Antarctica: Have you ever dreamed of…?
On 12 February, 11 adventurous divers from TSK set off on a journey to a place few people visit: Antarctica!
… visiting the end of the world?After about 24 hours of travelling, we arrive in good spirits in Ushuaia - the southernmost city in the world. Ushuaia in the Argentinean part of Tierra del Fuego may be a manageable size, but it has a lot to offer its visitors. One senses that this place is the starting and ending point of many extraordinary journeys. Even the spectacular approach over the mountains takes your breath away. But also the many ships and off-road vehicles make us aware that we have arrived here at a very special place on earth. Some of our group explore the nature outside of Ushuaia with a hike, others stock up their equipment for the upcoming expedition and the rest enjoy the "dolce far niente", after all we are on holiday. So a coffee at "Aunt Sara's" or an Argentinean steak and a glass or two of Malbec at "Christopher's" are not to be missed!
… swimming with whales and seals?
Knowing that we are about to fulfil our (diving) dream, we play it safe and want to check our diving equipment again. The Beagle Channel as the gateway to Ushuaia is perfect for this. We were a little surprised, however, when we saw the MONO tanks and had to convert our regulators to cold water first, so the car park in front of the Zodiacs was quickly converted into a workshop. Without any great expectations we plunged into our check dive and were surprised how varied the underwater world was: kelp forests, starfish, nudibranches, crabs and many bright colours made our first dive a beautiful experience. And was able to console one or the other of us at least a little about the fact that already at the first exit from the Zodiac the brand new wide-angle lens was lost in the kelp forests (which miraculously reappeared at the end of the trip...). On the way back from the check dive we got the information that sea bears and humpback whales had been sighted in the Beagle Channel. Of course we couldn't miss that! Well wrapped up in our dry suits and equipped with snorkels, we jumped into the cool water with high motivation. Unexpectedly, the sea bears and curious humpback whales swam straight towards us. We were flashed! And it was not to be the last time...
… touching an iceberg?On 16 February, the time had finally come: we were allowed to board the M/V Plancius with 96 other passengers. However, we first had to earn our welcome drink with an extensive Corona virus check. Fortunately, all of us were finally allowed onto the ship and our adventure to the Antarctic Peninsula could begin. After a two-day sea voyage across the infamous Drake Passage - which we all survived more or less without seasickness - we were delighted when we saw Antarctic land for the first time. Even though the view from the deck into the deep blue cold gave us an idea of how cold the water must be with a maximum of 1°C, we were full of anticipation of diving.
We dived in places that few people have seen before, which made every dive special. We explored steep walls, kelp forests, sandy areas, dozens of whale bones and icebergs 1-2 times a day for 30-40 minutes. The dive around the first iceberg was particularly impressive and challenging. The salt content in the water changes every few metres due to the melting water of the iceberg. Even the most experienced divers among us had some trouble with the buoyancy. But also the overhanging ice masses that are constantly in motion and creak under water make us aware of how small we humans are next to these giants of nature. Our courage was rewarded, however, because who can claim to have ever made a safety stop sitting on an iceberg at 3 metres?
One of our highlights was a dive at a heavily overgrown, colourful wreck in combination with an iceberg. A unique experience!
…crossing the southern polar circle?
Besides diving, Antarctica has a lot to offer. After our dives, we were also allowed to visit the beaches and former research or whaling stations. However, the morning boat trips with the Plancius were particularly entertaining. We were allowed to watch humpback whales, minke whales and penguins gliding through the water for hours. And when dozens of killer whales accompanied our ship, we were all thrilled! The whales presented themselves at close range (especially the humpback whales are real posers) and brought a gleam to the eyes of one or two amateur photographers. And even though crossing the southern polar circle is not a visual highlight, many of us stood on the bridge at 6 a.m. to cross 66° 33' 48'' together, to briefly experience some goose bumps when the ship sounded its horn. Who can claim to have crossed the Arctic Circle? Nature is impressive at the Arctic Circle. For example, the ice floes are more numerous and the weather is rough, which made our Zodiac trips to the dive sites a little more adventurous, but allowed us to snorkel among the ice floes after the dive and see sleeping fur seals up close.
… diving with leopard seals?
It was with some melancholy that we set off for our last dive on the last day of the trip. Our curiosity and the hope of experiencing something exciting once again led us to dive Half Moon Island in strong winds and waves. However, at a depth of 10 metres and after about 20 minutes of wasteland, we were about to abort the dive in disappointment. Was our last dive really going to be so boring? But our perseverance was rewarded: out of nowhere a leopard seal swam past us! Or rather, it "danced" past us. Unbelievable how these colossi can move like graces under water, yet they seem so sluggish and lazy above water. Our pulse continued to rise as the 3-metre tall female swam closer and closer to us. Our shining eyes were even visible through our diving masks - we were in luck! Only when the leopard seal came dangerously close, started to bare its teeth at our fins, tanks and cameras, and we realised that we were in the middle of a penguin hunt, did we feel a little queasy and finished our last dive full of adrenaline - overjoyed about this unique encounter under water!
… feeling Tango on the street?
After we have also survived the return journey via the Drake Passage in a medium swell, we take the plane back to Buenos Aires. A bit surreal for us was the return to urban life with lots of people, cars, noise and dirt. But Buenos Aires has much more to offer: modern cafés, streets filled with tango music and dancers, modern skyscrapers, lively market halls, beautiful sandy beaches, green parks... We enjoyed the sun and warmth, strolling in the districts of Palermo or Boca and of course the culinary delights were not to be missed. One evening we immersed ourselves in the history of tango and let ourselves be carried away by the passion of the dancers. An absolute contrast to Antarctica - but worthwhile!
And then we boarded the plane back to Zurich on 2 March, tired and full of great impressions and memories, and we all know: we will never stop dreaming about Antarctica...
Text: Andrea Wettstein
Pictures: Florian Schwarz and TSK