The waters between Antarctica and South America are known as Drake?s Passage. They are treacherous and deadly. Drake's Passage is 400 miles wide. With no land to break the squalls and colliding currents, this is the spot with the globe's worst weather on the sea. Drake's Passage is a real adventure before the adventure of Antarctica. Other than penguins and icebergs, I had no idea what I would find. I really didn?t know what else to expect. I hadn?t researched the history or geography of Antarctica and didn?t know what immense power the continent held.

While we were warned ahead of time of the possible dangers of braving Drake's Passage, the trip down was without incident. It was the return trip that we would have to spend clutching at our beds while we slept. A gray, cold sea met us that first morning in Antarctica. Your one-stop resource on antarctica cruises is waiting for you.

We could make out hazy, gray-brown mountains blanketed in snow on the horizon and it was not long before we came across our first ice.Tiny ice chunks floated around the boat, bobbing in the water. Everyone is issued a bold, red expedition parka when they arrive. I threw mine on and secured my camera inside it before I dashed out into the brisk, heavy air.

We stood on deck as penguins flew into the air, much to the excitement of the crowd. Whales and dolphins frolicked in the gun metal sea and choppy waves. Naturalists presented slide shows and discussions under a lowering sky. We were in a great mood as we took off in our small raft from the mother ship, and began floating free amongst the icebergs. We approached a small rocky island covered in ice and saw penguins standing about on the shore, debating about getting wet.

At the very minimum we had penguins all around us.Paradise Harbor houses this little area of land which is shared by the gentoo penguins and a few researchers. The penguins made their way to the shore all over the island. Their movements purposeful and committed. Some penguins took a stance on the rocks and watched the strange beings in red as they grinned and gestured toward them. Most of these penguins had already been left by their parents, and were expected to fend for themselves. Some of the chicks had yet to accept this fact. At this point in their lives they are usually provided with a down covered sack of krill - food that their parents catch and then regurgitate into their chick's mouth until they are old enough to hunt on their own. Further resources about antarctica cruise vacations are located there.

The penguins had also started molting. Because some of the gray down still remained in hard to reach spots, the birds looked as if they were wearing earmuffs or hats. Others looked like they?d let a three year-old cut their hair. We made our way back to the ship through chunks of floating ice in the beautiful bay. We even passed right by a jagged icy mountain on which a loan seal was stretching itself. He yawned, exposing his enormous pink tongue. His lack of concern for our presence belied the unspoiled characteristic of this beautiful land where we'd spend a perfect day.

The penguins were completely and utterly charming, and every bit as irresistible as their pictures made them seem. The waddle and awkwardness, I suppose it is.Their appearance of wearing formal tuxedos is a funny paradox with their clown-like webbed, orange feet. The particular island they lived on was covered in rocks. There was little dirt to muddy up our penguins, so they maintained their very proper look. And to make them even more fashionable, they had a thin black line under their chins, giving them the impression of round cheeks.