The Polar regions hold a very special place in my heart and the more I visit these untouched and fragile areas, the more I’m hooked and looking forward to my next foray in the ice and cold, forbidding waves. Antarctica is a place I keep coming back to.

Antarctica- A Landscape in Motion

Although I have only been visiting this area for 3 years, I have seen some dramatic seasonal variations and vast differences year to year.  Three years ago in early November, there was a tonne of snow and very little ice where at the same time this year there was almost no snow and lots of sea ice.  The only constant is change with yearly, seasonal, and local conditions being anything but predictable.

Antarctic Photo Gallery

 It’s a truly magical place – really like nowhere else on earth.  Here is a small gallery from my 2016/17 Antarctic season.

Crossing the infamous Drake Passage from South America to Antarctica can be an incredible experience or an excruciating nightmare depending on your tolerance for big waves and the strength of your sea sickness medication.  – The Southern Ocean

Antarctica is known as the windiest place on the planet.  The Peninsula is no exception with intense katabatic winds racing down from mountain tops and ice caps.  -Lemaire Channel

In November, fast ice (sea ice still attached to shore) dominates deep bays and coves.  -Wilhelmina Bay

Early Gentoo hatchlings.  -Brown Bluff

Gentoo penguins are very adaptable and not as ice and krill reliant.  As a result, Gentoo numbers are increasing while their Chinstrap and Adelie cousins are in decline.  -Cierva Cove

Brash ice (broken chunks of glaciers and icebergs) dominate the shoreline at low tide. -George’s Point

It isn’t fully understood why humpback whales perform these acrobatics.  Some theories are that it is social behaviour and others believe it is a tactic to loosen things up downstairs.  -Ererra Channel

As the season progresses, the whales are well fed, happy, and curious so close encounters are more common in February and March. -Gerlache Strait

Antarctica has a disturbing history of wildlife exploitation.  These derelict pressure cookers were used to extract oil from whales and seals on Deception Island up until 1931 when shore-based operations couldn’t compete with ship-based whaling.  -Deception Island

The good news is that many whale species decimated by commercial whaling are now recovering.  Especially humpback whales who are finally returning to areas which used to be frequented by whalers and are seemingly not afraid of ships either!  -Ererra Channel

An inquisitive Leopard Seal comes to check out our Zodiac.  -Brown Bluff

A Humpback Whale giving us a nice show.  -Gerlache Strait

Lenticular clouds form from high winds hitting an obstruction like these mountain peaks on Wiencke Island. -Gerlache Strait

This was the kind of day where everything makes sense and is alright in the world.  -Cierva Cove

Penguins enjoy a good sunset just like the rest of us.  Here a young Gentoo is trading old feathers for new waterproof ones in a yearly moult.  -Port Lockroy

To see more of Ben’s work or purchase prints, check out his website www.benhaggar.com , follow him on Instagram @benhaggarphoto, or check out this photo essay, Painting with Prana.