Playful Penguins on Boulders Beach

Boulders Beach is one of the most unique, pristine beaches I have ever encountered. What makes it any different from say, De Hoop Nature Reserve? Well, there are PENGUINS! And it’s not like they’re hiding – they’re basking in the sun only a few feet away from you, they’re swimming alongside you in the water, and they’re waddling over to check you out. We were there on a weekday, leaving the beach virtually secluded; it felt like our own private getaway for the morning.

Travelers Tip: Hit the beach Monday-Friday because the beach gets crowded with locals on the weekends.

Most tourists head right for the Boulders Beach Observatory and miss the actual beach entirely. DO NOT SKIP IT! If anything, skip the Observatory, or at least leave it for last as it’s a total tourist trap. While you get to see hundreds of penguins on the beach, you also get to see hundreds of tourists. If you only have time for one aspect of Boulders, choose the beach.

 

 

Christmas Eve. Up at 7 so that we could begin our 2.5 hour zodiac cruise through Cierva Cove. It was snowing – a very white Christmas indeed. We were on a search for sea mammals, specifically whales, but unfortunately we didn’t see any. It wasn’t that much of a bummer though because the sights were outstanding. The zodiac looked minuscule in comparison to the huge icebergs and glaciers that we were navigating through; it was unreal. We shut off the engine, turned off the radios, and sat in silence, truly taking in the beauty surrounding us and how truly blessed we were to be some of the few to make it all the way down to Antarctica – really moving.

We warmed up back at the ship with some hot chocolate and I decided to surprise mom and dad with a birthday phone call! Pretty cool that I could call dad on his birthday from Antarctica (!!!)

Following lunch we went to Mikkelsen Harbour to observe a penguin colony. I sat down, didn’t move for a few minutes (yes, that was very difficult for me) and next thing I knew penguins started waddling towards me! I was videoing one in front of me when everyone whispered: “Sarah turn your head very slowly to the left.” I did so to find a penguin literally five inches from me, staring at my face…and my recording camera. It was absolutely fantastic. We trekked around in the snow for a while, unintentionally collapsing into the snow every few feet, and watched penguins in their natural habitat. It was neat, especially because at this point it was snowing pretty hard.

We got back and decorated cookies for the Christmas tree and headed to a delicious Christmas Eve dinner, where it was announced that the head cook got married and another couple got engaged. Felicitaciones! Happy days.

We were awakened at 6:30am to an announcement saying to look out our windows and view Antarctica! I screamed and ran to the upper deck to take photos (naturally). It was freezing cold but the views were astonishing – so nice to see after two days at sea. We spent a while on the decks, had a quick breakfast, and prepared for our first landing at Almirante Brown. We were all so psyched as the zodiac zoomed in between icebergs and brought us to land at an abandoned Argentine station – Base Brown. Here we walked around, observed penguins, climbed a giant hill, and then slid down it on our bootys…and fast. So much fun all while being surrounded by such beauty. After two hours we were completely soaked with sweat and peeling off layers by the second. Who woulda thought that was possible in Antarctica?!

When we returned to the ship, we were greeted with spiked apple cider and a chile buffet for lunch – so American, so delicious. After a power nap, I got up and prepared for our next dry landing at an active Chilean base – Gonzalez Videla Station. There was a gift shop there, which was hilarious, and hundreds upon hundreds of penguins. We even saw the very rare white penguin! We spent about two hours just walking around and observing penguins in their natural habitat, as they wandered close to you with curious eyes; they’re oh so adorable, you can’t help but squeal. The zodiac ride back was absolutely freezing and I thought to myself: “How could I ever possibly camp in this weather?” After a camping briefing I was totally prepared to be sleeping in a self-made grave (aka 5 foot long hole) in the snow, until they announced at dinner that camping was canceled due to high winds, snow, and sleet. As I watched the weather progress throughout the night, despite being super bummed, I was thankful they didn’t send us out in that weather.