Our Antarctica itinerary and science team
In my previous posts about Antarctica, I described features we observed such as penguins and other wildlife, ice bergs, and an active volcano. I even explained why we chose to travel with Antarctica21—a company that flies visitors from Chile to the Antarctica Peninsula. In my final post I'll explain how a scientific connection motivated us to travel to Antarctica in...
Isla Decepción: an active volcano in Antarctica
When thinking of Antarctica, active volcanoes are typically not the first things that come to mind. But the continent has 18 active volcanoes (https://33science.com/2025/12/01/active-volcanoes-in-antarctica/), two of which have erupted during the past century—see locations on map below. We visited Isla Decepción, which last erupted in 1970, on 23 February 2026—the last full day of our Antarctica expedition. This post briefly...
Marine mammals and birds we saw in Antarctica
There are many reasons to go to Antarctica, but probably the main draw is the marine life, especially penguins. I've already done a post about penguins (https://landscapes-revealed.net/gentoo-penguins-on-the-antarctica-peninsula/), but many more important life forms reside there. This post has images and—now that I'm home with more band width—videos of marine mammals and seabirds, including the flightless birds—penguins. Krill is the keystone...
Beautiful Antarctic Ice
I had seen lots of icebergs before, mainly in Alaska and Patagonia. But the number, size and diversity of icebergs in Antarctica was breathtaking. I’ll first provide photos of icebergs and then explain why they look the way they do. Icebergs calve from glaciers and I'll show some glacier photos too. From the boat we were transported to land via...
Gentoo penguins on the Antarctica Peninsula
Many visitors come to Antarctica specifically to see penguins, those cute flight-less marine birds that nest on land. We had seen quite a few penguins in South America on previous trips, but it is still a treat, especially to see different species with different behaviors. Most of the penguins we saw on the Antarctica Peninsula are Gentoo penguins. They are...
Why we flew to Antarctica
Most companies that take travelers to Antarctica use boats to make the journey from Punta Arenas, Chile, or Ushuaia, Argentina, to the Antarctica Peninsula. That journey takes two days in each direction. Clients continue on the same boat to explore various sites on the continent. We are traveling with Antarctica21, a Chilean company that takes clients to the Antarctic Peninsula in...
About the Blogger
Karen (here with Mt. Shasta in background) is a geology professor emerita who aims to provide a "pocket geologist" for world travelers. Follow the blog to explore the landscapes of our planet and figure out what causes them to look the way they do.