Someone asked me about my favorite moment in Antarctica?

Seeing penguins made me happy. Seeing them waddle made us smile. Seeing them fall made us laugh. Seeing them carry pebbles for their love made us cheer.

But there was something else in Antarctica that touched me more.

After crossing the Drake Passage, every day, at some point of time, there’d be an announcement that a whale had been spotted. Sometimes we’d be standing on deck, and a guide or a passenger would scream “whale”.

And whenever we were, be it our cabins, be it the dining area, be it the library or anywhere, we would all rush out hoping to catch a glimpse.

We’d keep staring. Sometimes we’d see a spout (a cloud of water & air that blows out when a whale exhales). The blowout would make us all yell with joy.

A cloud of air appearing for a second, 300 metres away from us and we’d all yell with happiness. I wonder why.

We would strain our eyes and keep staring at that spot. And sometimes, the slightest bit of the whale’s body would just come at the surface. The slightest bit. And it would make us scream with happiness even more.

If we were very lucky, and we were, 4-5 times across the expedition, we would see it raise its entire tail (tailsailing). We would all compare the pictures we took, as to who got the best shot of the tail.

Never did we see the whole whale. Never did we see it’s face. So why would we stare at the ocean for 20-25 minutes at a stretch.

Maybe because it was unlike the birds that kept circling around the ship, unlike the penguins who would stand like models in their colonies while we walked around; unlike the seals that would sun themselves on blocks of ice that we’d circle around.

Watching the whales was meditative. It needed patience. Needed effort, didn’t come easy. There’s something romantic about not always getting what you want. There was a peace in waiting.

The whales never look hurried. They never screamed or squawked. They moved soundlessly. There was something mystical. Their peace cut through me.

So when I think of my favourite moments in Antarctica, it would be staring at the ocean for hours, to catch a glimpse of a whale.