Antarctica - we have arrived.

It’s been a few days since my last update as we’ve mostly been travelling by sea. The rhythm of ship life takes over — eat, sleep, watch the ocean — and before you know it a couple of days have slipped by.
But this morning felt different.
I woke around 6:00am on Friday 13 March and immediately noticed the ship’s movement had changed. The rolling of the open ocean had gone. Curious, I pulled back the curtains… and there it was — a frozen Antarctic wonderland outside the window.
The sea was calm, the air looked biting cold, and snow-covered mountains surrounded us. We were approaching Wiencke Island, heading for Damoy Point.
Before coming here I’d tried to get my bearings on the maps and noticed it sits not too far from Deception Island — which seemed a fittingly dramatic neighbour for such a wild landscape.
The ship was gliding quietly through the icy water, the kind of calm that feels almost surreal after days in the Drake Passage.
I quickly showered and dressed in what I thought would be warm enough clothes.
Turns out… I was wrong.
It is cold out there. Proper Antarctic cold.
From the deck we could already see the tiny Damoy Hut, the historic refuge we’ll visit today. Around it were our first penguins of the morning, along with a few hardy seabirds braving the conditions.
Just to complete the scene, the weather added a little Antarctic drama — light rain started falling as we watched.
As I write this at 7:14am, the captain is carefully manoeuvring the MS Fridtjof Nansen into position so the expedition teams can get us ashore.
Penguins outside.
Snow everywhere.
And we’re about to step onto Antarctica.

Not a bad way to start Friday the 13th.Read more