gave me goose pimples. I can”t wait to see more photos and learn more about your experiences, You guys are so inspiring

    • Marisol

      Aww, thank you, Kira! I hope you will enjoy the photos in the next posts.

  22. I’ve been really looking forward to reading about your trip and seeing your photos. They look amazing, especially the ice scape at Ciera Cove and the full moon shot. That photo of Keith pulling the boat is hilarious. I’ve heard that the Drake Passage can be rather like a roller coaster ride, and I wonder how I’d do since I’m so prone to motion sickness.
    Michele {Malaysian Meanders} recently posted..A Look Back Around the Globe in 2014My Profile

    • Marisol

      Hi Michele, thanks. Glad you enjoyed the photos. Crossing the Drake Passage is just a small price to pay for experience the great wonders of Antartica.. I hope the anti-motion sickness pills can give your relief.

  23. WOW! Absolutely amazing photographs 😀 I want to visit Antarctica very badly and I hope to get there in the near future. In the meantime, I will live vicariously through your blog 😀

  24. Oh, oh, oh! Antarctica was never somewhere I ever considered visiting before we set out on our big trip, but the more of the world we see, the more of it we want to see, and Antarctica certainly seems a world apart from anywhere else we’ve been. The scenery is just absolutely stunning, and I can only imagine how fascinating all the lectures you got to attend were as well! I’m sure when we’re sweating it out in Mexico this will look even more alluring—now that we are in Rochester, MN where it is so cold that it sometimes hurts to breathe, I have to admit I am more than content to bask in Antarctica’s splendor through your photos alone! 😉
    Steph (@ 20 Years Hence) recently posted..Hello I Must Be GoingMy Profile

    • Marisol

      Hi Steph, Antarctica is truly is a world a way from the places we normally travel too and visiting it is so so worthwhile. I hope you and Tony get to visit it someday.

  25. Love it! These are amazing and it was great to see glimpses of your adventure through FB. So glad you had an incredible experience. My son is obsessed with going to Antarctica and I can’t wait to show these to him. Those wildlife photos are just spectacular. Happy New Year to the both of you and wishing you many more adventures in 2015.
    Mary {The World Is A Book} recently posted..Travel Highlights and Adventures of 2014My Profile

    • Marisol

      Hi Mary, thanks! Glad to hear that your son is obssessed about going to Antarctica. That’s an incredible place to aspire for for someone so young. I can’t wait for your family to get there. You will all have an amazing experience.

  26. What a fabulous adventure! I went to the Arctic for the first time in 2014 but yet to visit the Antarctic. I’ll be visiting North America for the first time this year (bear watching in Canada) there’s so much of this wonderful world I’ve yet to explore. Looking forward to your forthcoming posts from the White Continent..
    Kathryn Burrington recently posted..Hiking Santorini 2: The hidden village of AkriliaMy Profile

    • Marisol

      Hi Kathryn,
      Wow, bear watching in Canada sounds amazing. I’m sure you will enjoy your first trip to North America.
      I remember reading your Arctic post. We hope to get there ourselves soon.

  27. Rosemary Raffaele

    Such stunning photos. Thank you for sharing. I’m even more excited now than I have been- my own adventure to Antarctica is coming up! Would love to hear about any suggestions you may also like to share before I head off.

  28. How awesome it will be when you’re seeing this view from the sky in aircraft. Alaska Flying Tours make this happen in Denali, North America at The best traveling place to visit. with that snowiness, you have wildlife and Ranges. Make your time to grab the opportunity for this divine beauty.

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