Dispatch Number Four
Date: March 4 and 5, 2012
Place: Antarctica
Antarctica: Dispatch Number Four
The M/V Sea Spirit approaching Lemaire Channel. Image courtesy of 2041 (IAE 2012).
March 4
65° 2' South and 63° 55' West
Lemaire Channel
Sound asleep in our beds, we were abruptly awakened at dawn by the safety officer’s booming voice – invading our cabin via the ship’s intercom – telling us we had five minutes to dress (in multi-layers) and muster on the foredeck of the M/V Sea Spirit.
Known simply as “Jumper,” the IAE 2012 safety officer – a retired Royal Navy man – brought a military efficiency to running the IAE 2012 Antarctic Boot Camp and the Leadership on the Edge program.
Admittedly, it was a monumental task to muster the 72 team members from 22 countries, in addition to the leadership team of 14 people. Jumper's military precision did the trick, however, bringing back fond memories of my boot camp experiences in Canada’s infantry.
Most of my friends and colleagues know, from experience, that I’m not a morning person; further, they know that I can’t formulate full sentences before 9:00am. However, in order to be a contributing team member – working in the harshest climate on Earth – I had to overcome two of my worst habits: languishing-in-bed in the morning and running chronically late.
Despite our grumblings at dawn, the IAE 2012 team was elated to watch the M/V Sea Spirit navigate the Lemaire Channel, one of the most photographed locales of Antarctica. Running between Booth Island and the Western Antarctic Peninsula, the Lemaire Channel is framed by towering volcanic cliffs. The M/V Sea Spirit was dwarfed by the snow- and glacier-capped cliffs as she motored through the channel which measures 11 kilometres (7 miles) long and between 0.8 to 1.6 kilometres (or 0.50 to 1.0 miles) across.
I celebrated my birthday today, with the IAE 2012 participants and the leadership team. The M/V Sea Spirit’s crew sang a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday,” and the chef baked me a gluten-free birthday cake.
M/V Sea Spirit Latitudes and Longitudes
Hover your mouse over the markers to learn more about each location.
Position of the M/V Sea Spirit in Antarctica on March 4 and March 5, 2012.
Other Markers Shown on the Previous Map
March 4
65° 6' South and 64° 4' West
Pleneau Bay
Leopard seals, crabeater seals, iceberg graveyard and orcas
A leopard seal on the hunt in the icy cold waters of Antarctica. Image courtesy of 2041 (IAE 2012).
March 4
65° 10' South and 64° 10' West
Petermann Island
Furthest south reached on the IAE 2012 Expedition
Gentoo and adelie penguins
Image courtesy of 2041 (IAE 2012).
March 5
64° 41' South and 62° 38' West
Cuverville Island
Class room on shore, time for personal reflection
Snow climb, rope work in teams
Teams climbing Cuverville Island with ropes. Image courtesy of 2041 (IAE 2012).
March 5
64° 43' South and 62° 41' West
Ronge Island
Weddell Seal on the beach
Survival Camping for half of the team. It should have been called Camp Rain! I was glad that my Survival Camping night took place on the following evening -- we received snow but no rain.
Image courtesy of 2041 (IAE 2012).
For more information about 2041, visit their blog where you'll find videos, pictures and blog posts from various participants.
Categories: IAE 2012 Antarctic Dispatches, IAE (International Antarctic Expedition) 2012, 2041, Susan R. Eaton, Antarctica
Tags: 2041 Susan R. Eaton Antarctica Dispatch
Comments