Today was a mind-boggling day! We woke up at 7:00 in the morning, to a beautiful and amazing sight. Instead of the usual ray of sunlight shining though our window, the dark blue of a crevasse in an iceberg lit up our room. We didn't hesitate in getting up and we inhaled breakfast to get outside. The view was spectacular and because we were very near a penguin rookery (a nesting area where penguins have chicks), one of the biggest in this section of the Antarctic, there were penguins jumping out of the water all over the place, left, right, and center.

As we got closer and closer to Heroina Island, the smell got worse but the scenery got better. We were able to see quite a few penguins on patches of snow and ice, but personally I was surprised to see so little ice. I ended up forgetting that because of the prospect of sharing the same land as a penguin but my group went on a zodiac cruise first. The cruise was nice but the island was just amazing. We got onto the island and I was lost for words, and my parents will probably agree that I always have something to say. :) Anyway, when we landed I looked up and realized that the reason there were only small patches of snow was because there were penguins over every inch of the island. Apparently, there were 1,000,000 penguins or so on the island. To make a long story short, a skua ended up pecking my boot so all the penguins decided it was safe to be curious. I ended up being fully surrounded and it has definitely changed my life.

I wish I could tell you more about the whales we saw and all the amazing lectures we've had, but I want to let others have space to write for the website. I can't wait to find out what's in store for tomorrow!!

- Bilaal Rajan, Participant

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Happy New Year to everyone once again. This year for me has been one of the most unforgettable. This year, instead of being with my loved ones, I was on a ship in the middle of the ocean with several unique individuals. Going on the deck in the ship, and being able to see the ocean left me speechless. There were no words that could describe how awesome and amazing it was. This made me reflect on many things and made me think of my New Year’s Resolution. For the year 2010, I will allow the good karma to come in, and think positive. In this expedition everything has been well and has brought a confident feeling to me. For this new year I hope for a better unity of the family and the best of love and friendships.

Today starting off the first day of the year, we visited Elephant Island. This island was amazing and I was able to touch and lick the ice. Seeing penguins also made my day. We hopped into the zodiacs, which are little mechanical boats that took a group of 8 students to see penguins and icebergs. We all spotted over 100 penguins and it was mating season!  Even though they smelled horrible, they were the cutest living things. As we travelled in the zodiacs we saw small pieces of ice floating which were once, part of an enormous iceberg. This definitely made my day, since I have never ever in my life have been in a zodiac and have never seen penguins so close up.

- Estefani Chimbo, Participant

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Happy New Years!  Today was absolutely the best day ever or very close to it.  I never ever imagined waking up in Antarctica one day, but that's exactly what I did this morning.  I can't begin to put all that I am feeling in words, but I will try my best.  So I woke up feeling magnificent.  No more seasickness, thank goodness!  I had breakfast and then went out on deck to have a quick look around.  It was snowing and a lot colder so I knew we had passed the Antarctic Convergence.  I then went to the presentation about sea ice.  It was cool learning that there's a whole new world under the ice like mountains and rivers.  After that I went back onto the deck and saw my very first iceberg! It was huge and even more beautiful than I had expected.  Not long after that we approached Elephant Island where Shackleton had been many years before.  It was so magnificent with snow, ice, and mountains.  Pictures can't begin to give the beauty around us justice.  Then we had a presentation by Olle about a Swedish expedition that really relates to Shackleton's journey through the great white continent.  Later we had briefings on protecting Antarctica during tourism and we also learned about how to go on zodiac cruises.  The first group left for their zodiac cruises while the rest of us stayed behind and talked and got ready for our turn.  I finally got into the zodiac and left for my one hour cruise.  It was completely amazing and fun.  I got to see my first chinstrap penguins! They were so cute!  We saw a cross statue that the Chileans had put up in honor of Shakleton's expedition.  We got to touch an iceberg! And yes I got a picture!  We also got to dip our hands into the water and get out a piece of ice of our own.  Oh and taste it ... it was salty.  The water was freezing!!!  We got back and almost all of us just spent time out on deck entranced by the surroundings.  None of us had ever seen anything like this before;  everything is incomparable. 

Then Geoff announced that whales had been spotted.  We saw the fin whales at first and not long after that, humpback whales were spotted which got me very excited. They came right up to the boat almost as if they were putting on a show for us.  At one point we were all in silence just watching them and we could hear them blowing out water.   They sounded so powerful, and that was probably the highlight of my trip so far.  I also got great pictures of them!  Throughout the day it was sunny and actually not too cold.  It was amazing seeing the looks of amazement on people's faces that have even been here so many times before.  Most of them said that they rarely see the conditions that we got to see today.  At the end of the day I was feeling like a really lucky person to get to be here.  Not many people ever get to experience this, but if you do it will change your life.

- Tara Haley, Participant

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The New Year is in and what a way to start. I am sailing to Antarctica and having a New Year's party on an icebreaker. The day started with a lecture given by Santiago about the native birds of Antarctica.  After a lot of funny acts we all danced in a circle holding hands on the top of the ship. Olle came in dressed up as the old year and was thrown out of the room then Geoff (our great leader) came in dressed as baby New Year. It was a great way to end the day. Dad, Mom, I miss you guys!

- Victor G. Davila, Participant

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Today began traveling through a beautiful gallery of icebergs which were large enough to resemble buildings in a city. Some were long stretches of ice that took on the massive shape of a rectangle. The most interesting iceberg I saw was a large triangular plateau. The point slanted down towards the water and the surface was completely flat from the wind and weather the berg had endured. Our activity before lunch was going on zodiac cruises around and on Heroina Island. We traveled around ice bergs with groups of penguins on top. Some would run off and jump into the water while others would swim right next to the boat. We also traveled right next to a large iceberg that had a large crack in the middle. As you looked deeper into the crevasse, the middle blues presented themselves darker and darker. The different textures and depths of the ice inside added wonderful tones of blues.

After the cruise we were let off on the actual island. What looked like rocks on the cliffs were actually penguins. There were thousands of Adelie penguins inhabiting the island. When let off,  the rancid smell of penguin poo filled my nostrils. I cannot lie to you... it was not a pleasant smell but the sight of awkward waddling birds made it all the better. They would often walk right by you, with in just a several feet. It truly was amazing being that close to the animals in their own habitat. What stuck in my mind the most was seeing two baby chicks under their parent. They were so fuzzy and cute, and when I saw one poke its head out from underneath it made me feel warm and fuzzy inside as well. On a funny note when walking on land I started to feel, ironically enough, land sick. My legs were wobbly and my eyes we not adjusted to the fixed position of the cliffs. For several moments I felt queasy. Soon it passed but then it struck me that I had made the sea my home.

What always strikes me as stunning is the water. It takes on such different colors from every shade of blue, to teal, to sometimes grey. Each day the water changes with the landscape we are in. I find it one of the most intriguing aspects to gaze at and document.

I also must add in the span of three minutes... I stepped out onto the deck, port side, and spotted whales, seals, penguins, orange sunset, and purple snow capped mountains all in the same panoramic. One thing right after the next. This happened in between finishing the last paragraph and starting this one. In all honesty I simply stepped outside in the middle of typing and saw all of that. It was truly a day to remember.

- Alex Gustafson, Participant

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I have never had a New Years quite like this; actually I have never experienced anything like this in my entire life and I probably never will again. From arriving on the boat to spotting our first iceberg, penguins and whales, everything feels so surreal. I am so fortunate to experience such a phenomenon that many have never even dreamed of.

We must have brought the "good karma" because even the crew that has made a plenty of trips here are totally excited. We had the Drake Lake (fortunate for many, although I was hoping shake), we spotted whales our first day and witnessed perfect weather. The sun is amazing here. It can transform a massive piece of ice creating complementary hues of blue that melt together to create the beauty of a sparkling iceberg.  Being in the zodiacs so close to something so great makes you feel small in a world that creates a deeper beauty and appreciation of everything. When we landed today,  I had never seen so many of anything, never mind Adelie penguins!  It was like their own planet. One came about a foot away from me and as I stared into its eye, I sensed its curiosity. I could not believe I was so close to such an amazing creature. I was warm, bundled in 5 layers, but they can survive there in the winter with just feathers and blubber. I cannot imagine them just waddling through the freezing winds and icy waters.

Knowing where I am, and doing everything that I do on a regular basis at home has become far more pronounced here. Just waking up or eating within view of an iceberg makes everything so different. Yoga was incredible, especially on a moving ship. It's so hard to believe the rest of the world is still functioning normally while I am frozen in time in one of the most secluded and majestic places on the entire Earth. It's simple to take a picture or video, but it's impossible to illustrate the feeling of seeing it all, or the smell of penguin guano. Pictures cannot provide enough justice to what I actually see, and this is just the beginning.

- Brook Cotta, Participant

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Happy New Year! Today was our third day at sea. Yesterday we saw some amazing wildlife. On our first zodiac cruise, we saw penguins nesting at Point Wild where Shackleton stayed and was rescued by the Chileans. The statue commemorating the rescue seemed small for the major feat accomplished. We tasted glacial ice and saw many penguins. I never thought penguins would smell so bad. We saw some of the most beautiful icebergs and mountains. Last night, two whales followed our ship around Elephant Island. I took some stunning pictures.

Today I woke up at 5:30 to do yoga. For an hour we practiced many yoga positions next to some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. The icebergs were humbling and awe-inspiring. The day continued with a zodiac cruise to one of the largest penguin rookeries in Antarctica. There was a huge penguin highway down the middle of Heroina Island but it was filled with guano. A penguin got within arm’s reach of me. They are some of the funniest birds I have ever seen. Wandering Albatross were also all over following the penguins into the ocean. I took some amazing pictures. I don't think it can get better than this! Hopefully we have another three days of sun and beautiful weather.

- Chris DiCesare, Participant

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We have fit so much into one day that I feel as though it is already time for bed, yet I know I am going to be too excited to sleep when bed time comes around tonight. This morning we had 7 people at the yoga class. I was so excited! Finally a morning where I could do yoga and not be alone. And what a fine morning it was with icebergs all around. I woke up and looked out my window and nearly had a heart attack. These icebergs are massive. I have never seen so many all together ever. It was spectacular! The morning was in full swing by 9:00 A.M. when we headed out for a zodiac cruise. There were so many penguins; dipping and diving in the ice floes. They were a gorgeous site. I try to refrain from calling them cute, they are cute, but they are also an incredible creature that can survive in temperature unimaginable to the human race.

We made a shore landing at Heroina Island and saw a colony of 1,000,000 penguins. What an incredible sight! I found a place on the ice and just sat there and soaked it in. I had a moment to just relax and appreciate where I am and how incredible it is to be here. Thank you to my family, friends, community and my lovely boyfriend who support me in all these crazy adventures. It means a lot to me! Between the incredible whales of yesterday and the penguins and icebergs today, I just don't know what to say. It is hard to put these experiences into words. Yesterday, a humpback whale came right in front of the bow of the ship where I was standing and fluked. I could hardly contain my excitement and because I was able to capture it in perfect pictures. What a day with these incredible shots and video of the penguins! Wow! But it is nice to just put my cameras away, set my journal down, block out the noise, and just truly appreciate this incredible continent. What does tomorrow bring you ask? Who knows, we are on an "expedition schedule" meaning we take life as it hits us; it's awesome! Bring on the great seas and sunshine. I love the expedition life! I hope all is well at home in Saskatchewan everyone! Hello from Antarctica!

- Jenna Gall, Participant

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I would first like to thank everyone who supported me to come on this excursion. I feel so privileged to be at this part of the world that so few people have come to and so few people will ever come to. It's a place of peace and serenity like no other. After the crossing of the Drake passage (although calm I'm sure many people would beg to differ) we saw our first iceberg yesterday afternoon. I can't begin to explain what these look like. They are so big, and the different colours and shapes just blow my mind. That was just the beginning of a wonderful day (great way to start the new year as well). We anchored at Point Wild on Elephant Island and went on our first zodiac cruise. It was amazing!!! The sun was shining and the sea was so calm. Going around in zodiacs we saw both penguins and seals. Being in the footsteps of history, we tried to begin to understand what it would of felt like to be Shackleton's men stranded on this island for what would have seemed like forever. As our expedition leader Geoff Green said "it's a day that keeps on giving". That it sure was. When we returned to the ship, whales began to follow us. They were everywhere and of course some just loved to show off. It was wonderful. We were like on a giant zodiac all enjoying the presence of these whales. If all of that wasn't enough, we had a sunset that was beyond anything that I have ever seen. As the sun went down and I stood at the bow of the ship, we had all these colours appear in the sky. With the sea so calm it was just absolutely beautiful. The moon rising over the horizon was also incredible. Day 1 in Antarctica surpassed all of my expectations.

After convincing myself that I had to go to bed, I was still able to enjoy the presence of the icebergs all around us. The little porthole beside my bed allows me to just stare outside forever and ever (although it's definitely limiting my sleep time). Although I did not think possible, today has been just as wonderful. This morning we went for another zodiac cruise and also did our first landing at Heroina island. This is the largest rookery of Adelie penguins in this area and has around 500,000 pairs of penguins. It's incredible! They are everywhere! I sat by myself for some time and was lucky enough to have penguins come up so close to me. They are incredible creatures (although they smell a little). With everything we have already done today I feel that it should already be night time. However, we are slowly approaching the mainland of Antarctica through the Antarctica Sound and I'm sure there will be much more to come.

Thinking of you guys at home.

- Marissa LeBlanc, Chaperone

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HAPPY BELATED NEW YEAR! What a way to bring in 2010 on the Drake Passage in Antarctic waters! We celebrated with hilarious presentations by all pod groups, dancing up on the deck and toasting with apple and orange juice! I'll never forget the moment I saw my first iceberg and the first piece of snow covered land in the distant horizon. It was only then that it finally hit me that after 27 hours on the plane and two very long seasick days on the Drake Passage, I had finally arrived to Antarctica!

We took our first zodiac cruise yesterday afternoon with a clear blue sky and calm waters. The beauty of the variety of colors, shapes and patterns of the ice bergs, ice shelves and clouds was breathtaking. Our zodiac maneuvered around Elephant Island, where we literally sailed in the path of Shackleton, who bravely returned to save 22 of his men after leaving the island in search of help. At sunset, we were given a treat when two young humpback whales swam right up to the bow of our boat! I'm still getting over the fact that there is only about 3 hours darkness here.

This morning we took another zodiac cruise to our first landing on Heroina Island, one of the largest penguin rookeries in the Antarctic Peninsula. It was an incredible sight to see tens of thousands of penguins clumsily waddling around then diving gracefully into the depths of the Weddell Sea. The highlight for me was definitely finding a mother penguin protectively hovering over her two gray chicks, it was adorable!

On the ship itself, the karma is good and the atmosphere is friendly and relaxing. I feel like I have known the friends I have made here a lot longer than just a few days. Sharing living quarters, meals and every special moment experiencing Antarctica has bonded all 60+ of the students and staff together. I just feel so blessed to be able to be one of the few people in this world who have had the chance to see, hear and touch Antarctica.

- Natasha Weaser, Participant

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It is the second day here in Antarctica and I can honestly say I've been immensely fascinated with everything we've been seeing and everything we've been doing! It is just so amazing to wake up and see a huge iceberg outside your window. It's just so powerful the feeling I get when I think about where I am on a map and how beautiful this all is! There are no words to describe this place, it's just simply beautiful! I get frustrated with my camera because when I look at something and I look at the picture I just took of it, it's practically impossible to reflect the true beauty of it on a picture! It's incredible! There's is so much going on and we're seeing so many things at once, I am just going to talk about my first encounter on land with penguins! It was the best experience so far on this trip. They were the cutest things ever! We went on an excursion on land in a penguin rookery of Adelie penguins. It was so amazing! I just can't describe the emotional feelings I was going through when I saw all of them. I just wanted to hug them and take one with me! We will hopefully see Emperor penguins tomorrow! I can't wait! By the way, Heroina Island, the place we explored today is a part of a series of islands called Danger Islands which by the name you can conclude that it's not the most visited place in Antarctica. Fortunately we were able to explore it on a sunny day! I feel so fortunate to have stepped foot there! I'm excited for what is still to come! I hope all is well with everyone!

- Sandra Lobato, Particpant

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We are officially in Antarctica! Well we were officially here yesterday but today we had our first zodiac landing on Heroina Island. This morning the ship sailed into a place where there were icebergs as far as the eye could see. All I heard this morning were continuous announcements about icebergs and penguins surrounding the ship. I ran to the deck as soon as I could and was in awe for at least 20 minutes. The icebergs were unbelievably large and they had a magical glow to them. As one girl said yesterday, I am now a believer in the power and beauty of ice. All day we were surrounded by the beauty of Antarctica and when we headed off to Heroina Island on the zodiacs we got to experience the unique and pungent smell of Antarctica. The penguins, though beautiful and unique creatures, threw me off due to their terrible smell. As we approached the island of Heroina the smell became stronger and stronger and our zodiac driver Alex told us to take a deep breath when we pulled up to shore because "this was the real smell of Antarctica".

Putting the smell aside, the view of thousands of penguins left me completely frozen on the ice. I could not believe that after so many days of anticipation I was actually in Antarctica staring up at all the penguins. Unfortunately no penguins actually climbed into anyone's lap but just seeing the small creatures waddle down the snow and play with one another was enough for me. After an hour on the island the water around us had lowered so much that Geoff began kicking off pieces of ice to ease the zodiacs into a good landing spot but eventually we marched over, followed by a few penguins, to another part of the island (with an even more pungent smell) and boarded the zodiacs. The sun was very bright and the wind was strong on the zodiacs but the view distracted me from my burning skin and freezing toes. We maneuvered through the icebergs and at one point turned the motor off and our entire zodiac sat in the water in complete silence. The sound of water hitting the icebergs and the penguins swimming was so peaceful and I just wish we could have sat there all day long. This was also so amazing because we were in an area known as the Danger Islands but the weather was perfect, the sun was shining, and the water was peaceful. This zodiac landing and cruising felt like it took all day but in reality it took no more than 3 hours.

When re-boarding the ship I realized how much the sun had affected me. My skin, though coated with SPF 30 sunscreen, stung and burned, and my hands and feet were freezing. On the ship it was amazing to see everyone’s glowing and happy faces and they re-boarded even though we all smelled like penguins and were shivering. This is only the first of our zodiac landings and the good karma was on our side. I cannot even imagine what the days ahead of us will bring but I can't wait to find out. I can't even begin to imagine what later today will hold for us because our day in Antarctica is barely finished!   

- Christina Rodriguez-Fierro, Participant

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Elephant Island, our first stop in Antarctica, was the first land we had seen in two days. We arrived around 15:30, and anchored the ship across from Point Wild, where Shackleton's crew spent four long months. The landscape was stunning. Two-hundred foot cliffs sprung straight out of the sea. Cathedral shaped icebergs floated past while penguins hopped at the ship's bow and whales blew towers of ocean spray into the cold air. Tall peaks frosted with snow held thousands of penguins at their bases, and large seabirds soared overhead. The most memorable aspect of the island was its enormity. Every feature was larger than life and I suddenly felt insignificant in this new world - this giant's world. The scale of Elephant Island made New York City, my home town, look like a doll house. The sight was both beautiful and terrifying. Just after dinner, as the ship pulled away from the island and towards the western coast of the continent, we were joined by two humpback whales who waved goodbye with a flip of their tails.

- Hannah Druckenmiller

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Today was our first day on the zodiacs!!! The boats were strong, black, rubber masses. We got in making sure to slide on the side of the boat without walking through the middle or anywhere really. We all loaded, and Geoff was our driver!  The boat's engine made a small purr and we were off, not fast but not that slow. We came towards one of the white spotted mountains with clumps of snow scattered on it and sliding down.  A glacier sat between this mountain and another similar mountain, brownish black and monstrous. We went towards the mountain on the right (the wrinkled one) and saw scores of penguins!!! They were chirping their penguin chirp and were all  in their uniforms as if they were going to a wedding. These ones specifically reminded me of soldiers because they had chinstraps like soldiers except the penguins didn't have the helmet part.  We looked at icebergs and ambled along! We touched a bergy bit!!!!! It had rings in it like a tree trunk. it was spectacular. We took pictures and looked at icebergs but then came to another huge cliff covered in penguins!!! Geoff got us close up and a little chinstrap  penguin glided out of the water, onto the edgy rock, and just climbed right up. Penguins may not be able to fly,  but what they can do, they are amazing at. They are truly survivors of nature. While we turn on our air conditioners at home and our stereos in our brand new trucks and vans, these things live in an AC. The coldest AC on Earth  and they love it. Hardly any humans feel badly about polluting these creatures' world, but when you've seen these beautiful survivors crawl and leap into the water as I just have, it's hard not to care. I finally understand why pollution is a big deal.  I knew it was a big deal but seeing it really makes it click. I hope the pollution does not continue if the penguins are destroyed. Love you mom and dad, I am well and alive.

Taylor Greene, Participant

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Today we got to hang out on Heroina Island, and hang out with those penguins! I was lying down and enjoying their company when one slid down from a hill and definitely ran into me from the back! I was so surprised to have been bombarded by this Adelie penguin and I was just thankful it didn't run into me with the intention to peck me or anything. I didn't even care that the smell was so strong and rank, it just made the whole experience feel so much more real, since a lot of the time I have trouble believing in what I see around here.

Everyone is getting closer today as well, I enjoy so many people's company ... and I made 3 headbands today while knitting.

- Victoria Hoffman, Participant

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Yesterday, SOI took us on our first zodiac excursion of the new year to the wonderful Point Wild. Zodiacs are large (and very strong) inflatable rafts.  The passengers sit on the edge of the raft and hang on to the support ropes that are draped along the boat.  There wasn't a landing but we were able to pass a small rookery of chinstrap penguins, a fur seal, and a Weddell seal.  We were also able to spot the statue commemorating the place where Shackleton's men spent four months alone on the rocks. We were lucky we even were able to see Point Wild, let alone sail on it. One of the experienced sailors in the SOI crew told us that it was very rare to have weather that would allow a ship into Point Wild.  Usually it is shrouded in fog and the sea is much more rough.  We were lucky enough to have a clear day, a calm sea, and 20 degree weather.  After the Zodiac cruise, we walked to the bow to enjoy the sunny weather. After about 30 minutes we sighted whale spouts in the distance.  We sailed closer to the spouts and suddenly, a pod of Fin whales surfaced next to our ship. There were still spouts in the distance, and, upon closer inspection, were identified as the spouts of a pod of Humpbacks.  On the bow we could see the flukes clearly as the Humpbacks approached.  With the Fin whales to the left and the Humpbacks to the right, it was hard to take it all in.  All of a sudden, the sea grew quiet, as did the ship.  Everyone was waiting to see where the next whale would appear.  As I peeked over the bow, a baby humpback surfaced and blew a spot of water about 10 feet in front of me.  I was so close to the whale that I am sure I could have touched it if I'd tried. 

Alex Brewer, Participant

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Hey everyone, this day has been incredible, from seeing a million penguins and one seal. I expected Antarctica to be colder, but to me it’s been like a regular winter in New York City. This morning I woke up at 6:50 am to do some yoga and the results were great. I had plenty of energy throughout the day and  I was ready for anything. This being our third day at sea; I am now accustomed to the movement of the ship and no longer felt sea sick. We got to Heroina Island and we went on the zodiacs to check out the island. As I was on the zodiac I felt the cold breeze within me, and took a deep breath. As we got closer to the island I smelled a horrible disgusting smell which came from cute little penguins. I walked into the island and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Millions of  penguins, like a metropolis of  penguins. I was astonished and Jeff our expedition leader told us to sit on the ice and the penguins will come to you. I sat down and a group of penguins came up to me like a mob. The smell was bad , but I got use to it. There were two types of penguins the Gentoo and Adelie. After that we got back to the zodiacs and went around the sea to look for seals. We found one seal and saw loads of icebergs which were amazing. We headed back to the ship and I smelled like guano which is accumulated droppings of birds, penguins, or seals, occurring where large established colonies of these animals are situated. After that took a long hot shower, and got ready for the presentations of the staff members. As we hanged in the lounge all of a sudden, my roommate, Brooke came running to me and said OMG our room is flooded. I didn’t believe her at first but when she was out of breath I ran downstairs and saw water and the image of Titanic came to mind. It turned out our sink was leaking. Lucky my things did not get wet YAY! Mom and Dad I am OKAY and I love you all. Only my little penguins got wet .

- Estefani Chimbo, Participant

Wow! The last couple of days have been incredible. We have seen two different types of whales, three types of penguins as well as a couple of seals. Last night I thought that I could see the sun set out my window but when I looked closer I realized that it was the moon-rise. With the setting sun at our bow and a rising moon at our stern the ship was glowing with a pink, orange alpine glow, there was no better way to start off 2010. To add to last night's wonder, this morning I woke up to spectacular icebergs and penguins right outside my window. If you thought that it couldn't get any better, one thing was able to boost it! I was finally able to open my birthday letter from my mom. Even as I write this now there are icebergs floating by the window. At this point we have had two Zodiac cruises and one landing and are hoping to get one more in this afternoon. My head is so filled with ideas and thoughts about what I have seen in the last couple of days, it is hard for me to express the incredible calm I felt while looking into the eye of a humpback whale, or the joy of having an Adelie penguin walk right up to me. There have been so many unforgettable experiences already and I can't wait to see what the coming days hold. Thanks to everyone here and at home for the birthday wishes!

- Hannah Jacobs, Participant

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Yesterday, everyone jumped from their seats the moment somebody screamed "PENGUIN" even when it was merely a black speck on a piece of ice far, far away.  Today, we were all surrounded by literally thousands, no exaggeration, Adelie penguins when we spent an hour walking between them on Heroina Island. The penguins are not afraid of people in giant jackets and loud, approaching boats in the slightest.  Some approached us, but the majority of them just glanced at us and proceeded to waddle away. Some waddled (oh, I found out that they waddle because they have no knees, which is a good thing since waddling conserves 40% more energy) and some slid.  Others jumped in and out of the freezing water.  Like in cartoon movies, penguins gathered on cliffs until one speeding penguin pushed all of the waiting chicken penguin into the water. Undoubtedly they are adorable but they definitely also smell horrendous. Okay, gotta go.  Bye dears!! 

- Aleksandra Makowska, Participant 

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Today we were in the Weddell Sea and are now currently traveling through the Antarctic Sound. We were able to take our first steps on Antarctica which was an amazing feeling. Although we have been in Antarctica for some time those steps were fantastic! Also, we have finally spotted the mainland of Antarctica! Today I realized that the best place to be, when we cannot be out on the Zodiacs or on the land, is on the bridge of the ship. You can see everything from the bridge, while staying warm. You never miss out on anything! In fact, you can be the first to know of sightings and announcements. Sometimes there are sightings that do not get announced because of the animal that was sighted; For example, we saw Minke whales today which would have been gone by the time that anyone rushed over to see them. The bridge is where people pop in from time to time. It is great when the staff comes in and looks out the windows with you. You learn about the ice and animals that are floating, flying, and swimming in front of you at that very moment! It really is the best classroom on Earth! I know that for the rest of the trip I will be up on the bridge trying to learn and see everything that I can! (Happy Birthday Oma! I Love You!)

- Kerry Morse, Participant

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Happy New Year!!! There are many great ways to start off the year, but this definitely tops them all! Yesterday was the first day of the year and I was just in awe for all of it. We started off the day in open water, all of the sea-sickness had passed. At about 2:00pm, most of us decided to go out onto the bow of the ship. We started to see wandering albatross.  These are giant seabirds with wingspans up to three meters wide. They were amazing! They rarely flapped their wings, they mostly just sat on the wind. Next our eyes were drawn to the water below, penguins jumping in and out of the water right next to the ship. They say they are flightless birds, but you wouldn't believe it after seeing them in the water.

We began to look around, then suddenly, right on the horizon, the biggest iceberg I had ever seen!  Then more and more, the same size or bigger began to appear.  I was in amazement at the massiveness of them all!  Then my friend Alex looked at the horizon and she asked me, "Is that land?". I was skeptical at first because it kind of blended in with the clouds in the far off distance, but then those clouds began to clear and sure enough, Elephant Island straight ahead!  We were so excited; this was our first land sighting in two days!  We kept watching,  but we were soon distracted by large spouts of water exploding from the water!  Whales!!!  Everything was happening all at once!  The whales came closer and closer! Cameras were flashing like mad!  I was being overwhelmed by the amazing Antarctica!  Everywhere I looked, there was something going on!

The whales passed and we were arriving at Elephant Island. The cliffs were covered with penguins!  It was so cool. There was an amazing glacier there. Living in Alaska, I have seen many glaciers in my time but this tops them all!  It was so big. This place definitely goes in the top two of the most beautiful places I have been. We got off of the ship in little zodiacs and toured Point Wild on Elephant Island. The beauty completely exceeded my expectations!  We saw tons of chinstrap penguins; they are so cute!  I was taking pictures like crazy wherever they went. We got back on the boat and moved on. That night, we were moving through open ocean again and a bunch of whales came right near the boat and kept fluking. I got the most amazing picture of the tail in the light of the setting sun. I was so excited that I got such a great picture with my kind of camera!

This morning, I woke up to ice scraping along side of the ship. We were navigating our way through giant walls of ice. Eventually we ended up at Heroina Island, the biggest colony of Adelie penguins on the Antarctic Peninsula!  Close to a million penguins covered the small island and I got to visit it!  We left on the zodiacs and I had to watch my step to keep my distance from the penguins. They have a rule "you cannot approach them, but they can approach you."  I walked into the more dense area on the island and sat down and they walked up to me. They were so close that I could have touched them with my elbow!  I took so many pictures and named penguins after my friends back home. We were there for a while, but all good things have to come to an end.  We got back on the zodiacs and toured around the giant icebergs. We got back on the ship and set off again. And that brings us to now.

- Kasey Walker, Participant

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Wow! What a way to  start the New Year. I woke up and we were in Antarctica. I saw my first iceberg. I really did not know what to think. It was right there! I was eating my apple, then looked out the window with amazement. There it was, right in front of me. I went out on deck and just sat there. It made me think about all the awesome things I had in my life; my friends, my family, and my school. I appreciate all those things now. I guess when I don't have them for a few weeks I start to put all the bad things behind me and start to miss it.  I really miss school. This trip is a whole learning experience. When I get back I want to learn more about everything. This year is going to be different. I just know it. It must be the good Karma.

- Rebecca Abdelgani, Participant