…a trip to Antarctica
I’ve always been fascinated by the science of Pangea. The idea of Earth moving, shifting–seeming to be trying to get comfortable. Sometimes, in my head, I picture that iconic scene of a fetus in utero. A recognizable shape emerging from a single blob, then an occasional foot kicking, leg stretching, body floating. Is that what has been happening to the land masses (and water) here on Earth? Moving, shifting, growing into what we recognize on maps and globes today. What about tomorrow? In another few million years, what will maps look like?
Geologists estimate that Earth’s land mass, Pangea, formed over 300 million years ago and began to break apart about 100 million years later. All that movement, plus multiple changes in global temperatures and atmosphere, has made for fascinating discoveries and advancements in science–pushing our idea of ‘history’ back further and further.
Bringing me to the stories of Antarctica. In all of human memory and knowledge, it has been the frozen landmass at the ‘bottom’ of the world. Able to barely sustain any life forms. A siren’s song for explorers and adventurers. But human memory is infinitesimal in the grand scheme of Earth’s knowledge. We don’t have any DNA memory of Antarctica being different.
It turns out, surprisingly, that ninety million years ago Antarctica was a rainforest, a type of biome we consider to be one of the richest in biodiversity. Ice cores have revealed evidence of ferns, trees, dinosaurs, and many other life forms.
Now, more than 2km of ice and millions of years of change conceal everything. Or, if Kurt Russell (as MacReady, in The Thing) is to be believed, perhaps space aliens after only a few thousand years 😉
Which brings me to November, 2024 when I had the privilege and pleasure of traveling to Antarctica.
Considered as the ‘summer’ season, it still proved to be an exciting journey (by ship) as we worked our way through gale force 9 seas (winds of 80kph, gusting to 115kph, and waves of 7 meters), ice-covered decks, and about 20 hours of daylight every day.
There was a surprising amount (to me) of biodiversity to see once we arrived. Birds and mammals dominate, with a few plants making their appearance for the season.
Then, there are those most iconic of polar birds, the penguins! From the top, left to right: adelies, a gentoo, and macaroni. The next set are king, chinstrap, and rockhoppers.
Then, there are the mammals, all being marine mammals. These are the ones I was able to photograph as I also saw weddell and leopard seals.
As for whales, there were lots, but I mostly saw spouts and backs. For me, it was a guessing game, one that I probably lost. From top, ht: minke whale; an unknown spouting; gentoo penguins pretending to be dolphins; unknown seal species, also pretending to be dolphins; multiple spouts (top left of photo) and multiple unknown whales (mid/centre of photo).
But then….there’s the scenery. Mountains and icebergs, sometimes hard to tell apart. There were bergs we could zip around in the zodiac while others were so large it took hours for the ship to steam past them. And colour! The richness of the ground that sometimes can be seen. The startling green of the ocean floor seen through the crystal clear water. Then, the blue. Blue glaciers highlighted against the white and brown mountains they are traveling down. Blue light that seems to come from within icebergs. It’s impossible to stop taking pictures…here are just a few.
Then, there’s this bad boy. Icebergs are tracked and named–this is A23-A. Called a ‘tabular’ iceberg because of its flat, plateau shape is was one of the world’s biggest. When we saw it, it was roughly the size of Rhode Island and it took hours for the ship to travel past it. We were very close and it was fascinating to watch as we went by.
Along with pictures are stories. Some incredible for their bravery, others difficult to know about.
There’s the story of Ernest Shackleton, Irish explorer, determined to break records reaching and exploring the South Pole. His Imperial Trans-Antarctica Expedition of 1914-1917 in the ill-fated Endurance reads like the most fantastic of tales, only it’s true. Here are a few notable scenes from the Endurance expedition.
Other difficult–uncomfortable and definitely not heroic–sites we visited were those of some of the sealing and whaling stations from the past. Seeing the seals, sea lions, and penguins who have taken it over is a balm to the heart.
I’ll say right up front that I am not a ‘cruise’ person. Sea sickness is not a problem but I prefer a smaller, more intimate space. I chose the Quark expedition ship Ocean Explorer because that is exactly the vibe I wanted–an expedition. Not a floating city lol. At just over 100 meters in length and a maximum passenger capacity of 138 (there were only 130 passengers on my trip) I knew it was exactly what I was looking for. Lectures and presentations from subject matter experts, a gorgeous 2-story sunlight filled library, as well as a sauna, fitness centre, multiple dining rooms (amazing food!), bars, and lounges, and lovely cabin suites with balcony–exactly what I wanted. The ratio of expedition team members to guests gave us maximum opportunities to explore off the ship, by way of zodiacs.
During the trip I had a chance to go up and see the bridge.
With a fleet of 15 zodiacs, we were ready to go exploring at the drop of a hat!
So many fascinating topics in pre-history, history, science, and more.
The Drake Passage…alternately referred to as either the Drake Lake or Drake Shake. I got to experience both and it’s a good thing I don’t get sea sick. Whether it was through the large windows in a lounge or from my own cabin, it was fun watching during a Shake! At one point, during a rough patch at night, I was actually knocked out of my bed! However, apparently it would have been much more dramatic without the Ulstein X-Bow, its famous inverted bow.
The other beauty of a ‘small’ ship expedition is its ability to go into more spaces–small coves and bays, and closer to the foot of glaciers.
As we went further south, you’re reminded you are on an actual ice-breaker.
The opportunity to get really close, and often land, was made possible by the zodiacs. Learning how to exit from the ship into the zodiac and then back again was a bit tricky, and not for the faint of heart…especially exciting during rough water! Being on the zodiac meant I had many chances to experience Antarctica, not just watch it from a window.
Another great vacation!
