Tabular Ice Berg
Today was one of the most exciting days of the expedition! In the morning, everyone was woken up unexpectedly by Jumper over the PA system, with his usual "wakey, wakey!" He told us to wear "layers, layers, layers" and good shoes, but not our muck boots. We were instructed to go to Deck 5 as quickly as possible. When we arrived at Deck 5. we climbed up a ladder to Deck 6, where passengers are usually not allowed to go. On Deck 6, I saw a huge tabular ice berg - it’s approximately 1000 m x 1000 m x 250 m! Rob Swan told us that the ice berg had broken off of the Larsen-B Ice Shelf because of climate change, and shouldn't have been there.
After seeing the ice berg, everyone went downstairs for breakfast. Team Shackleton met afterwards to continue the “Sweet Spot” activity. For lunch, I went up to Deck 5, and sat at a table with the Canadians. They helped me improve my impression of the Canadian accent.
After seeing the ice berg, everyone went downstairs for breakfast. Team Shackleton met afterwards to continue the “Sweet Spot” activity. For lunch, I went up to Deck 5, and sat at a table with the Canadians. They helped me improve my impression of the Canadian accent.
Killer Whales
After the exciting zodiac cruise, I attended James Veness’s presentation about how he tells his “story.” In the middle of the presentation, Shane (leader of the Quark Expeditions crew), said that there was a group of orcas (killer whales) outside the ship! Everyone rushed out onto the decks. There was an entire pod of orcas - at least 10 whales. They weren't as black as I thought they would be because of the algae that grows on them. It was really amazing to see them porpoising through the water. A group of males came to investigate the boat. Apparently, male orcas’ dorsal fins can be up to six feet long! Males’ dorsal fins are triangular and stick straight up, and females’ dorsal fins are shorter and more rounded. There was also a seal, but the whales never attacked it.
Landing on an Ice Floe: A Rare Occasion
In the afternoon, we went on a zodiac cruise near Brown Bluff. There were lots of seals on the ice bergs, including leopard seals! We were supposed to land at Brown Bluff, but Rob Swan told us that there was too much ice around it. Instead, we were going to land on an ice floe, which not many people have done! Everyone boarded the zodiacs for cruises, and the zodiac groups took turns landing on a large piece of multi-year sea ice (sea ice that refreezes every year). Rob was testing out solar panels that he’s using on his expedition to the South Pole next year, the South Pole Energy Challenge. He and his son, Barney, are going to walk to the South Pole using only renewable energy!
What You've Been Waiting for - the Polar Plunge!
As if the day couldn’t be more exciting, the next item on the itinerary was the polar plunge! I was one of the last people to jump, and it was really fun to see the other expedition members jumping. It was windy, so I was really cold after I took off my fleece jacket and pants and was only wearing a swim suit. I went down the stairs to the jumping zodiac as quickly as I could after the previous person finished their plunge, and it seemed like a really long time when the Team Leaders were strapping me into the harness. After I dove into the water, my entire body went numb, so the water didn’t even feel cold! I high-fived two of the photographers on the photo zodiac, and then swam back to the jumping zodiac. When I was released from the harness, I sprinted to the hot tub!
My polar plunge (credit: 2041 photographers)
Energy, Energy, Energy
In the evening, David Hone gave another informative presentation about energy choices. He talked about the environmental consequences of China’s rapid industrial and economic expansion, and that it would be disastrous if India followed in China’s footsteps. He hopes that India will use renewable energy, and said that solar energy looks very promising. Susan Lower, David’s colleague from Shell, also gave a presentation about biofuels, which she and David foresee as an important part of the future energy mix. After Susan’s presentation, we saw the world premier of a documentary called “New Land,” produced by 2041 Team Leader Kyle. It was about an expedition to the North Pole, featuring some adorable sled dogs, and I would highly recommend seeing it!