Are you planning to take some vacation this year, maybe somewhere wild, exotic, and as close to nature as possible?

Here’s a suggestion. Why don’t you book yourself for a cruise to the untamed, serene, and mysterious Terra Australis or the Southern Land, the Antarctica, and discover the joys of whale watching?

Most likely, the first thing that popped into your mind, the moment you read or hear the word Antarctica, is vast expanse of seemingly unending land of ice. Miles and miles of ice, as far as the eye can see, nothing but ice.

That description is true to some extent. But you failed to include some very, very interesting details.

Antarctica is home to some very fascinating plant and animal life. Although the climate does not support extensive plant life, more than 200 species of lichens and 50 species of bryophytes such as mosses are found in the continent. Interestingly enough, there are two species of flowering plants which have adapted to the harsh environment in the Southern Land, the Antarctic hair grass and Antarctic pearlwort. There are also at least seven hundred species of algae and phytoplankton.

Animal life in the continent is, for the most part, composed of endemic species and many migratory birds and other vertebrates. One of the most spectacular sights in the vast expanse of ice is the hundreds and even thousands of penguins basking in the southern sun.

There’s one more captivating spectacle in this remote part of the world which is probably one of the most fulfilling experience anyone can have, whale watching.

Whale watching is an experience with wildlife. It is a glimpse of the beauty and magnificence of Mother Nature in one of her most intimate moments. Whales are some of the most impressive creatures of the oceans, not just in mere size but also of physical beauty.

Whales are mammals, just like humans. They are warm-blooded, have lungs and breathe air, have a four-chambered heart, and take care of their young with milk from the mother. However, they are better related to dolphins and manatees which are also marine mammals. Whale watching will make you spot the similarities.

Whales are further divided into two groups: the toothed whales and the baleen whales. The toothed whales (Odontoceti) have rows of peg-like teeth and one blowhole. They feed on fish, squid, and other marine animals. Meanwhile, the baleen whales (Mysticeti) have two blowholes and rows of plate-like baleen they use to filter krill, plankton, and fish. Whale watching will bring you closer to these animals.

There are at least six baleen whales found in Antarctic waters. They are the Humpback, Minke, Sei, Blue, Fin, and Southern Right Whale. Five toothed whales have been documented to be found in the waters off the ice shelves of the Antarctic. These are the Orca or Killer Whale, Southern Bottlenose Whale, Sperm Whale, Southern Fourtooth Whale, and dolphins including the hourglass dolphin and Southern Rightwhale Dolphin.

Whale watching will bring you a close encounter with these magnificent creatures and an experience of a lifetime. These creatures are intelligent with no natural fear of humans so the experience is even more rewarding. An encounter like this is indeed an adventure and a memory to cherish for the rest of your life.

Executing graceful and mesmerizing performance on the ocean’s surface, these gentle giants are the ballerinas of the blue oceans. There are at least six elegant movements to be expected from these wonderful creatures when whale watching. Whales and dolphins are known for their range of graceful movements in the water such as breaching, flipper or fluke slapping, fluke waving, porpoising, spouting or blowing, and spy-hopping.

If that didn’t convince you of a trip to the Southern Land, I don’t know what will.