Capturing Antarctica in all its splendour

Natural beauty of the seventh continent inspires Gulf News reader to click away

Last updated: September 16, 2018 | 01:07

By Prerna K. Sethi, Reader Interactivity Journalist

2 MIN READ

Gulf News reader Alistair D’Souza took these pictures on his recent holiday to Antarctica.

He said: “This December, I sailed with my wife Andrea Cornel to the seventh continent — Antarctica. After a three-day sail from South Ameria, in a sturdy ice-breaker ship, through the Drake Passage, we saw the first sign of land — an Antarctic iceberg arising from the horizon.

“It was the time of the Antarctic summer [December-February], so the sun never set. The sun’s rays hitting the iceberg were a fabulous sight. Standing on the deck of the ship, staring into the endless blue ocean with sub-zero winds hitting our faces, we were reminded of how far we were from home.

“After we received repeated reminders asking us to wear multiple layers of clothing, not to interact with wildlife and not to carry any food items, we finally cleared for landing. On the shore, it was fascinating to see the hosts of the continent, penguins and seals, curiously welcoming us.

“Since Antarctica is off limit to tourists for nine months in a given year, these hosts were not used to seeing humans around, so they approached us quite comfortably to investigate, thus helping us take some amazing shots. We spent the rest of the days chasing elusive killer whales, camping, skiing, hiking and visiting research bases.

“There were times when we simply sat on the shores of the continent, doing nothing, because the scenery was so breathtaking. Time flew by quickly and to bid Antarctica farewell was difficult. This 11-day voyage was certainly the trip of a lifetime.”

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Land ahoy!: After travelling on a ship for more than two days seeing nothing but blue, this iceberg was the first sighting of land for Alistair D’Souza.

Looking for a port: Visitors move closer to the mainland on smaller boats called zodiacs. These small, inflatable motorised boats are used to navigate rocky shallow waters.

Just keep swimming: D’Souza caught this pod of Antarctic Orcas or killer whales swimming by. Orcas hunt and live in groups and each pod has its own language or dialect according to the American Centre for Whale Research.

Cruising through: “Why walk when you can glide on ice?” asked D’Souza when he took this photograph of an Adelie penguin having some fun. On his trip, D’Souza saw only two species of penguins – the Gentoo and the Adelie.

Social creatures: A penguin rookery at Port Lockroy. Rookeries are groups of many penguins that live, hunt and raise their young together.

I don’t have all day!: This Gentoo penguin struck a pose for D’Souza. The reader felt the penguin was almost saying, “Take the picture already! I am not going to pose forever.”

Icy sharp: The winter season in Antarctica starts as early in the year as March and goes on till November. Then, during summer, as the ice melts gradually many such icicles can be seen forming at the edge of snow covers.

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