“Getting up close with penguins and swimming freely in ice and snow.” For this dream, Mr. Huang, a 48-year-old “young-at-heart” from Zhangzhou, set off on December 10, 2012, to begin his Antarctic “adventure.”
Penguins, icebergs, snow… all became unforgettable keywords for Mr. Huang upon his return, and he found the experience thrilling. Yesterday he shared his Antarctic journey with a reporter from the guide newspaper, summarizing it in four words: “thrilling, exciting, anxious, and joyful.”
Thrilling！Avalanche strikes while taking photos
The most unforgettable part of Mr. Huang’s Antarctic trip was an unexpected avalanche.
“It was really thrilling. I’d never had such an experience before — my heart was in my throat instantly.” When describing that day’s scene, Mr. Huang still remembers it vividly.
That morning, Mr. Huang and his group had one hour of free time.
They boarded a speedboat, and as they passed towering, snow-white mountains, the boat stopped, with some tourists still taking photos.
“I’d never seen snow before — it was so novel.” Just as Mr. Huang pressed the shutter, a mountain behind him suddenly began to sink, and a fifty- to sixty-meter-high snowdrift collapsed instantly.
Everyone was stunned and shouted, “Run!” The experienced driver immediately gunned the engine and sped forward, while the collapsing snow sent waves of powder chasing after their boat. “It was literally ‘chasing’ us all the way — I’ve never been so scared!”
Exciting！Climbing a snowy mountain for a sledding ride
The overcast sky finally cleared. Mr. Huang finally had the chance to climb the snow-capped mountain he’d long dreamed of.
With sunglasses, hat, winter gear, and waterproof boots all ready, Mr. Huang and the other tourists followed seven or eight expedition team members and set off.
The expedition team went ahead to scout the path. If the route was safe, they would place small red flags every few dozen meters. The tourists then followed the flags toward the mountaintop.
“Crunch, crunch,” Mr. Huang said, “my specially made waterproof boots sank into the snow, with my calves buried under several dozen centimeters of it — what a unique feeling!”
At the top of the mountain, the Antarctic landscape stretched out as far as the eye could see. Everything was a vast expanse of white, with ice floes and glaciers shifting subtly from light blue to deep blue.
Next came the skiing. Mr. Huang’s version of skiing was different — he sat down on the snow, propped his feet up, pushed off with his hands, and, like a child, enjoyed sledding down the slope.
Anxious！Bed shaking while trying to sleep
Mr. Huang, along with 60 other tourists, plus 38 crew members including the captain, stayed together on a five-story luxury cruise ship.
In Antarctica, the sun never sets.
But when the weather turned bad, it was an exception. On gloomy days, the howling wind and snow outside were piercing. “Lying in bed felt like swinging on a swing — it kept shaking nonstop, which was quite frightening,” Mr. Huang said.
In the Antarctic region, mobile phones often have no signal. “Being so far away, it’s always unsettling when you can’t make a call,” Mr. Huang said.
In fact, as soon as they stepped onto the icy expanse, the cruise operator arranged drills just in case. “For example, if you hear a short siren, it means danger — everyone must immediately put on a life jacket and gather on deck. If you hear a long siren, it means everyone must quickly head to the deck and board the eight speedboats in an orderly fashion.”
Joyful！Groups of penguins strolling leisurely
Penguins！Groups of penguins！Mr. Huang was overjoyed.
Faced with the camera, these little creatures puffed out their round bellies, flapped their tiny wings, and struck cute poses, making Mr. Huang exclaim how fun they were.
These little guys were absolutely adorable and not afraid of tourists at all. They strolled around in groups, moving leisurely. “It was quite a unique kind of fun.”
The only regret was that tourists couldn’t get too close to the penguins. Mr. Huang said, “We couldn’t hold or touch them — we even had to give way to them. The closest we got was about two meters. One penguin waddled straight across the ice, belly up.”
It is reported that there are nearly 120 million penguins in the Antarctic region, belonging to seven or eight species, accounting for nearly 80% of the world’s penguin population.