Erica and Matt Chua: Rafting Through Amazing Antarctica

Get up close and personal to whales, icebergs and flying penguins…what’s not to love about an Antarctic zodiac ride?  A certain highlight of any Antarctica expedition are the zodiac rides cruising between massive icebergs, having whales swim up to check you out and seeing the unexpected beauties of Antarctica.  While the view from the ship is great and the landings incredible, the zodiac rides provide an opportunity to get close to key parts of the Antarctic ecosystem.

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How often do you get to be in a boat that is dwarfed by an animal?  Not just an animal, but a curious animal that wants to see what you’re all about?  The sealife’s interest in the zodiacs is unforgettable, especially if you get to have a leopard seal try to eat your zodiak (it can’t, but that doesn’t stop them from taking a bite).

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Icebergs are beautiful from a distance, but stunning up close.  Often I found myself just staring, mouth agape, at the array of colors, textures and angles of the icebergs.  What my mind tells me should look like giant ice cubes are really so much more, acting as kaleidoscopes, coloring everything nearby.

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This Georgia O’Keeffe iceberg beckoned our zodiac closer with the array of colors and…uh…welcoming shape.  You know, like her flower paintings…

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As the light of the day changes so do the colors reflected by the icebergs.  By the later afternoon the contrasts between blues and whites increase as the shadows progress around the seemingly infinite shapes.  During the still morning and evening hours the reflections become supreme, revealing the true vastness of Antarctica where the views are truly endless.

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As you can see, the zodiac rides are an unforgettable part of a journey to Antarctica.  When booking your Antarctic cruise make sure that your ship has enough zodiacs for all passengers to disembark at the same time and that these rides are part of your trip.

Interested in exploring Antarctica yourself?
Click here to read our Antarctica Travel Guide to learn how, who to go with, and how to get the best deal.

WHEN YOU GO:

Choose a guide. The crews of many ships are multi-national.  To get the best experience choose a guide that natively speaks your language, ideally with cultural similarities because they’ll understand what you want to see.

Dress warm. Of course, it’s Antarctica…but the zodiac rides are even colder because of the wind, make sure you have and wear wind/waterproof jackets, pants, hats and gloves.  Actually just wear everything you brought…

Consider a waterproof camera. While they take terrible photos most of the time, the underwater photos and videos of sea lions and whales people took were incredible.  Of course this requires sticking your hand underwater…so have waterproof gloves or a dry back-up pair to slip on after submerging your hand!