17 Jan 2025

First footsteps on Antarctica!

Our arrival into the heart of Antarctica, the Ross Sea, saw us pass through a small band of ice, observing Adélie Penguin on the drift ice. At breakfast, Heritage Adventurer was 80 nautical miles from Cape Adare, and we were privileged to observe huge numbers of cetaceans with numerous viewings of Blue and Antarctic Minke Whales! We could also see in the distance the mountains of the Adare Peninsula slowly growing in scale as they passed in and out of cloud cover. We could even see the summit of Mount Minto at 4163 metres above sea level from 130km!

Everyone was on deck as we arrived at Cape Adare and took our first glances at Borchgrevink's Hut on Ridley Beach. The expedition team quickly launched Zodiacs, and after some adjustments, we went ashore and enjoyed our first Antarctic landing on the continent's mainland.

In beautiful sunshine, we observed hundreds of thousands of Adélie Penguins whilst walking along the beach to Borchgrevink's Hut. After learning so much about the first expedition to winter in Antarctica, it was a moving experience seeing the men's bunks and considering their winter in such cramped quarters, especially for the Inspiring Explorers team from New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust.

Back onboard Heritage Adventurer, there was an audible buzz in the dining room at the delight of the landing and the experience of being on the ice. Afterwards, we sailed by the dense drift ice around the Adare Peninsula, back into the Ross Sea and onwards on our southerly journey.

Images © C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions