All posts by Red Hunt

A former journalist and business analyst that now works in the world of travel marketing. Based in Toronto, Red Hunt has travelled to more than 50 countries over the past 15 years. You can follow Red on Instagram or Twitter.

Travel Articles

Kayaking in Antarctica

January 23, 2022 Red Hunt Leave a comment

Gliding along the surface of the water, dodging tiny bits of brash ice, I aim our kayak at the large iceberg in the distance. There are some black specks on it. Could it be penguins?

Isolation of Kayaking at Cierva Cove, Antarctica

The water is only a degree or two above freezing here in Cierva Cove, Antarctica; but the air is warm, with temperatures actually warmer than back home in Canada. No, that isn’t a global warming thing, it is typical weather along the Antarctic Peninsula during the November – March tourism window, when temperatures are often above freezing.

It makes the kayaking more enjoyable, as we don’t have to deal with fear of frostbite. With hand pogies on our paddles it is actually quite warm paddling, and I find myself occasionally dipping my hands in the water to cool down.

Kayaking at Half Moon Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica

The preparation process for kayaking in Antarctica is somewhat arduous. We’re all bundled up with many layers, and are prone to overheating on the ship before we get to actually go out on the water. A base layer, a fleece layer, a winter jacket shell, two pairs of socks, a toque, a buff, some kayak gloves, booties and a dry suit make up the Antarctic kayaking outfit. Once assembled, we pretty much walk the same as the penguins around here.

We’ve had a couple of false starts to our kayaking adventure, which is very common down in the southern ocean. It takes time to pile on all this gear, unload the kayaks and get our small group of a dozen paddlers out on the water. With vast open spaces and soaring mountains, weather in Antarctica is constantly changing, without any reliable forecasting. Katabatic winds coming down off the surrounding mountains and glaciers can whip up at any time, turning a scene of serenity into one of white water and misery.

A bonus is that sometimes us kayakers get to be the first to leave the ship and start exploring, while everyone else who is going direct to land, to hike or see penguins, has to wait. We still get to join up with them after and tend to have more than enough time to commune with the penguins, seals and enjoy the land activities too.

Rougher Seas Kayaking at Half Moon Island — A windy day created rougher seas once we got out kayaking at Half Moon Island

Today, Cierva Cove remains calm and puts on a wonderful display of nature. In an overcast sky, with the sun struggling to pierce through the mist, the cove is slow to reveal itself to us. We paddle quietly along, scraping past small icebergs called bergy bits, always on the lookout for seals, penguins or whales. Some of the tiny icebergs here appear black, as they’re clear in the water. My paddling partner spots one she wants to keep, it’s shaped like heart.

In the distance we spot two tiny black specks on one of the larger icebergs. Anything that isn’t white here stands out, so we paddle over to investigate this anomaly and discover two Gentoo penguins perched atop this large chunk of ice. We can’t help but wonder how these small flightless, awkward birds managed to get atop such a big iceberg?

The water is flat, like glass, enabling me to pull out the DSLR camera and snap a few photos without fear of getting wet. Cierva Cove isn’t done with us, as we soon come upon a sleepy fur seal who pokes his head up, wondering who dares approach his piece of ice.

Heart Shaped Ice at Cierva Cove, Antarctica

Out here on the water, dotted with icebergs and bits of ice of all sizes, we’re all alone. The rest of the travellers from our ship have gone off on zodiac cruises further away. Aside from the sounds of our paddles in the water, it is pure silence. We take a moment to soak it all in.

Indeed we have been the lucky ones on this day, with our close encounters with the fur seal and penguins as our non-kayaking counterparts only had fleeting glimpses of wildlife on this afternoon.

We’ve kayaked at spots on South Georgia Island, and now along the coast of Antarctica. penguins have porpoised out of the water around us, we’ve pulled up onto mini icebergs for a rest, and we’ve even had some snowball fights. It’s truly a weird and wonderful setting.

At Neko Harbour, the next kayaking experience is a bit more boisterous, and a bit more icy. The ice here is slushy, with some new ice creating a thin layer on the surface. Larger pieces have a bit of snow on them, as fluffy flakes have been falling. It is truly a winter wonderland scene out on the water. The thin layer of ice is easily broken by the bow of the kayak or our paddles, creating an otherworldly-like paddling experience. There is a calming satisfaction to “crashing” through the ice with our kayaks.

Snowballs Ready! kayaking in Antarctica. — Snowballs Ready! kayaking in Antarctica at Neko Harbour, Andvord Bay.

We’re enjoying a spontaneous kayak snowball fight when our fun is interrupted by what sounds like a rolling thunderstorm approaching. It turns out to be a large chunk of glacier calving into the ocean off in the distance. Minutes later a small wave bobs our kayaks up and down about 15cm; had we been kayaking at the foot of the glacier we would have all been swallowed up and capsized by 6m surge.

Icebergs are generally only 10% above the water, meaning you miss out on seeing most of these majestically carved ice creations. We steer clear of anything of decent size (anything taller than the bow of the kayak must be given a wide berth according to our kayaking guides Ewan and Sophie). For low-lying bergs and smaller bits, we have fun maneuvering our kayaks beside, through, and onto them. Peering down into the depths of the Antarctic Ocean you can see the entire immensity of these white and blue-hued bits of ice.

Kayaking St Andrews Bay at South Georgia

Antarctica toys with your imagination, making it difficult to portray to others. Kayaking past oddly shaped icebergs and glaciers, with funny animals swimming around you gives everything a bit of a Dr. Seuss-esque vibe in Antarctica, just without any crazy bright colours. Despite the mostly monochromatic scenes, you still experience sensory overload, as everything is on a grander scale here.

Nowhere is that more apparent than when you’re gliding along in a tiny kayak.

Side notes:

Not all expeditions to Antarctica offer kayaking
Kayaking groups are small, typically 10-15 in size, and tend to sell out early
While some experience is preferred, kayaking is only done in favourable conditions
I travelled with Polar Latitudes, one of the most respected travel operators to Antarctica
Depending on the length of your trip (and number of changes to go kayaking) it should cost between $600-1,000. Whatever the cost, it is worth it!

Kayaking at St Andrews Bay, South Georgia — Photo time while kayaking at St Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Travel Photos

Wildlife Photos: King Penguins

January 20, 2022 Red Hunt 2 Comments

Arguably the most elegant penguins of all, King Penguins, are found in incredible numbers in South Georgia.

Oddly enough, you don’t really see them on the continent of Antarctica, so most people who take a “quick” or “classic” expedition ship trip to Antarctica won’t see these penguins.

When I did a Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica trip with Polar Latitudes it was South Georgia that excited me most. I knew what to expect, and I wasn’t disappointed.

From close-up encounters with these colourful penguins, to seeing their colony at Salisbury Plain, numbering more than 100,000 breeding pairs!

A King Penguin closeup at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia

The first good sightings I had of King Penguins was actually on the Falkland Islands. It provided a fun contrast to what was to come on South Georgia

At Saunders Island in the Falklands, it was sandy beach and green field landscapes instead of snow and ice. This gave things an extra pop of colour which was pretty cool, even the non-penguin birds and animals.

Fluffy King Penguin Chicks at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia

As exciting as those first encounters were, it was the noise, smell and sheer scale of things on South Georgia that created one of those travel experiences that words can not adequately capture.

King Penguin colony at Salisbury Plain — King Penguin Colony at Salisbury Plain – more than 200,000 penguins!

Penguins, penguins, penguins…as far as the eye can see. One of the top wildlife experiences for me anywhere in the world. Perhaps even the top wildlife experience I’ve had anywhere.

Colourful King Penguins at Saunders Island, in the Falklands

On my first trip to Antarctica I was able to get some photos of Chinstrap Penguins, Gentoo Penguins and Adelie Penguins. But that was years ago, in the days of film cameras, so it was more about the memories than the photos for me on that trip.

I’ve since gotten into photography more, and this time around I wasn’t as conservative with my photography. I must have taken well over 10,000 photos on this epic trip, managing to snap a few keepers along the way.

King Penguins on South Georgia — King Penguins exiting the water at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia

Travel Photos

Wildlife Photos: Southern Elephant Seals in South Georgia

January 5, 2022 Red Hunt Leave a comment

From cute to creepy, here are some Elephant Seal photos I took while exploring South Georgia (on the way to Antarctica) with the great company, Polar Latitudes.

these pictures are from visiting Salisbury Plain, Fortuna Bay and Stromness, three equally amazing wildlife destinations for anyone who is a fan of crazy landscapes, and impressive wildlife.

Smiling Elephant Seal, Salisbury Plain, Bay of Isles, South Georgia

I probably have about 1000 of the “cute” photos of little Elephant Seal pups, as there were quite a few of them on the beaches we landed on. I’ve seen Elephant Seals before, in California. These are of course a different species. The ones in California are Northern Elephant Seals, and these ones down near Antarctica are Southern Elephant Seals.

Barking Elephant Seal, Stromness, South Georgia

For the big males, with their elongated upper lips, they are quite funny looking. But don’t tell them that! They seemed to have a bad temper as I saw many of them fighting and being quite aggressive. Probably just because some of them thought it was still mating season. Take a look at the last picture, would you want to come across that guy on a beach? Nope!

Cute Elephant Seal, Fortuna Bay, South Georgia

Definitely some of the coolest seals I’ve come across on my travels. Now if I could just find a way to see a ribbon seal in the wild…

Creepy Elephant Seal, Salisbury Plain, Bay of Isles, South Georgia

Wildlife and Nature

Hiking in El Rey National Park, Argentina

December 29, 2021 Red Hunt Leave a comment

A bit off-the-beaten-path, El Rey National Park, Argentina doesn’t get huge visitor numbers, but if you can manage the time, and the bumpy roads, it is well worth the effort to visit.

A small group of us hit El Rey for a day of hiking with Federico from Norte Trekking Expeditions based in Salta.

Upon arrival, we quickly came across an abundance of wildlife, with wading birds and butterflies seemingly around every corner as we hiked along a river and through some marshlands. While there are some larger animals in the park, such as the tapir on their park logo, you’re more likely to come across a plethora of birds as there are numerous streams and marshlands in the park.

There were colourful birds I had never seen before, and some larger birds like herons, which gracefully flew by. Years ago I used to ignore birds, but the more I travel, the more I have started to appreciate the differences in birds around the world. Argentina definitely had a few surprises for me.

It was pretty much a full day of hiking in El Rey National Park, with a stop for a lunch break. During that entire time, our little group only crossed paths with one other group of a few people, so we were free to listen to the sounds of the forest.

El Rey National Park was quite interesting because it had such a range of landscapes, even a rainforest! Who would expect to come across a rainforest in Argentina? I didn’t expect that. Federico was a great guide, providing enough historic background about things like old buildings, and the variety of landscapes, flora and fauna that we were seeing along the way.

While more elusive animals such as tapir and jaguar did indeed elude us, we did watch a troupe of monkeys swinging between trees across a stream. The Popayán River which is a central part of the park was packed with schools fairly large fish too. Walking along the trails there were plenty of tiny critters to keep us entertained. The weather was bright, hot and sunny, so wading through the water was nice and refreshing.

I’d return to the area again for sure, and do some camping or more in-depth hiking adventures further into the park.

Horse in El Rey National Park, Argentina

Travel Articles

The Faroe Islands in Photos – A Remote Tourism Destination

November 12, 2020 Red Hunt Leave a comment

I seem to be drawn to remote islands, and the Faroes definitely fit into that categorization.

Until recently, most people that I have met on my travels, even avid travellers, hadn’t heard of the Faroe Islands. I visited a five years ago, and it seems that the secret has slowly been starting to get out. Even so…people I meet that do know it’s a little European nation still can’t point to it on a map! The only people who ever seem to have some passion about the Faroes are ones that heard something about some dolphins or whales being killed there.

Torshavn - Statue outside the Mayors Office — Torshavn – Statue outside the Mayors Office

Dolphins, no. But whales, yes. They call it the “Grind”, and it is a hot topic among the Faroese and anybody who visits these islands that are off in the North Atlantic ocean. But there is a lot more to these amazing islands than that. (For the record, yes I did eat whale in the Faroes, when a couple of different people offered me some from their private supply.)

By definition the Faroe Islands are an autonomous territory of Denmark. despite strong ties to the mainland, the Faroes are fiercely independent, with their own money and plenty of pride – so don’t make the mistake of calling the Danish!

My purpose for travelling around the Faroes was to soak up the lush green scenery, enjoy plenty of Faroese music, take some photographs of strange landscapes and curious creatures. I saw plenty of whales and sheep, puffins and other seabirds. When in the towns, I found the old-style green-roofed houses particularly interesting. Today, they’re mostly historic buildings and special areas, not so practical by modern standards.

Tinganes - Parliament Area of Torshavn — Tinganes – Parliament Area of Torshavn

I hiked around admiring many waterfalls and had fun seeing how nervous my guide got when driving towards oncoming traffic going through the lengthy, one-lane tunnels that connected some of the islands. Really, those tunnels were quite cool – a cross between playing chicken and frogger – it was a fine line between too aggressive and too cautious. Don’t drive fast enough and you’ll get stuck in a tunnel pullout, causing a logjam behind you (only space for 1-3 cars in each pull out). But if you’re too aggressive, you might race to the next pullout when it isn’t your turn, causing oncoming traffic to screech to a halt or backup. I’m sure it would make for an entertaining TV channel to watch, except for the fact that traffic jams and traffic in general is pretty rare in the Faroe Islands.

Bordoy Island - Tunnel to Klaksvik — Bordoy Island – Tunnel to Klaksvik

Outside of Torshavn, even Klaksvik, the next “big” city seems sleepy quiet. It’s peaceful, the weather is generally pleasant during the short summer – not too hot, maybe a bit rainy. People smile when you walk past them on the street. Most of them speak English and seem very well educated and welcoming.

It’s a small nation of islands, at about the same latitude as Iceland, but that is about the only thing similar between them. The Faroes don’t have dramatic volcanoes and geysers. It’s lush, green mountains and waterfalls here. Much more like Scotland. Fishing, farming, music and arts are all big in the Faroe Islands. Farming though, not so much for food, but sheep. There are plenty of sheep in the Faroes, so knitwear and wool clothes are very popular. Sadly, the harsh climate, despite being lush and green here, doesn’t allow for growing much produce. Rhubarb is a big crop, potatoes can be grown. But with a sparse, small population of ~50,000 total, there aren’t any huge farming operations aside from fish farms.

They do get a steady supply of food from Denmark and Europe. Grocery stores are mostly well-stocked, but the variety of fresh fruit, vegetables and meats were all a bit lacking in the stores I went to. Sure, lots of apples, root vegetables and frozen meats, but in general seafood is the name of the game in the Faroes. No shortage of candy bars, sodas and snacks though!

Sheep in the Shade, no shortage of Sheep in the Faroes!

Oddly, each island in the Faroes really has it’s own personality too. Some are only accessible by boat or helicopter, others have numerous historic buildings on them, and some seem to be straight out of a fairytale book.

I was happy that there were some craft breweries in the Faroe Islands, which made more than adequate beers. I enjoyed more than my fair share of local beers at the G! Festival, a fantastic music festival that was the finishing highlight of my Faroe islands adventure. I’m intrigued to return and visit in winter next time, although I’d also like to explore and hike around some of the further, remote areas of the islands too. Hard to choose! I did enjoy their fun “remote tourism” tours on Facebook this past spring, where you could interact with, and “control” a local Faroese guide as they walked around the islands!

It was a quirky, cool concept, something that seemed quite fitting for the Faroe Islands. If you’re like me and prefer different travel destinations, consider the Faroes when it comes time to travel again.

Hot Pot time in Gota during the G! Festival

Living Room Concert Series in Torshavn with Marius and Hedin

A few final photos of Faroes! If you do visit, know that it’s so green because rain is pretty common – it rains more than 200 days a year in the Faroes! Don’t expect a ton of heat either, as even in mid-summer it rarely reaches 13C /55F. It’s often cloudy during summer too, but when the sun comes out, the islands light up with tons of vibrancy…it’s a great place for photography.

Red Hunt Travel