If I had to pick my favorite excursion….

On March 21st, we had our continent landing at Neko Harbor.  This was by far my most memorable excursions and I'd love to post all the amazing photos I took in my fabulous yellow kayaking suit as I stepped foot on the continent of Antarctica. Sadly those photos are sitting at the bottom of Wilhelmina Bay with my Olympus that went overboard during our afternoon excursion that same day.  Fortunately I have GoPro footage and the photos take by some of my new and amazing friends from the trip.  Separately, one of these new friends loaned me her backup small camera to use for the remainder of the trip so my selfies with bergy bits could continue!  (More on the role of selfies on our trip later!) 

GoPro clip of the continent landing:

 For those of us that chose to kayak this morning, we only had about twenty minutes on the continent before we left to launch.  Those who stayed behind were treated to an amazing hike.  I'm so thankful that I chose to kayak this morning as I had a really incredible experience kayaking into some really remote and almost never visited inlets.

Gentoo Penguins marching across the beach at Neko Harbor on the most perfect morning. 

A closer look at the Gentoos marching along.  The one on the left looks like he needed a bath- they are often filthy from sliding around in their own feces! 

I love this photo captured by Vicky.  She chose to do the hike instead of kayaking at Neko Harbor that day and captured some great images like this one.  I love how on a clear day like this the black and white penguins stand out against the blue water.  I also love that our ship is in the background.  

Another shot of the marching Gentoos.

A few more photos from our shared collection:

Close up of one of the friendly Gentoos.

I love this picture because it comes closer to capturing the amazing colors in the sky that day.  Also that strange looking guy in the red is Joe, another new friend who happens to be an actual pro photographer and scotch drinker.  More on all of the amazing people I met in a later post though...

Another Gentoo.  They're so adorable in spite of their stench.

GoPro clips of the friendly Gentoos in Neko Harbor:

  

A lonely Gentoo heading in the opposite direction.

We left the continent and launched our kayaks far away from the landing site.  We paddled through some of the most beautiful and untouched inlets.  I was completely awestruck by the size of the glacier walls and mountains surrounding me that day and I discovered how mesmerizing ice can be.  The really old ice is easily recognizable by it's clear and dimpled appearance.  I remember taking tons of selfies with ancient bergy bits- it really would be awesome if someone found my camera in 20 years or so and discovered all my photos of which half were selfies with various icebergs.

Calm and reflective water and enormous walls of ice surrounded us.

We felt so tiny next to these walls of ice.  The deep blue crevasses were incredible.  

Heading straight through some dense brash ice.

Packing for Antarctica: Part 3 (Cameras & Electronics)

Cameras

Meet my new GoPro! 

 

The incredibly tiny GoPro

There were two reasons I decided to purchase the GoPro: 1) I was inspired by some of the amazing clips I've seen from past voyages and 2) I want to make sure I'm spending more time 'in the moment' than worrying about capturing it.  The GoPro will be attached to either my head or my kayak during excursions.  I plan to have video recording with time lapse photo capture on as well so that stills are taken in intervals.  Check out one of my favorite GoPro videos from someone else's trip to Antarctica.




 

 

GoPro Hero3+ edition comes with many accessories including the waterproof housing

I tested the GoPro while kayaking in Puerto Rico and found the battery life to be fairly short even without the LCD screen (purchased separately) and with WiFi turned off.  Battery life ranged between 45 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes depending on settings and number of times powered on and off.  Since excursions are likely to range from 2-3 hours I purchased Wasabi backup batteries.  Here is a list of all accessories I purchased:

• Headstrap mount
• Surfboard/Extra strength adhesive mounts (I'm returning these since I will not be using them to secure GoPro to the kayak as planned)
• Teathered lanyard (in case I need to insure the GoPro is attached to something- not sure if i will need this so I may end up returning)
• Floaty backdoor (acts as a life vest for the camera in case it falls into the water)
• Antifog inserts (I wish I had these in Puerto Rico- fog became a major problem)
• Wall charger (GoPro comes with a USB charger only)
• LCD Touch Bacpac screen (GoPro does not have a viewfinder or screen so I found this very helpful when learning how to use GoPro and for taking stills.)
• Jaws Clamp Mount (in case i want to attach GoPro to the kayak or other surface instead of using the headstrap mount.)
• Micro SD cards (3 Lexar High Performance microSDXC 64gb)

After some debate, I have decided that I will bring my Nikon d3100 but will leave it on the ship.  There will be some great photo opportunities from the deck of the ship as we navigate through the peninsula.  I purchased a polarizing lens filter as suggested to help minimize issues from light reflecting in snow and ice.  I also purchased a small tripod that I hope to use to capture some of the landscape and possibly stars at longer exposures when on board and in Argentina. 

Lastly, I'm taking a small waterproof point and shoot with me so I can take some stills when we have landings in either the kayak or zodiac.  GoPro does not have optical zoom and I'd like to have the option of getting some close ups with penguins!  I chose the Olympus TG-2 based on the reviews from CNET; it seems to be the best option to take high quality photos quickly.   I also purchased a class 10 64gb SDCX memory card.  I chose the card based on my interpretation of the Olympus website; I hope I interpreted correctly!

Olympus TG-2 is waterproof and shockproof. 

Phone(s), Laptop & Other Electronics
Here is a list of a few other things I'm bringing with me:

• External hard drive to transfer photos/videos to after using up space on memory cards.
• My MacBook Air so that I can keep track of my journey, write about it, and to transfer photos and video to.
• iPhone with LifeProof waterproof case
• European outlet converter
• Mini outlet power strip so I can charge more than one device at a time if needed. (I read that outlets are at a premium)
• Sea to Summit waterproof plastic pouches to put backup cards and batteries in during excursions.
• SealLine dry bag to use inside of my backpack during the overnight camping trip.