January 2018 – Our journey onboard the National Geographic Explorer begins in Ushuaia, Argentina, on the southernmost tip of South America, nicknamed the “End of the World.”
Our ship casts off around 4pm and by tomorrow morning we will steam across the fabled Drake Passage. This turbulent passage is where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet and I dread crossing it! However, after 2 days and a little dramamine, I make it across without too much discomfort. Then, just as if someone threw a switch, the seas become calm and smooth, and little-by-little we begin to see tiny icebergs appear on the horizon.
The weather is changing quickly. Summer is here and the Antartica’s waters have become home to the world’s largest ocean sanctuary.The winter ice has begun to melt and the days will become longer, longer, and longer still.Daylight has already engulfed the sea and air and it is almost impossible to know day from night.I absolutely love it….Dawson, not so much. Our room steward lowers the blackout shades in our cabin, but I raise them to constant daylight.There is something magical about being unsure what time it is, because here in the Antarctica it simply doesn’t matter.The wildlife spend every moment of these precious summer months feeding and raising their young and I, too, don’t want to waste a minute of my short time here.
We have officially arrived in Antarctica.
Our first day here begins with mandatory landing briefings and biosecurity decontamination, where everything that will be leaving the ship with us during our time here will be inspected, cleaned, vacuumed, and tagged. Decontamination is taken seriously to avoid introduction of any foreign bio-matter onto the land.
This summer has proven to be extremely warm and our captain tells us they are seeing more ice melt than in any years past, so our ship is successful in reaching 68.4 degrees below the Arctic Circle.
Each day offers some type of shore or boat excursion, and each day the scientists give presentations about their research projects.
The food is very good aboard ship and the researchers and crew (except for food workers) take their meals with us, and love talking about their projects.
Getting ready for an onshore excursion is a major feat.
Just getting in and out of our winter clothing, and then the gear itself (boots, poles, etc), leaves us exhausted even before we debark onto the Zodiac rubber boats.
It is an out-of-body experience to be in this place.Every where you look there isice in every possible form: huge glaciers, fast ice, towering icebergs.The air is so cold and clean that it is impossible to tell distance, as everything is vivid and sharp. The peaceful stillness and enormous silence is overwhelming until the echoing thunder of an ice shelf breaking reminds me of the vastness of this place.Floating silently in a zodiac (small rubber boat) with fur seals bobbing calmly in the water beside me is such a rush I can hardly breath.
It is said, “You come to Antarctica for the animals and come back for the ice.“But I disagree.The ice is beautiful, and so blue that it stretches the imagination to consider it ice.However, the wildlife is amazing.Penguins hop across thewater like fleas and propel themselves safely onto the icebergs.Gargantuan, slobbering elephant seals sun their fat blubber-inflated bodies on shore while seals sleep in shifts on floating icebergs. Whales rise and fall in slow motion, showing one eye to study the strange beings who point Cannons and Nikons in their direction.The rule of the voyage is that no one should go closer to an animal than 15 feet, unless the animal itself gets closer —and they do!!!Penguins walk right in from of me to continue on their determined path.Walking in a penguin path is not suggested, however, as the inevitable smell takes weeks to clear from one’s sinuses.
Our trip to Antarctica on the National Geographic Exploreris a trip that will never be forgotten.The ship is a floating research center, and scientists are everywhere, eagerly waiting to share their research with tourist passengers such as myself.It is the tourists that help fund the research currently being done on these ships.One such project monitors the health of killer whales.Unfortunately, they are now finding skinny killer whales, something they encountered on last year’s peninsular trips.“Five years ago we had no concept that there could be thin and sick orca pods….it shows the state of the ecosystem beneath them in the food chain.Healthy systems have healthy top predators”, says one of the researchers.
Research-tourism ships in the Antarctica have greatly increased over the past few years, with approximately 58 vessels currently in operation, and are controlled by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO). Everyone on ship, crew and guests, contribute, whether by helping to look out for whales or sharing photos.To echo the words of our captain and crew,
on, not so much. Our room steward lowers the blackout shades in our cabin, but I raise them to constant daylight. There is something magical about being unsure what time it is, because here in the Antarctica it simply doesn’t matter. The wildlife spend every moment of these precious summer months feeding and raising their young and I, too, don’t want to waste a minute of my short time here.
The food is very good aboard ship and the researchers and crew (except for food workers) take their meals with us, and love talking about their projects.
