She Won a Trip to Antarctica

Recent Antarctica21 traveler Barbara Ostwalt was thrilled and surprised when she was notified that she won our Chief Flying Penguin Officer contest in early 2023, granting her a single cabin spot on an eight-day, seven-night Classic Antarctica Air-Cruise in December aboard Ocean Nova. To her surprise, her friend entered the contest for her! To do so, they had to answer questions about one of the cutest wildlife in the Antarctic realm: penguins! The winner of the contest was randomly drawn from the list of participants who entered the correct answers.

After hearing the exciting news, Barbara began preparing for her journey to Chile. When she finally landed in the country’s southern bounds in Punta Arenas, she boarded our private flight to King George Island to begin her expedition aboard our small ship, Ocean Nova. From there, she set sail between the South Shetland Islands and the western coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. While she enjoyed seeing the Antarctic landscape’s ice-filled fjords and majestic icebergs, one of her favorite experiences during her expedition was witnessing a lone Weddell seal relaxing on an ice block. “Seeing it sleeping was surreal; I felt so relaxed, I could take a nap myself!” She also witnessed even more fascinating species, from chinstrap and gentoo penguins to Antarctic shags and snow petrels. Barbara also loved snowshoeing through the Antarctic landscape and spending time aboard Ocean Nova to learn from the Antarctica21 expedition team. “The whole team was enthusiastic about Antarctica and teaching us more about the landscape and how we can be more conscious about our impact on the environment,” says Barbara. This way of communicating openly created a relaxed atmosphere of learning and sharing.”

Before heading home, Barbara even had the chance to experience the new Explorers House, Antarctica21’s new expedition center in Punta Arenas. “It was very beautifully built,” says Barbara. “It truly was the perfect way to end my adventure!”

Are you ready to embark on a Classic Antarctic Air-Cruise like Barbara? Learn more here!