Balan Madhavan, a travel photographer for more than 30 years, has been to six continents. But, he says the the trip to Antarctica was the most unforgettable.
“We set sail on ‘MS Midnatsol’ from Puntas Arenas, one of the southern most towns of Chile, on January 5 and sailed through some of the oceanic wonders in that part of the world such as the Chilean Fjords and Cape Horn. We navigated the dreaded Drake passage, where the Pacific meets the Atlantic and managed to weather a storm,” he narrates with a faraway look in his eyes, as he recounts his adventures on the icy continent. Excerpts from the interview...
Balan Madhavan
Picturesque landscape
Summer in Antarctica means sunlight from 2 am to 11 pm, with the mercury settling around minus 10 degree Celsius most of the time. Made of ice, snow and jagged black rock, the continent is mostly bereft of trees, grass or shrubs. Cold air devoid of moisture or other pollutants envelope the landscape. So, vision was extended to hundreds of miles, which was a completely strange yet beautiful experience.
Explorers heading towards an iceberg in a rubber dinghy
Ocean safari
From day one itself, Antarctic wildlife revealed itself in the shape of huge seals basking on floes and dolphins swimming with the ship. Nights were spent in the ship as Antarctic regions are off-limit for all, except researchers. But there were landings every day.
We got off the ship to explore picturesque locales such as Deception Island and Half-moon island, which were teeming with exotic Antarctic fauna.
Chinstrap Penguins
We saw at least 40 species of birds, including four species of Penguins - Chinstrap, Gentoo, King and Magellan. Watching penguin pairs building nests and taking care of their chicks was one of the many wonderful experiences. People are required to maintain a distance of 10ft from the penguins. But it was fine if a penguin decides to come over to say hello, and they were welcoming.
Gentoo Penguins on a piece of floating ice
Antarctic penguins are not afraid of humans or even other animals like seals as they have no predators on land. It was amusing to see seals and penguins sharing the same space on land, while in the water, the seals hunted the penguins. Whales are in plenty too. We spent half a day following Fin whales, the second largest animal on the planet, and Humpback whales.
Nature’s artistry
Huge beyond belief, the icebergs made big ships look positively tiny beside them.
The different shapes, patterns and shades of blue that was on display was nature’s artistry at it’s best. There were marvellous abstract-like formations on ice, formed by erosion due to wind and water, and it was a treat for all the photographers.
Unforgettable moment
On January 14, sailing towards Wilhelmina bay, dense clouds covered the sky as far as we could see. At sometime past 10 pm, golden rays of the setting sun streamed through a gap in the clouds near the horizon, creating a visual extravaganza of colours on ice. A portion of the landscape and several floating icebergs were set on fire by the sun, while the rest remained dark and blue. It was magical.
Polar plunge
Taking the Antarctic dip was another memorable occasion. I did it at Deception Island. Three of us removed our clothes and just jumped into the water. It was a quick dip. We rushed back after three strokes and it was only after coming out of the water did we begin to feel the effects. I felt like someone was piercing a 100 nails at the same time on my ears.
We got certificates for braving the freezing waters. The water temperature was minus 0.4 degree Celsius and wind speed was 15 knots.
Falkland Islands
The return journey was as special as our days in Antarctica and the highlight was the visit to the gorgeous Falkland Islands.
Stanley, the capital of the Isles, is a typical English town with pubs, red telephone booths and double-decker buses. It was surreal to find such a cosy place right after visiting the driest and coldest place on the planet.
There was the added attraction of getting to see a colony of nesting Albatross.
While perching on the rocks they look more like a glorified version of sea gulls, but when they open their wings, you get to see the real size of these magnificent sea birds. Falkland archipelago was the last stop on our expedition. Crossing the Magellan strait we reached back Puntas Arenas on January 22.
SHUTTER TIPS
* While photographing a white-dominated landscape, the key is to underexpose purposefully. A polarising filter must be used always, which will help in darkening the skies and neutralise the reflected light and glare.
* Carry multiple batteries as cold climate will drain them fast.
* Always keep the camera dry. While not in use, cover the camera with your waterproof jacket, especially while travelling in dinghies as there will be splashing of water.
* Only carry those lenses which are necessary as there might be restrictions on luggage during domestic flights.
