Day 41 – Half Moon Island, Antarctica

Today, Tim and I stepped foot on Antarctica. That accomplishment, in and of itself, is amazing to me since less than 0.002 percent of the world's population has visited this continent. A visit here is considered a rare achievement due to Antarctica’s remoteness, harsh conditions, and expense to get here.

For those who do travel here, Antarctica is often the seventh and final continent for many people to visit, and that is the case for Tim and me. What is most incredible, however, is that he and I have visited all seven continents in just this year alone! We never planned it that way, and it never occurred to us that this would be the result when we booked our World Cruise and this one for 2025. Amazing!

Charlie, One of Our Fellow World Cruise Passengers, Prepared This Certificate

This morning, we arrived at Half Moon Island on the Antarctic continent. Half Moon Island is a small, crescent-shaped island with a Chinstrap penguin colony, seals, and stunning views of the surrounding landscape. The island, which is located on the east side of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, is rugged and rocky, with steep slopes and cobbled beaches.

It was foggy early this morning, and it began to snow and sleet when Tim and I were at breakfast. An hour later, conditions had not improved when guests began to arrive on Half Moon Island via a zodiac landing.

Half Moon Island In the Fog

Tim and I prepared for our own zodiac beach landing at 2:00 pm, just as the fog had mostly cleared. We climbed the hill on a path created by the Expedition Team and had our picture taken to document our arrival on the Antarctic continent. We had not thought about bringing a flag like some passengers did, but that’s ok. We know that we have achieved that milestone.

Plenty of Expedition Team Members to Assist Us During Our Beach Landing

The Expedition Team Made a Path to Enable Us to Climb the Hill

Tim and Sarah Celebrating Our Setting Foot on Our Seventh Continent

Half Moon Island is characterized by small hills and rock outcroppings, which we passed on the way to view the Chinstrap penguins who reside here. Although Gentoo penguins stole my heart on the Falkland Islands, I must admit that the Chinstraps are mighty cute!

Half Moon Island Has Lots of Rock Outcroppings and a Whaling Dory

Chinstrap Penguins - What a Descriptive Name! (lower right two photos courtesy of Expedition Team)

Just before Tim and I were about to head back to the ship, a bit of blue sky appeared, and what had been obscured by the fog was now crisp and clear. It was just a short window of perfect Antarctic weather – mostly clear skies, not too cold, and not windy – but we were the lucky ones to have experienced it.

We Could See the Beautiful View Across the Bay Once the Fog Lifted

We had even more beautiful views of the surrounding landscape on our zodiac ride back to the ship.

More Beautiful Scenery

The fog did return, however. We learned that this is typical Antarctic weather – changing every five minutes or so.

When I later put together a collage showing the various weather conditions, I joked that the line of guests on the island looked like a march of penguins. I identified these folks as Scarlet penguins, after their red Viking jackets.

The Changing Weather Over Half Moon Island - Can You Spot the Scarlet Penguins?

I wasn't sure what to expect on my first excursion in Antarctica. Would I be too cold? Would I be able to climb the snow-covered hills? I may not have been as graceful as I would have liked, and I even joked to the Expedition Team that I was the clumsy one, but I had a blast. The excursion far exceeded my expectations, and I wasn't ready to return to the ship when it was time. I can't wait for the next stop.

Expedition Leader Olivia warned us this afternoon that we might see a ghost early this evening. While we were at dinner, Polaris, our twin ship, appeared out of the fog and remained beside us for quite a while. Tim and I sailed on Polaris from Toronto to Fort Lauderdale last year, and it was very cool to see her again.

Our Sister Ship Polaris Emerged Out of the Fog

Cruise Mapper Showed the Twins Side by Side

Since penguins are a main attraction on our landings in Antarctica, Specialist Tim presented a lecture this evening entitled “Penguins – Living in Two Worlds.” Penguins are primarily residents of the southern hemisphere, including Antarctica, and have evolved to survive in both aquatic (to feed) and terrestrial (to nest) environments. So far, I have seen King, Gentoo, and Chinstrap penguins. I’m now hoping to see Adélie penguins.

Penguins - Living in Two Worlds