ANN ARBOR -- Amy and Tom Knutilla recently traveled to their seventh continent in a journey that was the first of its kind.

The Ann Arbor couple were among 130 guests who sailed the Drake Passage to Antarctica, visiting otherworldly landscapes mostly inhabited by seals and penguins, before flying back to South America and civilization.

The November trip was groundbreaking for National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions -- which had never before offered flights to or from Antarctica -- only sailing to what is still considered one of the final frontiers on the globe.

"It's the best trip I've ever been on," said Tom, 66, who has been all over the world, including the Galapagos Islands a decade ago.

"Why go to Antarctica?" Amy asks, and then answers her own question. "Because I really enjoy being surprised by things. I was not disappointed."

The Knutillas, retired engineers who have been married 37 years, began researching last spring a trip to Antarctica to celebrate Amy's 65 birthday. It was the only continent they had not visited and remains one of the most pristine and wild places on Earth despite increasing tourism.

The couple opted to travel with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions, which takes about 5,000 travelers to Antarctica per year from November to March -- considered summer on the continent and when the weather is most hospitable, with coastal temperatures ranging from about 28 degrees to 46 degrees Fahrenheit.

The company utilizes three different ships for Antarctica trips that are each capable of hosting between 136-148 guests in addition to 99 crew members, many of whom are conducting research.

Sven Lindblad, National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions founder and board co-chair, plans to add a fourth ship for Antarctica next year, in part because of the ability to offer expedited travel with flights.

Lindblad was with the Knutillas when the NG Explorer departed Ushuaia, Argentina, Nov. 20 to cross the Drake Passage to reach their ultimate destination.

The Drake Passage, named after 16 century explorer Sir Francis Drake, has no landmass to slow the current running through it and has historically wrecked many ships with waves that have reached 40 feet.

"They call it the Drake Shake," Tom Knutilla said. "It is notoriously dangerous. Windows break because of the high waves. We got something in between."

While he said the Explorer was "definitely rocking," the waves had an average height of 11 feet, a "pretty calm experience," despite still being early in the summer season and they arrived ahead of schedule and without sea sickness.

A physician was just one of many experts from various professional fields on board and readily available to consult, give group lectures, and ensure safety and an enjoyable experience throughout the trip.

Protection of both the visitors and the environment would be of the utmost concern throughout the journey, which started with the Knutillas and their fellow travelers learning what it takes to step on to Antarctic land.

Mainly, that meant donning all the proper gear, including long underwear, waterproof pants, knee-high boots, and life jackets "over 18 layers of clothes" despite 30-degree temperatures that were warmer than what Michigan was experiencing, before getting into a Zodiac, an inflatable boat able to transport groups of about 16-20 passengers from the Explorer to land.

To prevent transferring bacteria from one location to another, travelers also had to step into a sanitizing solution prior to venturing on to any of the Antarctic islands they visited, including Barrientos, D'Hainaut, Danco, Half Moon, and Deception Island, under which lies an active volcano.

The terrain was rocky and seemingly always rising, with the walking sticks the Knutillas used coming in very handy as they stayed on icy paths to avoid causing disturbance to the environment and its inhabitants, including curious penguins.

The Knutillas and their fellow travelers saw three species of penguins -- Adélies, chinstraps, and gentoos -- on their trip.

If the birds crossed their path, the human visitors enjoyed their antics while patiently waiting for the penguins to waddle onward.

Because it was early in the season, the Knutillas missed seeing penguin babies but did see a lot of romantic interludes as the penguins courted and mated.

"This was adorable," Amy Knutilla recalled. "They bow to each other. It was a hoot."She noted the penguins always return to the same colonies, and they watched as penguins found their mates and laid their nests, while the naturalists on the expedition explained the penguins' behaviors and vocalizations.

The scent of penguin excrement needed no explanation but was borne away by a shift in wind direction.

Naturalists were at the ready for any questions about penguins or other wildlife the visitors saw, including leopard and elephant seals, orcas and humpback whales, and birds such as cormorants, Antarctic terns and skuas.

It was the latter of these birds that resulted in a true National Geographic moment for the Knutillas as they watched a skua steal an egg from a squawking penguin, flying off with it in its beak before sharing it with a buddy.

It was ultimately just one of many National Geographic moments and both the Knutillas and Lindblad agree that while the attraction of Antarctic wildlife is undeniable, the landscape leaves an indelible mark.

"Most people come to Antarctica because they want to see penguins, but they are overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of the ice," Lindblad said. "It's like being in a natural sculpture garden, you are surrounded by extraordinary sculpture everywhere."

In every waking moment, with the sun coming up at 3 a.m. and going down at midnight, the Knutillas and their fellow travelers' eyes were filled, and overwhelmed, with magnificent crystal blue and white views as they hiked, kayaked and sailed.

"It's very stark, rugged, vast," Amy reflected. "There is nothing green, nothing grows there. It's shades of blue until you see animals. It was like the Wizard of Oz when we returned to Chile and it was early spring."

They are now back in Michigan, in the Northern Hemisphere's winter, which maybe doesn't hold quite the same charm as an icy Antarctic summer.

The trip was one they had almost considered not taking as they worried about their carbon footprint on an area where climate change has been of particular concern.

Their worries were mostly put to rest by Lindblad, who explained about steps that are taken to reduce impact, including slow speeds in whale zones, using the cleanest diesel fuel available, purchasing carbon offsets and strict rules about not leaving anything behind.

Lindblad said he understands the concerns about travel to Antarctica, but believes it is more important for travelers to visit, learn, and develop deeper regard for our connection to the environment and then become ambassadors for stewardship.

"If you didn't travel to these places, there would be so little knowledge that would be garnered, because at the end of the day, we learn in different ways, but we learn most by experience," he said. "Having an army of people in the world with greater understanding of what places like Antarctica mean is a good thing."

The Knutillas have learned more than a few things, and will hold fast to more than a few memories from Antarctica, including one from a warm November afternoon when naturalists had opened a path and Tom and Amy could see down both sides of an isthmus. Within the panoramic view were mountains, a gorgeous bay with blue icebergs and seals on the horizon. They were rendered nearly speechless as they turned and hugged each other.

"It was too big and too beautiful," Tom Knutilla said, wondering, "How meaningless am I in this grandeur? It is overwhelming, and I mean that in the most positive way."