At Sea in the Drake Passage
We have come to the end of a magnificent adventure. This was not simply a visit to the Seventh Continent, this was an exploration of a part of Earth that defies description and, to most of us, remains beyond comprehension. We are among the fortunate few who will ever get to experience this journey. Ours was a penetration into new places, not just for ourselves, but also for the National Geographic Endeavour, her Captain, crew and staff. It was more that simply a realization of our hopes that we could cross the Antarctic Circle. We did that, and then some.
The feared Drake Passage was kind to us on our outbound journey, but played with us like a toy as we returned. A voyage through this tangled, tortuous and converging waterway would not be worthy of mention if it were forever calm. An endless conflict exists here between the relatively warm waters of the southern extremities of our two great oceans, Atlantic and Pacific, and the icy gyre that swirls around Antarctica. The opposing forces create treacherous conditions for marine traffic. In our hearts we really did want to feel the terrible power of Drake’s winds and currents; this would surely be something to talk about when we arrived home. Although we pitched and rolled and yawed our way homeward, we were really very lucky. This little piece of the 70 percent of Earth’s surface that is water can be vastly worse.
More than anything else, we were participants in a venture deep into the south of the Antarctic Peninsula. We shared the pride and smiles of Captain Leif Skog as he took our ship to a point further south than she had ever been…68 degrees 17.5 minutes South, a full 104 miles beyond the Antarctic Circle. And aside from the many exciting landings that we made, our first touch of the continent itself was indeed at this southern-most point.
Did we see it all? Of course not! Antarctica is huge. It is a wilderness area of massive scope and a major part of the untouched world. It is a continent for which we will now work proudly and with spirit in an effort to preserve and protect. The international Antarctic Treaty was negotiated to expire someday. We may have to negotiate strongly to extend it. Those who have seen nature in it rawest form will be the messengers. The very least that humankind can do is to save something special and untouched for those who are to follow.
As a final touch, National Geographic Endeavour took us Around Cape Horn, both by way of ancient film and in real time. Compared to most roundings, ours was easy riding.
We have come to the end of a magnificent adventure. This was not simply a visit to the Seventh Continent, this was an exploration of a part of Earth that defies description and, to most of us, remains beyond comprehension. We are among the fortunate few who will ever get to experience this journey. Ours was a penetration into new places, not just for ourselves, but also for the National Geographic Endeavour, her Captain, crew and staff. It was more that simply a realization of our hopes that we could cross the Antarctic Circle. We did that, and then some.
The feared Drake Passage was kind to us on our outbound journey, but played with us like a toy as we returned. A voyage through this tangled, tortuous and converging waterway would not be worthy of mention if it were forever calm. An endless conflict exists here between the relatively warm waters of the southern extremities of our two great oceans, Atlantic and Pacific, and the icy gyre that swirls around Antarctica. The opposing forces create treacherous conditions for marine traffic. In our hearts we really did want to feel the terrible power of Drake’s winds and currents; this would surely be something to talk about when we arrived home. Although we pitched and rolled and yawed our way homeward, we were really very lucky. This little piece of the 70 percent of Earth’s surface that is water can be vastly worse.
More than anything else, we were participants in a venture deep into the south of the Antarctic Peninsula. We shared the pride and smiles of Captain Leif Skog as he took our ship to a point further south than she had ever been…68 degrees 17.5 minutes South, a full 104 miles beyond the Antarctic Circle. And aside from the many exciting landings that we made, our first touch of the continent itself was indeed at this southern-most point.
Did we see it all? Of course not! Antarctica is huge. It is a wilderness area of massive scope and a major part of the untouched world. It is a continent for which we will now work proudly and with spirit in an effort to preserve and protect. The international Antarctic Treaty was negotiated to expire someday. We may have to negotiate strongly to extend it. Those who have seen nature in it rawest form will be the messengers. The very least that humankind can do is to save something special and untouched for those who are to follow.
As a final touch, National Geographic Endeavour took us Around Cape Horn, both by way of ancient film and in real time. Compared to most roundings, ours was easy riding.
