We anchored in front of an iceberg graveyard. The skin on my cheeks was burning with the cold breeze and I felt the beginning of tears behind my eyes. I couldn’t decide if I was dreaming or not. I’d finally reached Antarctica.

It was impossible to hide my excitement as we put the zodiacs in the water, checked the safety gear and marked the position on my GPS. Snow was falling in slow motion and we had a mission: to explore a bay full of ancient icebergs. We left the ship, heading to the heart of the bay, the zodiac painted ripples on the glassy water. We were cruising in silence, the clouds blocking the sun, I couldn’t distinguish if it was midday or sunset.

After half an hour gliding alongside breath taking ice giants, I spotted a creature through my binoculars. Behind one of the enormous pieces of ice was a dark silhouette laying on the snow, my heart rate started to accelerate as we approached. Trying to not disturb the wildlife I switched off my engine and drifted. Spotted fur, big head and robust neck, lying peacefully, a large female leopard seal lifted her reptilian head, looked at us, rolling her head slowly from one side to another. Her dark eyes scrutinised every inch of us – we were aliens on her planet. No more shivering, no more pain in my knuckles, no more burning feeling in my cheeks, just silence. The time seemed to stop, and the snowflakes were now levitating. Those few seconds of coexistence made me realise that I was in exactly the right place. I still believe that nothing brings you back to the present moment faster than eye contact with a wild creature.

After a few minutes drifting in silence, I turned our engine on and kept exploring the bay. Everyone remained quiet, as if in meditation. That day we saw crabeater seals, minke whales, humpbacks and penguins, but that moment of connection with one of the top predators of the ecosystem left us all with an immense feeling of gratitude.