ANTARCTICA IS CALLING!

Expedition Travel to the Last Frontier

story by KAREN SNYDER

Kayaking through the endless rivers and beautiful marshes of the Lowcountry is undeniably part of Southern life. Now, imagine your kayaking experience has headed further south — way south — to the continent of Antarctica.

Local Travel Advisor Susie McMahon, owner of Luxe Lowcountry Travel, calls traveling to the continent of Antarctica a “bucket list” experience. And close to nothing, she says, can compare to the day when a humpback whale breached the tranquil waters near her kayak during her Aurora Expedition Antarctica travel experience earlier this year.

“Just to get to see that part of our world is an emotional experience in itself, but to be kayaking so close to a humpback whale that I could see its blowhole open and close, and smell its stinky breath … well, let’s just say it’s hard to surpass that experience!”

This was just one expedition of many that were part of a life-changing travel experience aboard the Greg Mortimer, a 132-passenger (Ice Class 6) ship hosted by Aurora Expeditions, an Australian-based company with 30 years’ experience traveling to the continent.

Now doing business in the United States, Aurora Expeditions is happy to partner with Luxe Lowcountry Travel to offer a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Earth’s southernmost continent, where travel once had been reserved only for explorers or the scientific community.

Jennifer Reynolds, Aurora’s business development manager for the US Southeast market and an Antarctic Ambassador who has visited the continent five times, says that this unique travel experience is attracting multigenerational families, young adults, and well-traveled seniors looking to check off their “final continent” on their travel logs.

No matter the “why” behind booking a destination travel experience, for Aurora Expeditions, says Reynolds, taking travelers to the end of the Earth is all about “education, exploration, and enrichment,” much of which takes place aboard Zodiac boats traversing the cold, glacier-spotted waters of Antarctica.

McMahon agrees. “Traveling to Antarctica is about the destination itself. It’s not your cruise ship type of experience. You’re traveling to a part of our planet that really remains untouched. Most of us have no concept of what that really means. Simply experiencing sightings of penguin colonies and fur and elephant seals was amazing, not to mention humpback whales! I knew I was among those fortunate enough to experience what many haven’t had the opportunity to do. That’s why I’m excited about offering this unique experience to others through Luxe Lowcountry Travel.”

Traveling to the continent is part of the adventure. You’ll arrive either by ship or by plane to Punta Arenas, Chile, then embark on your journey by Zodiac boat through the Drake Passage to meet the ship. While aboard one of two Aurora Expedition ships, Greg Mortimer and Sylvia Earle, both named after pioneering conservationists and built specifically for icy waters and to navigate places that larger ships cannot go, you’ll be busy with endless opportunities to socialize and learn.

Everything about the trip is about exploring the pristine landscape, learning about the unique wildlife and environment from the well-educated expedition leaders, and having fun on daily activities that might include interpretive shore strolls, hikes, kayaking, snorkeling or diving, photography workshops, overnight camp outs, and more. Only 100 people are permitted on the continent at one time, so two daily landings via 10-passenger Zodiacs are planned each day.

“Your Zodiac expedition could be led by one of our ornithologists, marine biologists, oceanographers, or even by a historian who’ll share the history of continental exploration,” explains Reynolds. “Our guests also are encouraged to be part of our ‘Citizen Science’ initiatives, where passengers take part in scientific studies that happen daily aboard the ship. Being an Australian company, we’re at the forefront of environmental studies.”

According to Reynolds, passengers may find themselves helping to count birds or penguins, analyzing microorganisms in the water, or participating in a microplastic survey, where collected data is shared with the Smithsonian Institution or other research organizations.

As for McMahon, she readily admits that her travel experience to Antarctica will be a difficult one to top! “It’s just so different. There’s just nothing else like it anywhere. As I was leaving to go home, I got quite emotional,” she says, describing tears running down her face as she took in her surroundings, grateful for all that she had experienced on her 12-day trip.

“While on board, I interacted with all types and ages of people from all over the world, from 20 somethings to a woman celebrating her 90th birthday! This trip really is for everyone and anyone who wants a trip like none other. I can’t wait to work with my clients so they can experience it too.”

To learn more about traveling to Antarctica and booking an Aurora Expedition trip, McMahon recommends visiting luxelowcountrytravel.com/antarctica or scheduling a discovery call through the website.