| What an adventure to go to Antarctica! We flew to Buenos
Aires, Argentina and connected to a two hour flight to Ushuaia, the southern
most city in the world.
 Our trip started in
this city at the tip of the continent. We boarded the Russian-crewed ship,
the Akademik Ioffe and headed out through the Beagle Channel and into
the Drake Passage.
An historical aside: Sir Frances Drake in 1577-78 circumnavigated the globe
and accidentally discovered where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet in
what is now known as the Drake Passage. |
 Filming on Zodiacs can
be challenging. The boat may be moving across choppy waves, and everyone
is pleasantly crowded in a small space. When the whales or seals start to
play around the boat, half the group would be photographing on their knees
in the front row, the other half standing behind.
Filming on land was easier, and allowed for more creativity as we were free
to roam. I would place a plastic sheet on the penguin-soiled ground and lay
down on it to be at eye level with the penguins and seals. |
 The Drake Passage
is the wildest stretch of ocean in the world. Some lucky crossings can be
relatively calm ("Drake Lake"), whereas many crossings can unleash the greatest
ferocity known to sailors. Waves frequently can reach up to the bridge.
Many people get sea sick, and are bed-bound in their cabin for the two days
it takes to cross the passage. |
 The Antarctic Treaty aims to protect
the continent. One cannot leave a wrapper or take a stone. We are also not
allowed closer than 3 meters to the penguins or other wildlife. Of course,
the penguins don't abide by these rules, and frequently come right up to
you for some face time. The wildlife is fearless. Antarctica is their land,
and they have not been threatened since the days of the seal and whale hunt
over a century ago. |
| Finally, we arrive at the bottom of the world. The Antarctic peninsula
juts out into the Drake, and is teaming with marine and terrestrial life.
The ocean is calm and majestic ice-covered peaks stretch across the horizon. |
On my initial ventures to Antarctica almost ten years ago, I was a novice
filmmaker. I wish I could go there again these days with my HD camera and
zoom lens. I would take more close-ups, filming from different angles, and
doing lots of cut-aways. An external microphone would be a big asset to capture
the incredible wildlife sounds. |
 We are about
a hundred "explorers" on our ice-worthy ship with about fifty crew members.
Our Western guides lead us on daily Zodiac cruises to explore the Antarctic
ice and wildlife. About ten people sit in each Zodiac, sometimes only ambling
amongst icebergs and sometimes beaching on land to walk and explore the wildlife. |
 The trip to
Antarctica was a unique and breathtaking privilege. Many passengers were
shedding a tear when our ship sailed away.
- Mila Werbik |
