| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 22 | .59 |
| Feb | 15 | 11 | .83 |
| Mar | 7 | -6 | .95 |
| Apr | 1 | -13 | .72 |
| May | -2 | -17 | .93 |
| Jun | -2 | -17 | .98 |
| Jul | -17 | -22 | .61 |
| Aug | -9 | -25 | .45 |
| Sep | -5 | -21 | .46 |
| Oct | 4 | -10 | .41 |
| Nov | 20 | 9 | .38 |
| Dec | 31 | 21 | .62 |
My binoculars were trained on a father penguin and chick when suddenly the view went fuzzy. I looked up to see two adolescent penguins waddling straight toward me, curiously eyeing my camera bag.
The black blur stands out starkly on the white-and-grey shadows of the coastal ice. We pull out binoculars for a closer look. The "blur" is alive. It is, in fact, some 15,000 emperor penguins, huddled together against the sub-zero winds coming off the sea. We've found the colony.
We settle in to camp, a warm and welcome refuge on the flat Antarctic plain. The Weddell Sea and the blue-white ice cliffs become our camp boundaries, and after a few days we feel a part of this polar community. With 24 hours of sunlight, the days merge with one another, and we come and go as we like, with no regard for the clock. There is so much to watch, with adult penguins sliding on their bellies and downy chicks sitting on their parents' feet to keep warm. We are asked to keep a respectful distance from the penguins, but the birds themselves are under no such restriction: they frequently waddle up to us as we observe them from our thermal mats, just as curious about us as we are about them. The constant trumpeting and mingled calls of the colony are indecipherable to us, and we are astonished every time parent and chick are able to locate each other amid thousands of other birds - just by these calls. To hear the penguin symphony is to understand how finely tuned nature truly is. We watch, take photographs and learn.
For nearly 20 years, Dick Filby has led adventures to key birding habitats. He has guided journeys to Antarctica every year since 1990, and has camped at emperor penguin colonies numerous times. Filby has travelled the world in search of birds, most notably on a seven-month driving expedition from London to India and Nepal.
Arrive in Santiago after an overnight flight. Over the next two days, meet with your expedition guide and teammates to prepare for your adventure to the interior of Antarctica, one of the most difficult places in the world to reach by air. Days of delay are part of the experience and should be expected. Attend an expedition briefing regarding pre-flight logistics, flight dispatch and an overview of what to expect on arrival in Antarctica
Hotel Cabo de Hornos Day 2: D; Day 3: BYou are on call for your international flight to Antarctica, and once the weather is suitable, you fly five hours south to Patriot Hills. Attend an orientation briefing on expedition logisitics, as well as safety and environmental considerations for your time on the ice and then have a brief tour of Patriot Hills.
Base Camp B L DToday - or on the first suitable day - pack up and fly east over the Ronne Ice Shelf to Berkner Island, where the aircraft re-fuels and then continues for a total of six hours to the emperor penguin colony. On arrival, your guides scout the area and set up the field base camp, close to a 1,000-penguin breeding colony on the remote Antarctic coastline.
Field Camp B L DOnce you are settled near the penguins, you have many opportunities to observe and photograph this majestic bird, and to discuss penguin behavior with your ornithologist. The penguin are as curious about you as you are about them and frequently waddle up to you as you observe them from your thermal mat.
During your time here, you may observe penguin from as close as 50 feet. With a safe, well-marked route to the colony, you may come and go as you please around the clock, as the sun does not set. There is a great deal to observe, and the constant trumpeting and mingled calls of the colony are music to your ears; astonishingly, parents and chicks locate each other from among thousands of other birds just by these calls.
Your camp and tent are comfortable and warm, and between regular meals your cook keeps hot soup, warm beverages and snacks available. Dine in the common tent that features a kitchen, a small library and other basic amenities.
Return to base camp via ski plane for a celebration dinner and toast.
Base Camp B L DReturn to Punta Arenas and check in to your hotel. Enjoy the remainder of your day at leisure.
Hotel Cabo de Hornos BYour adventure ends today when you fly to Santiago and connect to your international homebound flight.
B
