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HomeCruiser_2025_03_Mar_Apr_Cruise
Sea Kayaking in the Far (Far, Far) SouthBy David (Cotton) Cottingham
In January I had an opportunity to take a trip of a lifetime that included sea kayaking in bays of the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island, and along the Antarctic Peninsula. It was an amazing experience. I'm fortunate to have been able to make it happen. I want to share some highlights with you.
When my friend, Mark Garland, told me that he was going to be a co-leader on an almost three-week cruise to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island, and Antarctica with Victor Emanuel Nature Tours (VENT), I knew immediately that I wanted to go. I'd never been on a cruise. A major focus would be wildlife experiences, but when I learned also that Polar Latitudes, the cruise organizer, offered sea kayaking, I was even more excited. I immediately signed up for the "Immersive Kayaking Program."
I wasn't wild about the name as I was pretty sure I didn't want to be immersed in Antarctic water even if I was in a dry suit. But immersive on Polar Latitude cruises means that the 10 people who signed up for the Immersive Kayaking Program would have an opportunity to paddle when weather and sea conditions permitted. Basically, when the ship pulled into bays for excursions, if winds were under 15 knots, we could paddle. Over the course of the cruise, we paddled seven times. Each experience was remarkable in its own way.
Polar Latitudes' kayak guides all run sea kayaking companies in the northern hemisphere (Vancouver Island, Lake Superior, Scotland, etc.) during our summers. They are all excellent paddlers and guides. As you'd expect, safety is paramount. Polar Latitudes provided topnotch gear—Kokotat drysuits, NRS pogies and booties, Werner paddles—and plastic tandem sea kayaks.
Our group consisted of people from all over the US and England. Some had little paddling experience while others had much more. My paddling partner, Julie from Chicago, is an accomplished sailor but hadn't really kayaked much. She picked up paddling quickly and was terrific at spotting wildlife. When the cruise ship pulled into a bay for an offloading excursion to penguin colonies or other attraction, the guides would lower zodiacs and kayaks from the top deck. Most people would load into zodiacs and go ashore to see wildlife. We would load onto the zodiacs from which we would then get into the kayaks. From the kayaks, we observed wildlife, primarily different species of penguins, whales, and seals. As is often the case, getting in and out of the kayak can be one of the trickier parts of the experience. Once in these sea kayaks, they were very stable. One guide accompanied the paddling group while another followed the group at a distance in the zodiac.
We first kayaked at Carcass Island in the Falklands. The bay was placid and surrounded by mainly rocky shores and some beaches. Lush fields of tussock grass concealed nesting Magellanic penguins. As we came upon penguins strutting to the beach, we realized the adults were waddling between their nests and the ocean to get fish for their chicks. Then 10 or more adults swam right next to us in our kayaks. We were all thrilled at this encounter. Near Stanley, the only real town on the Falkland Islands, while our colleagues toured a penguin colony from a hillside, our kayaking group paddled peacefully along a wide beach in Gypsy Cove. Penguins scampered all along the beach. Up the hill behind the beach, defensive artillery batteries rusted. This beach is where much of the 1984 war between Argentina and Great Britain was fought. We weren't allowed to go ashore because officials are still finding undetonated shells there. Once our guides told us that, my interest in getting out on the beach faded quickly.
We sailed for two full days before arriving at the northwest end of South Georgia Island. South Georgia Island offers multiple spectacular opportunities for wildlife observation. The terrain is mountainous with peaks that reach 9,629 feet down the center of the approximately 100-mile-long island. At its widest point, the island is only 22 miles wide. Glaciers flow down from the mountain ridges. The northern coast has many bays and fjords that have up to mile-wide plains. On those plains some of the largest king penguin colonies thrive next to seal and sea lion haul-out areas.
Imagine this scene as our ship pulled in St. Andrews Bay: We were surrounded on three sides by high mountains, glaciers, and rocky cliffs coming down into the water, and an expansive plain nearly covered with tiny black and white dots which were, in fact, thousands of king penguins. After we launched our kayaks, we paddled along sheer cliffs toward the beach. The beach was full of king penguins, fur seals, and a few sea lions. In the water near us, king penguins porpoised out of the water as if they were flying. The water was crystal clear, enabling us to watch them swimming as though they were flying. It was a magical experience that we repeated in three different bays along the north side of South Georgia Island.
Our ship also pulled into Stromness Bay, where Ernest Shackleton arrived after his harrowing crossing of the Drake Passage in 1916. Shackleton was the leader of an expedition to cross Antarctica on skis. His ship, the Endeavor, became surrounded by the Antarctic Sea ice. He and his men floated on the pack ice until they launched their three 22-foot rowboats and rowed to Elephant Island. After they landed on Elephant Island (which we also visited but weather conditions precluded paddling), just north of the Antarctic Peninsula, Shackleton and five men set sail for South Georgia Island. The other men remained on Elephant Island and waited for Shackleton to return.
The Shackleton team landed on the south side of South Georgia Island and had to trek across the mountains and glaciers to Stromness whaling station, operated by Norwegians. The whaling station closed in the early 1960s. No one can visit the abandoned station, as it has all sorts of toxic residues amid the rusting buildings. It stands as a stark reminder of the devastation caused by South Atlantic commercial whaling and the incredible courage of early 20th century polar explorers. Once at Stromness, Shackleton chartered boats, and on his third attempt he reached Elephant Island and rescued all the stranded seamen.
The next morning, we visited Gold Head Bay where our kayak guides lead us through ocean swells and tidal lagoons along the coast. King penguins, Macaroni penguins, and fur seals were all along beaches. Cliffs rose several hundred feet from the water's edge. Paddling through rocks that were partially submerged when swells rolled in, then rose out of the water at the trough, was exhilarating.
Upon leaving South Georgia Island, we sailed across the South Atlantic toward Elephant Island and then down the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula. On the way we passed an iceberg (A23-a) the size of Rhode Island at the time. It had broken away from a glacier on the Weddell Sea where it was stuck until 2024. It has since grounded southwest of South Georgia.
The west side of the Antarctic Peninsula has numerous bays and islands that are home to amazing penguin colonies, sea and sea lion haul-out beaches, and incredible scenery. Mountain peaks rise above the deep blue ocean. Glaciers fill the ridges and valleys, and pack ice from glaciers extends into the ocean. The weather was overcast and foggy for several days, but on the morning we entered Wilhelmina Bay, the sun shone brightly and wind was calm. A perfect day for paddling in Antarctica. As we paddled through broken pack ice, some of the ice was over our heads. Bergy bits (technically pieces of ice between 2 and 5 meters) and growlers (ice less than a meter) floated in the deep blue water. We even spotted two emperor penguins on an ice flow. After Wilhelmina Bay, we paddled in several more bays. On an especially cold morning near Cuverville Island, we paddled through a pod of humpback whales and along a rocky coast where penguins nested. The crew dressed as a mermaid and a penguin greeted us with hot chocolate.
On a final note, I admit to succumbing to peer pressure and taking a polar plunge. Exhilarating!! It was an excellent trip that introduced me to part of our wonderfully diverse world I had not previously experienced. I was often struck with awe at the natural wonders at every stage of the trip. Photos above … - Cotton and Julie paddling near Gold Head Bay, South Georgia Island (photo by Julian Cassells)
- Loading kayaks onto a zodiac from the Seaventure (photo by Cotton)
- Cotton cooling off (photo by Lisa LaPorte)
… and below: - Immersive kayak group in Wilhelmina Bay (photo by Julian Cassells)
- Voyage map, by Polar Latitudes
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