Antarctica: Tipping the Iceberg

The dream comes to an end. But like all good dreams, we talk about them, share the stories with friends, and hope that someday we will relive the wonder.

Last night was the grand finale. The Drake did not let us down - actually, it did. It let us down, then up, then down, then sideways. Speaking to several of the crew this morning, the general consensus amongst the professionals was that last night was an “eight out of ten” on the Drake scale.

We awoke to yet another spectacular sunrise. The clouds had cleared overnight and the sun peaked over the frosted mountains at 6:44 am. The tops of the ranges on the west side of the Errera Channel burst into brilliant whites, back dropped by a cerulean sky. Shadows gave way to a black and white palette of snow-covered mountains accented by crevasses and giant rocky outcroppings. This is the purest air on earth. This, the magnificent dawn of our last day in Antarctica, was proving, once again, to be like no other.

Remember what I said yesterday? “How can it get any better?” I would not have believed that the experiences on this trip would be a constant crescendo. EVERYBODY has been wandering around in a daze - Antarctica is an amazing, magical place. Incredible wildlife aside, Antarctica itself is so magnificent that words cannot describe the physical and emotional experience.

We crossed into the Antarctic Circle early this morning. However, we are still in the Drake Passage. Nature has been kind - seas were calm and the weather was in the mid-50s all afternoon. Although the wind has started to pick up, it was very sunny. So much so, that sun block and polarized glasses were the order for the day.