For the first time in Explorica’s history, a group of travelers went on an expedition to Antarctica. We spoke with Mary Jo Westlake and Cricket Guyer, the co-leaders of the trip from Itasca Community College in Grand Rapids, MN, about this experience of a lifetime.
What brought you to Explorica?
We had the opportunity, as part of Itasca’s Global Education Program, to lead four trips for students and community members around the world. We first contacted Explorica in 2013 when we were researching a tour to Italy, Croatia, and Slovenia. We were treated very well and had the best experience with our Explorica tour consultant, Cara. When the opportunity to plan this trip to Antarctica arose, we wanted to once again work with Explorica, and specifically Cara, because of the great experience we’d had in the past.
Explorica was willing to customize our trip itinerary more than any of the other companies we researched during the planning process. Explorica took great care of us and helped us make good decisions regarding our itinerary; we worked well together as a team.
Why Antarctica?
We had previously traveled with many of the people in this group; and during that time, we discovered that a number of us all had the same goal–to set foot on all seven continents. Two years ago, we began preparing for this trip and then proposed an itinerary to Explorica. They took care of the logistics and handled all of the registration details while we got the word out to those who might have an interest in traveling to Antarctica. Recruiting for this adventure wasn’t nearly as difficult as we had imagined! We were surprised, once we got the word out, how many people had Antarctica on their bucket list. When all was said and done, we had a group of 14 eager travelers signed up and ready to head south.
I believe everyone should travel to Antarctica at least once in their lifetime to understand what it’s like to truly be in nature, to know you are at Mother Nature’s mercy and to experience a place where humans aren’t the natural inhabitants. –Angie Johnson, expedition participant
What was the most remarkable part of the tour? 
The scenery was absolutely breathtaking; and the wildlife (whales, seals, penguins, numerous birds, etc.) was amazing. We were fortunate to have excellent weather (Antarctica is actually not as cold as one might imagine), a great deal of sunshine, and two relatively calm crossings through the Drake Passage. There were 27 countries represented on our ship and it was so interesting to have the opportunity to talk to people from all over the world. Our Explorica tour guide, Thomas, was exceptional! For both of us, this trip was by far the best one we’ve ever experienced.
I was lucky to have one of my former students in our group, and it was very special to share this incredible experience with her. It is truly a trip of a lifetime, and our Explorica guide, Thomas, made it so easy to love every minute! He is an exceptional person. –Joan Barle, expedition participant
One of the most important elements about this trip was our choice to travel on the MV Ushuaia, a modest expedition ship. That one decision played a huge role in this entire experience. The MV Ushuaia can only carry 88 passengers but it was very comfortable. Meeting other travelers on board was easy, and when the adventure was over, we left with new friends from many different countries. The small size of the ship let us navigate to parts of Antarctica that other ships aren’t able to reach, making it possible to get much closer to the wildlife. The crew was superb in every way. It felt like we were one big family. The MV Ushuaia has an open bridge
policy; we could talk with the captain and crew and observe the navigational operations at most anytime of the day.
This travel experience has been life changing, and all 14 of us struggle a bit as we try to explain exactly what it was like to our family and friends. It’s difficult to find words that accurately describe all that we encountered during our 11-day expedition. For our group, it really was the perfect adventure and the best trip ever.
After returning from my trip to Antarctica, I have been asked many times, “How would you rate your trip compared to other trips you have taken?” Overall this experience is one that I can’t rate or compare to any other trip I’ve taken. You can’t compare Tuscany to actually stepping foot on the Antarctic continent. –Christopher Worth, expedition participant
Follow the daily adventures and see more incredible pictures from this expedition with the Tour Diary.
Feeling inspired? Give one of our expert travel consultants a call and start talking about your dream expedition. 1.888.310.7120.