Energy was cracking across the sky like a whip, it felt like a great thunderous storm should have been rattling the windows but the silence was deafening, a silent storm.
Category: Antarctica
So how was it?
Spending time with people who have an adventurous spirit, who pursue experiences and are interested in peoples stories, the world around them and the way that they interact with it. People with amazing resilience, courage and the capacity to step up to a challenge.
Change of plans
Then after the most boring five days of my life, the Universe smiled on me. I was given the option of flying home instead of taking the ship…. It was a big decision and I carefully considered my options. The benefits home two weeks earlier then planned…. flying not rocking my way through the roughest latitudes in the world… internet access. It took about 2 secs, to recover the power of speech and agree to take one for the team. OK, I’ll fly home since some-one needs to do it. Happy dance, happy dance, happy dance.
Travelling home – part 1
It seemed like hours before finally the blob appeared, with my slightly dodgy eyesight, I had to wait longer then everyone else but it was there. A couple of low flyovers later and a bright shiny red little Basler landed smoothly on the sea ice, gliding to a stop right in front of us. A human emerged from the steps and I think I might have looked like a timid monkey hiding behind the guys peering out. It was the first human we had seen for ten months!!
Spring has sprung
Antarctic in winter as a preview of death!!! In winter the landscape does seem impassive but with the return of life the landscape has become more interactive. You get a response. A seal pup rolling around on the ice annoying its mother. A snow petrel playing chicken with the wind turbine. Squa’s hanging around watching everything intently like a fat kid at a buffet.
Penguin poo smells really bad
…when we find the first little footprints in the snow that signal the Adelie penguins have started to arrive home.
Soon the Island will be swarming with hundreds of penguins. They will be fighting over little rocks, laying eggs and keeping watch. The Rookery Island will be a place of energy, action and lots and lots of fresh smelly poo!!!!!
Emperor penguin chicks
Kneeling we are almost eye to eye, when you look directly at the birds they shuffle like naughty children, nudging each other to the front of the group. When you look through the camera or away from them, you can hear them shuffling closer on the ice, occasionally they peer up the lens of the camera.
A sunny day in paradise
The light shines on the glaciers highlighting the ancient blue glacial ice that peeks through the snow that has clung to the icy surface. It reflects off the snow and ice, bouncing up to blind my eyes as I walk across the station. Looking across the Islands and ice bergs it is easy to see that spring is only a few days way
If old buildings could talk
In Antarctica there are many old buildings, they are not old in years but they are steeped in history and have led a harsh life exposed to Antarctic weather, wind and snow blast them all winter, then summer delivers 23 hours a day of sunlight with no ozone filter. The old walls could tell stories of expeditioners who have sat around on a Sunday afternoon talking crap and playing cards
Jen Wressell 