Ushuaia

Massive elephant seals, sea lions and seals lie just behind the waterline on the beach. The deafeningly loud "burps" of the elephant seals in particular give us a queasy feeling for the first few meters. We explore the surroundings for a few hours, see the first king and gentoo penguins, and one or two mouths remain open in amazement and enthusiasm. As the weather is stable and the swell allows it, we sail on to explore Prion Island. A few wandering albatrosses nest here between meters of tussock grass, which at this time of year are about to hatch their offspring.

"Looking for volunteers for dangerous journey. Low pay, bitter cold, long hours in complete darkness guaranteed. Return uncertain. Honor and recognition only in case of success." (Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton in a 1907 advertisement for his expedition to the South Pole.) About 100 years later, the start of a journey to the Antarctic polar region can look very different: