We even saw their tails breaking the water. As we observed them, we saw avalanches caused by icebergs collapsing down. The noise they make sounds like thunder, which was shocking but great to see. I can still remember the sounds our kayaks made every time we went over chunks of brash ice (fragments of floating ice), probably the most satisfying sound I heard. Navigating around icebergs and kayaking over brash ice really got everyone excited.
On our kayaks we were able to experience many different weather conditions. The weather in Antarctica is very unpredictable and we experienced this first-hand throughout our kayak adventure. We would start with calm waters, but within minutes the weather would change and the wind would pick up, causing strong waves or snowfall. All of this added to the beauty of Antarctica, and the unpredictability built up our curiosity for the icy continent.
Our last day of kayaking really summed up our Antarctica experience. Kayaking while it was snowing was something I’ll always remember. It was snowing while we were on the water, and when we landed on shore, everything was white. We walked up a big hill and saw all the snow, icebergs and hills completely covered in snow. It was the same day that we encountered seals, poking their heads out of the water and swimming around and under the kayaks. The water was so clear and we could see everything swimming beneath us. We also floated on the water while watching whales swimming nearby. It was magical!
