Kanoo World Traveller magazine features The Antarctic Dream

Kanoo World Traveller, a leisure travel magazine with the highest circulation in the Middle East, features The Antarctic Dream in its February 2011 issue. Writer Jamie Lafferty boarded an Antarctic expedition with The Antarctic Dream to experience the White Continent first-hand. To see the story and photography in the digital edition of the magazine, click here and start on page 30.Right now marks the height of summer in Antarctica. The temperature is relatively warm, around freezing, and the ice in the water has broken up, allowing ships to maneuver through the ocean. Unlike other Antarctic cruise tour operators, The Antarctic Dream makes regular landings, with the goal of two outings a day for travelers.Of course these outings include the popular penguin. Lafferty says travelers are almost guaranteed to see all three species of brush-tailed penguin: Chinstrap, Gentoo and Adelie. Occasionally, Emperor and King penguins may be seen, but their rookeries are not as easily accessible.The chances are high of happening upon other wildlife as well. Lafferty describes one outing on the Zodiacs:We arrive at Cuverville Island, and are preparing to disembark when the ship is thrown into chaos by the sudden arrival of half a dozen Humpback whales. 'Being flexible is important,' Pablo had said to me earlier. At moments like this, it's essential. Rather than head directly to the island, the crew scramble the small fleet of zodiacs and, within a few minutes, guests are hurtling past icebergs and swimming penguins to await the resurfacing of the huge black beasts from beneath. It doesn't take long. Again, we don't have to drive over the top of the whales to get a close look – they come to us. So close in fact, that we can hear the great snorting of their blow holes; so close that when seeing their white fins flash beneath the crystal clear water, most people get a jolt of adrenaline. How close is too close?Mercifully, everyone stays dry and emerges from the experience jabbering with excitement, with pictures so detailed, it's possible to pick out individual barnacles on the whales' bodies. All this before clambering up a snowy hill for another close encounter with the penguins.The Antarctic Dream is a 78-passenger luxury cruise ship that was originally commissioned by the Chilean navy. Now this modernized ship transports travelers on Antarctic cruise expeditions. An expedition with The Antarctic Dream features up-close wildlife encounters both on land and in the ocean, kayaking in Antarctica, and Antarctic camping, new for 2011. Find out more at http://www.antarctic.cl/web_eng/.The Antarctic Dream is offering a 20 percent discount for its February 18 departure.