4. Stonington Island
-68.1833281,-67.0389247, card
Highlights: East Base of the United States Antarctic Service Expedition, British Antarctic Survey Station E, Huge Ice Shelf, Helicopter Flight, Polar Dive
Spotting wildlife: Hunters, different seals, different whales
Stonington Island was our first opportunity to… American base. One of the unique features here are the two decommissioned tanks they brought them down as a means of transportation (‘Murica!). There is also Station E here, but it wasn’t open. On the other side you can admire a gigantic ice shelf where some guests saw one major ice calving.
After that we have a helicopter flight to appreciate the landscape and vastness from a bird’s eye view. We even saw some whales.
Finally the conditions were perfect for a polar plunge. Luckily it was a rare warm, sunny day that brought us into the polar plunge. After we got set up, we went to the back of the ship where they put a seat belt on you before we jumped in the water.
Once you’re free, they’ve done that towels ready for you to wrap up and a choice of a shot or hot chocolate to warm yourself up. The anticipation of jumping in was worse than actually doing it, plus I was swimming so fast that my brain didn’t have time to process what had just happened.
Pro tip: Wear bathrobes over your swimsuit during the polar dive. It keeps you warm while waiting, and it’s nice to put back on afterwards.
