Nominated to represent young India on the International Antarctic Treaty Expedition 2009 from 15-30 November, I was one of the fortunate few to have set foot on the coldest continent. The expedition, run by Polar Explorer, Robert Swan OBE (the only man to travel to both Poles), brings young people, corporate leaders and environment enthusiasts from across the world to Antarctica, to inspire conversation and action on climate change.
Our journey began in Ushuaia (Argentinians have an ironic name for it — ‘Fin Del Mundo’ or the ‘end of the world’) and as we hiked up the Martial Glacier, for us Asians on the team (Vietnamese, Chinese and Indians), getting used to snow and icy breeze was a challenge. The view of Ushuaia from top of the mountains, however, made it worth the while. From where we stood, we could see the path on which glaciers had receded 300 metres in the last 20 years. This was our first evidence of global warming.
The next day, as we got ready to set sail to Antarctica, we arrived at the Ushuaia docks to board our British vessel ‘Clipper Adventurer’, our home for the next two weeks. We sailed out of the Beagle Channel, flanked by Argentina on one side and Chile on the other, and Cape Horn, in the distance.
One of the first physical and mental challenges of the expedition was the Drake Passage, the thin body of water that connected the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and had the formidable reputation of having the roughest sea weather in the planet. While our route was relatively storm-free, an adjoining low-pressure area kept the ship unsettled.
{{/usCountry}}One of the first physical and mental challenges of the expedition was the Drake Passage, the thin body of water that connected the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and had the formidable reputation of having the roughest sea weather in the planet. While our route was relatively storm-free, an adjoining low-pressure area kept the ship unsettled.
{{/usCountry}}Three days into the sea, our dinner was interrupted by the first sightings of an iceberg followed by a humpback whale. The skipper’s call of ‘Land Ho’ meant Antarctica would be in sight soon. Our first landing, at Brown Bluff, was an experience. It was as if an entire zoo had come to welcome us. Gentoo and Adelie Penguins, Crab-Eater and Weddel Seals — they were all there. Penguins, very congenial creatures, allowed us to photograph them nesting and mating at close quarters.
The unpredictability of nature was always a breath away. During a camp-out, we were hit by storm-like winds blowing at 35 knots. On another occasion, we found ourselves navigating through an ice-wall in the Lemaire Channel. Had the wind changed direction in the channel, we could have been stranded for days.
As we headed south, the captain navigated us through the remnants of the Larsen B ice shelf that had collapsed in 2002, reminding us that global warming wasn’t just a scientific theory. It was happening right here and now.
Our penultimate stop was Deception Island. The C-shaped island is so called because it confused explorers into believing they had discovered the Antarctic Peninsula. The island housed a whaling station where whales were killed for oil, more than 90 years ago. Till date, the oil drums, whale bones and graves of human causalities remain there. Our stop was a reminder of what Antarctica could have been, if not for the Antarctic Treaty that prevented oil and resources mining and put into abeyance all claims on the land.
Last halt — Bellingshausen on King George’s Island. The island housed Chilean and Russian scientific bases. Interestingly, both work on different time zones. As we sailed out of the Antarctica back into the Drake Passage, we carried with us the message that we needed to protect Antarctica to protect the climate across the world. We also carried back with us memories of rare colour: the blue of icebergs and snow-light grey skies.
Sometimes, the camera just isn’t good enough.
Ayesha Huda, is employed with Leo Burnett as a Brand Planning Associate in Mumbai.