Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes

**Icebergs in Paradise Bay, Antarctica, create fantastic shapes and reflections in the cold, still water.** *Dave Kraus*

Two young male elephant seals practice their fighting skills on the beach at Kelp Point. Their distinctive elephant noses won’t fully grow until they reach adulthood, when these play battles for possession of females will become deadly serious. *Dave Kraus*

Changes in Latitude and Attitude

Falkland Islands and Antarctica

By Dave Kraus

As a long-time newspaper photojournalist, I’ve had to photograph and deal with all kinds of people in all kinds of places. So, when I semi-retired three years ago I began exploring other areas of photography and made it a personal goal to go on this bucket list trip to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and the Antarctic. But I never thought it would actually happen until I found this tour from Muench Photo Workshops that would let me explore this incredible part of the world with fellow photographers under conditions designed just for shooters. While things ended up not going exactly as planned, the results exceeded all my expectations.

Our original plan was to go to the Falkland Islands, on to South Georgia Island, then head to Antarctica. But shortly after reaching the Falklands, we learned that we would be unable to include South Georgia. Avian flu has tragically been spreading around the world in the past few years, decimating many wild bird populations as it spreads, while also evolving to endanger other animals. Now it’s been detected on South Georgia in penguins, seabirds and seals, putting the island off limits to visitors to avoid further spreading this dangerous virus. It’s simply the risk you take on as an adventure traveler when doing a true “expedition” instead of a normal tour.

During our days at sea we saw every conceivable shape and size iceberg with an endless variety of textures and shades of blue and white. These near Pleneau Island were particularly beautiful with the mountain peaks rising behind them. *Dave Kraus*

But this is where it paid off to go with an experienced tour company. Our lead Muench guide, Richard, and Expedition Team Captain Russ pivoted quickly to still give us everything we wanted and more. Suddenly, with one less sea voyage, we had two extra days of shooting and Russ, a native Falkland Islander, used his experience to take us to some additional “secret” locations.

The Falkland Islands offered incredible scenery and friendly people, including Russ’ own mother who came out to greet us on Saunders Island, owned by his family. There we found rockhopper and king penguins, plus a wealth of sea birds that offered incredible visual opportunities. We visited Kelp Point with its elephant seals, and Steeple Jason, the westernmost point in the Falklands, where we photographed the largest black-browed albatross rookery on earth. The nests lined the shoreline, extending totally out of sight around the far end of the island. I had expected to find wildlife to photograph on this tour, but the variety and numbers left me stunned again and again. Equally surprising – wonderfully so – was how totally unconcerned the wildlife seemed to be about our presence. The rule was to approach no closer than 15 feet, but at times it wasn’t easy. I’d be photographing one penguin, turn around, and find others standing right behind me, either inspecting this strange visitor or just waddling about their normal business.

**At Paulet Island we watched as groups of Adélie penguins gathered on small icebergs just offshore before dashing ashore as a group to confuse the waiting predator leopard seals.** *Dave Kraus*

A leopard seal yawns to display its impressive set of teeth while relaxing on an ice floe. These seals are one of the apex predators in Antarctica, preying on penguins, seabirds, and anything else they can catch. *Dave Kraus*

**With their white-rimmed goggle-eyes and raucous calls, Adélie penguins make for great pictures and entertainment.** *Dave Kraus*

Once we reached the Weddell Sea of Antarctica, there was more spectacular and unexpected scenery and wildlife. Vast crowds of Adélie penguins with their comic book white rimmed eyes stealing stones from each other’s nest. Leopard seals lolling on ice floes, displaying their mouths full of sharp teeth for us as we hovered nearby in inflatable zodiac boats.

There were humpback whales feeding during the “golden hour” at sunset that lasts for three to four hours during this Antarctic summer. Icebergs in shapes and sizes that will bankrupt your imagination. Lonely ramshackle huts and makeshift memorials that remember past adventurers who had no radios, nearby ships, warm cabins, or cold beers waiting in the lounge – only their own resourcefulness to fall back on in case of disaster.

And then there was the sheer scale of the Antarctic. It sneaks up on you and hits you in the face with the total insignificance of all the works of mankind. Turn around during an ice walk and look at your tiny ship with nothing else human from one horizon to the other. No buildings, no roads, no blazed trails. But also, no litter and no graffiti. It is total and complete wilderness in all its glory and beauty. You’re surrounded by mountains no human has climbed and skies where it seems no airplane has ever flown.

The weather was kind to us while we did all of this, even with the constantly changing conditions that could go from bright sun to total fog in only a few minutes. Temperatures during our activities were usually in the mid-20s to mid-30s, with more bite from the wind chill than the actual cold. We had many blue-sky days, and often just enough fog in the bays and clouds trailing off the mountain peaks to make incredible images.

**The wild, frozen landscape at Point Wild on Elephant Islands, where Ernest Shackleton’s historic crew spent over four months stranded on shore, waiting for rescue.** *Dave Kraus*

**If the weather was right, we would wait anxiously until after 10:30 pm when the sun finally sank low enough to make a spectacular sunset.** *Dave Kraus*

We had to cross the dreaded Drake Passage twice to get here and back to South America. It’s home to some of the roughest seas in the world. But once we got past the infamous “Drake shake” and into the local waters, it was often as calm as a farm pond, letting us easily shoot from the zodiacs as we cruised among the icebergs and large chunks of pack ice. I got some of my best images there of the wonderful creatures that have so perfectly evolved to call this raw and untamed place their home.

After going to this part of the world, I can easily understand why many past pioneers have fallen in love with the beauty and danger of the Antarctic. Once you have been there you will know, and maybe fall in love yourself. Now I’m looking forward to going on another trip with Muench, a cycling photography tour in the Dolomite Mountains in Italy where we ride and photograph all day in some of the world’s best mountain scenery. I can hardly wait.

**“Welcome to Antarctica!” I seem to be saying during our walk on the sea ice near Vega Island.** *Dave Kraus*

Dave Kraus (dbkgrafik@gmail.com) is a longtime area road and gravel cyclist, photographer, and writer who is desperately working to get in cardio shape to ride up Italian mountains. Visit: krausgrafik.com.