Episode 39: Exploring Antarctica, Part I

We head back out to the Dinaka lion pride that same afternoon, this time watching them come to the camp waterhole for a drink before the youngsters decide to play in the lodge and then confront the resident honey badger

We're in the Central Kalahari this week, at the fabulous Dinaka Camp, where we chat about a truly insane morning spent with a pride of lions.

After a bit of a summer hiatus we conclude the Antarctic part of this season with an episode about the crown jewels of the Southern Ocean, South Georgia, a marine wildlife mecca.

This week, we plunge into the frigid waters off the Antarctic Peninsula and recount some epic sightings, including watching humpback whales feed (from a nearby zodiac), a large pod of killer whales bow-riding the ship, and leopard seals hunting penguins.

Land ho! After crossing the Drake Passage, we finally reach the South Shetland Islands and all the amazing wildlife that calls it home. Jomi shares what it’s like going out on your first excursion (a zodiac cruise or landing) and some of the most memorable sightings he has had there. Think: playful seals, newborn gentoo penguin chicks, and some gnarly interactions between nesting penguins and predatory skuas.

How does one get to Antarctica? What’s it like to cross the Drake Passage? This week, we talk about what traveling down to Antarctica entails, from getting to Ushuaia, to heading out through the Beagle Channel, and into the famously turbulent Drake Passage. We also introduce some of the wildlife you might encounter at the start of an expedition to the southern-most continent. Wandering albatrosses, humpback whales, and…you guessed it…penguins!

In the second part of ‘Exploring Antarctica,’ we discuss Scott and Amundsen’s race to the South Pole and Shackleton’s Transantarctic Expedition saga…the famous story of the Endurance.

What’s it like to spend months down in the Antarctic? It’s the world’s driest, highest, coldest, windiest and least inhabitable continent and Jomi has spent the last two austral summers (northern hemisphere winters) exploring it. This season, we explore it with him. Part one of this two-part episode sets the scene of the remoteness of the inhospitable Antarctic continent by taking a look at how it was initially explored. While Jomi has been able to do this from the relative comfort of a large modern vessel, the original explorers of the region faced more trying challenges.

Three days packed full with amazing lion sightings. That’s what awaited us during our most recent return to Vumbura Plains camp. From three massive males feeding on a buffalo kill, to a lioness nursing her cub beside her lechwe kill, to an adorable reunion between the cubs and mother lionesses of a pride, it was an action packed, lion filled stay, and we are bring you all the details of the various sightings in this week’s episode. 

We’re back at Chitabe this week to round up the second part of our recent safari there. Sightings included following a large male leopard hunting by day and seeing a pack of 19 wild dogs digging their dens (plural) for TWO pregnant females.