Diary of a Journey under the World – Part 10 – Seals, Penguins and Plunges

David travelled aboard the magnificent Le Commandant Charcot by PONANT Cruises earlier this year on a half circumnavigation trip from Ushuaia, Argentina to New Zealand and what follows are his notes and highlights of a once in a lifetime trip to Antarctica in 2023.

David Heydon has been many things, nominated for Australian of the Year in 2016, the 2012 recipient of the Moore Medal, and a deep seabed mining pioneer. Most days David would be one of the expert naturalist guides aboard a ship, but today he is a guest on the Le Commandant Charcot. 

David is an expedition cruising veteran, one who is uniquely specialized in the Polar. His extensive geological knowledge provides welcome insight into these regions’ many fjords and glaciers. 

The Adventure Continues…

Passengers aboard the Le Commandant Charcot are offered the opportunity to take a “polar plunge”.  A doctor and a rescue team are situated nearby as willing passengers are tethered to a rope.  Passengers will remove their clothes save for swimming gear in order to get warmer quicker. It is faster and easier to dry yourself off, after which you can don the warmer gear. 

Meanwhile, seals laze around on the fast ice nearby the ship.

David mentions how much he likes their expressions, comparing them to a smile or a grin.

David also shows off some more photos he got on the Emperor Penguin trek.

continued in Part 11 coming soon…