The first light of day and we were far out to sea, on our way to Antarctica, traversing the infamous Drake Passage. While it seems likely that Drake did not pass south of Cape Horn when he crossed from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, it matters little to me. The sea voyage South America to Antarctica, at the very least can be called a passage. In a period of about 30 hours we will have traveled from a temperate forest, currently festooned with a myriad of flowers in an area inhabited by thousands of humans, to a mostly frozen land with neither forests nor humans who can call it home.
Today the Drake Passage was particularly peaceful, but for me the southward passage is always more mental and spiritual, rather than physical. There was a sense of excitement, of anticipation, which at times was given a more tangible form by the seabirds endlessly and silently circling our ship, the National Geographic Explorer. We all made preparations for tomorrow and beyond. For those of the ship there were menus to be planned, weather forecasts to be consulted, activities and destinations to be considered, lectures and presentations to be performed. For our guests there was much to be taken in, to be experienced, perhaps some vague mantras to be recalled…“There is no bad weather, just bad clothing.” In reality, however, the weather on the Antarctic Peninsula at this time of year is usually milder than the weather back home and even I am sometimes over-dressed on the first landing of the season!
If personal gear is your fascination you would enjoy the antics of our dive team as they assemble and check their gear. The ocean can be as cold as 29° F before sea ice is formed, making it difficult to be comfortable while diving. So there is an art to choosing the right gear, “there is no bad water, just bad gear.” While adjusting diving gloves might seem mundane, it is all part of the journey and this is one of the greatest journeys in the world.
