Drake Passage en route to Antarctica
Yesterday as we pulled in our lines and left South America in our wake, I heard cheers, congratulations, and toasts being offered around the ship and out on deck. And why not, for we were off…off on an expedition that promises both adventure and the spectacular. Of course, modern technology has made our adventure much more accessible than it would have been just a century ago when the Antarctic continent still lay shrouded in mystery and misunderstanding. And yet, it is still drawing people to its frigid climes in ever increasing numbers, year after year. That’s because it remains a land of superlatives. One that, despite our many modern conveniences, demands caution and awe; not only for those fortunate, dedicated scientists still striving to unlock its remaining treasures while over-wintering on the White Continent, but also for those intrepid visitors such as ourselves, who come to visit when the conditions are at their best, in the Austral summer. The Antarctica that we will visit is in “full bloom” as our captain said tonight while welcoming us all. The peninsula is teeming with life at this time, as its creatures strive under the near endless sun to make the most of the short, plentiful season and give their respective offspring the best chance for success.
We, of course, know this; for it is undoubtedly the primary reason for choosing Antarctica as our journey’s goal. But there is so much more than just wildlife waiting for us across this divide that is the Drake Passage: a sea of ice, a spine of mountain peaks, seemingly endless glacial fields, ever-present daylight, and vistas that swallow the viewer whole. It’s all out there; we just need a little more patience. Remarkably, in this day and age when not only is tomorrow, but also seemingly every conceivable travel destination, just a day away; Antarctica requires the better half of a week to obtain a foothold. And tonight as we pass closer and closer to both the geopolitical border (60° South) and the biologic border (the Antarctic Convergence) our anticipation only grows. But at last our wait is almost over. Tomorrow we make landfall in Antarctica.
Yesterday as we pulled in our lines and left South America in our wake, I heard cheers, congratulations, and toasts being offered around the ship and out on deck. And why not, for we were off…off on an expedition that promises both adventure and the spectacular. Of course, modern technology has made our adventure much more accessible than it would have been just a century ago when the Antarctic continent still lay shrouded in mystery and misunderstanding. And yet, it is still drawing people to its frigid climes in ever increasing numbers, year after year. That’s because it remains a land of superlatives. One that, despite our many modern conveniences, demands caution and awe; not only for those fortunate, dedicated scientists still striving to unlock its remaining treasures while over-wintering on the White Continent, but also for those intrepid visitors such as ourselves, who come to visit when the conditions are at their best, in the Austral summer. The Antarctica that we will visit is in “full bloom” as our captain said tonight while welcoming us all. The peninsula is teeming with life at this time, as its creatures strive under the near endless sun to make the most of the short, plentiful season and give their respective offspring the best chance for success.
We, of course, know this; for it is undoubtedly the primary reason for choosing Antarctica as our journey’s goal. But there is so much more than just wildlife waiting for us across this divide that is the Drake Passage: a sea of ice, a spine of mountain peaks, seemingly endless glacial fields, ever-present daylight, and vistas that swallow the viewer whole. It’s all out there; we just need a little more patience. Remarkably, in this day and age when not only is tomorrow, but also seemingly every conceivable travel destination, just a day away; Antarctica requires the better half of a week to obtain a foothold. And tonight as we pass closer and closer to both the geopolitical border (60° South) and the biologic border (the Antarctic Convergence) our anticipation only grows. But at last our wait is almost over. Tomorrow we make landfall in Antarctica.
