Most Inspirational Moment
Excellent landings on Petermann Island and Danco Island which gave good photographic opportunities and just about adequate time.
Thoughts on Group Leader
She spoiled the trip with excessive over-caution with regard to Health and Safety, and inflexibility with regard to landing times. We were not allowed out on deck if the decks were wet or the sea was even a little rough, thereby preventing us from experiencing the full atmosphere of the Antarctic. On our previous Exodus Antarctic trip the leaders did their utmost to allow us the genuine Antarctic experience, but with this one we might as well have been in an enclosed capsule for much of the time. Often only half the ship's zodiacs were deployed for landings, when to deploy the full complement would have given us significantly extra time on land.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Inevitably there is a huge of travelling involved on this trip - from the UK or wherever to Ushuaia and thence to the Pole side of the Antarctic Circle. Be prepared for long roughish days on board ship across the Drake Passage and don't expect too much in the way of wildlife sightings, though we did have very good views of whales (particularly humpbacks). Leaving late in the season (late February) means that there is a good chance of achieving the objective of crossing the Antarctic Circle but does mean that the penguin breeding is completely over apart from a few stragglers and the majority of penguins seen will be moulting.
Suggestions
The Ioffe is not the ideal polar ship. The layout of the Vavilov with an open deck behind the lounge/bar on deck 5 is much more conducive to the polar experience. Do try to travel with the ebullient Paul Goldstein - wherever - Svalbard is a very good option. The odds against Paul may have been just too great this time for him to ignite the trip, but he will always try his best to maximise the viewing and photographing experience and he's an annoyingly good photographer to boot (not that I'm jealous).