The Real Antartica
There are few destinations more elusive or more exclusive than Antarctica. A land of paradoxes, it is at once harsh and delicate, rugged yet exquisitely formed, virtually uninhabited yet brimming with life. Its glacial lakes, immense ridgelines and drifting ice floes feel almost unearthly.
In December 2021, Wanderlux Founder and CEO Rebecca Puttock travelled to Antarctica, often described as one of the last wild frontiers on the planet. Here, she shares what the journey meant to her and what it revealed about this extraordinary place.
How did the Antarctica expedition come about?
“It began back in May 2021 after I connected with Christina Korp on social media, she’s an astronaut wrangler and former manager to Buzz Aldrin. What started as a conversation quickly turned into a two-hour Zoom call dreaming up big ideas. One of those ideas became the foundation of this trip: to witness a total solar eclipse in Antarctica, a phenomenon that won’t occur again for over 400 years.
Christina and I connected immediately. We’re both doers, both mothers, and both wired to make ambitious things happen. She brought her extraordinary connections from the space world, including former NASA astronaut Nicole Stott, while I drew on my experience in bespoke expedition planning to assemble the ground team, specialists and crucially the right vessel: the ice-class expedition yacht M/Y Legend.”
What did it take to make a trip like this possible?
“Remote working at its most extreme. The expedition had to depart from Chile, which at the time was still closed due to Covid-19. That wasn’t even the biggest challenge. This was the yacht’s first voyage in two years, and the volume of paperwork was relentless, Covid forms, IAATO permits, drone permissions, new passports.
Over four intense months, working across time zones, we brought together expedition leaders, geologists, ice divers and wildlife experts, including renowned photographer and Greenpeace Ambassador Roie Galitz. With eight cabins and 22 guests, the moment deposits were paid, it suddenly became very real.”
Antarctica isn’t just remote, it demands commitment, precision and absolute respect for the environment.
What was Antarctica like to experience in person?
“Completely untouched. Pristine. We arrived at the start of the Antarctic summer, when there’s almost 24 hours of daylight and the sun barely sets. The skies were deep royal blue, the sunsets intense and fiery.
Ice shelves naturally break away at this time of year, making navigation possible, yet we didn’t encounter a single other vessel. In fact, there were only four boats in the entire region during our trip. That isolation made the experience feel surreal, like stepping into another world.”
Were there any wildlife moments that stayed with you?
“We were incredibly lucky. Humpback whales were abundant, pods of orcas circled the yacht, and we spotted snow petrels, chinstrap penguins, seals and even a solitary emperor penguin.
One moment stands out vividly. I was kayaking in a sheltered bay when a minke whale swam directly beneath me. The sunlight caught his silver-white belly as he turned, completely at ease. It was peaceful and humbling. We also explored by SUP and kayak, passing penguins darting beneath our paddles and a leopard seal resting on an ice floe.”
What surprised you most about the expedition?
“The submersible experience. Descending 200 metres below sea level along the Antarctic shelf felt truly otherworldly, strange, beautiful life exists down there that few people ever see.
And then there was the eclipse. Ironically, despite near-perfect conditions throughout the trip, a category-three storm blocked the view completely. But that’s the beauty of a tailor-made expedition we adapted. We changed course, found shelter, and made the most of the extraordinary experiences available, from ice diving to deep-sea exploration.”
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Antarctica has a way of stripping everything back, reminding you how powerful nature is, and how small we really are.
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