A Hot Tub in a Blizzard in Antarctica Friday January 6, 2012

Can you believe it - a swim in a hot tub in Antarctica in the midst of a blizzard. It just keeps getting better and better!

Friday, January 6, 2012
http://www.studentsonice.com/antarctic2011/day11.html


Expedition Update - 10:00am EST
New update from Expedition Leader, Geoff:
Yesterday, our landing were in the Wauwermans Islands on the Koerner Ice Cap, and later at Palmer Station and Torgersen Island. Some of our accomplishments on the pillow ice cap included replacing the SOI Hobo external data temperature logger, conducting a snow study, learning how to build a snow wall, and sharing a moment in a circle listening to Tony play his favourite song. A big thank-you to Selin for organizing the first ever TEDx_Antarctic Peninsula talks that were filmed by Pascale at Palmer Station. We also saw Elephant seals! Breaching Humpback whales! Krill! Antarctic midges! Our last stop was Port Lockroy and 337 Antarctic postcards were mailed, bound for destinations around the world!


In the evening before recap and bed, we enjoyed a talk by Arnold Witzig about following our dreams and pursuing our goals as highlighted through his stories about climbing the seven summits and other adventures along his life path.


This morning we quickly climbed out of our beds to watch the ship navigate through a narrow opening in Deception Island! Deception Island is an active volcano and many many years ago an eruption caused part of one side to collapes, allowing for the formation of a culdera and an open passage into the calm waters inside. Deception Island was once a whaling station where a couple hundred men worked during the peak of the whaling days. Deception has also been home to research stations, including an air strip, but these were evacuated during the last eruption in the 60´s. Now this place is a very eerie one, and quite different from the rest of the peninsula. Black, red and orange volcanic rock can be seen more than snow. A long beach in Whaler's Bay will allow us to walk and explore the abandoned oil drums, station buildings, whaling boats and airplane hanger. Students will also walk up to Neptune´s Bellows, a "window" through the wall of the island, where on a clear day, you can see the continent! Today we will enjoy a polar plunge and swim in Antarctic waters!


Though the expedition program is winding down with only a few more days together the energy and positivity is at it´s peak! Students are keen to make the most of our last moments in Antarctica.


The Education Program for today:
0700 - Yoga (Clare & Danièle)
0730 - Wake-Up! Get out on deck as we sail through Neptune's Bellows!
0800 - Breakfast
0900 - Whalers Bay, Deception Island landing. We plan to explore the whaling
station remains and the thermal beach.
1045 - Pod Meeting #4 (on the beach)
1130 - Antarctic Swim
1230 - Lunch
13:30 - 18:30 - Afternoon Program: Potential Zodiac cruise and workshops
1900 - Dinner
2030 - Evening Recap & Briefing


Expedition Update - 12:00pm EST
New update from Expedition Leader, Geoff:
We just got back from our hike and swim at Whaler´s Bay inside Deception Island. It was a really nice morning, and a great place for a long hike, exploring the old whaling station, and then going for our Polar dip in freezing Antarctic ocean!


Thanks to the volcanic geothermal activity on the beach, we were able to dig a hot tub which helped to warm everyone up. Just in the middle of our swim a blizzard hit us which added a nice touch to the scene.


Another of the highlights was some singing inside one of the old tanks from the whaling station. The sound was incredible for Tony (from the Great Lake Swimmers) who played a few tunes, and for some of our students that sang (Serena), and Pam and Becky who did some throat singing!!


David and Olle explained the incredible history of the whaling station and of the volcano to all of the students. This shows them a different face of Antarctica, and some of the human history here. Ironically, the whalers were after oil, just like we still are today. In retrospect, killing whales for their oil is certainly seen today as being unacceptable. Today the oil sands and off shore drilling has much more impact with enormous negative consequences for our planet, and yet we push on with very short-sighted and unsustainable strategies for energy.


Can we have a world without oil? Certainly not in the near future. But we can have a world that needs less oil and has more alternative, sustainable and clean energy sources. As the quote goes, the Stone Age didn’t end because we ran out of stones. It ended because we found a better way. These students understand that we need better, cleaner, healthier ways. And yet they see what their leaders are doing at conferences like Durban (Climate Change Summit) last month, or in their home countries, and they cannot understand the disconnect and lack of true leadership and vision for their future. Despite this, they are hopeful, optimistic, and yes, idealistic. Three cheers for that!


This afternoon we hope to make our final landing at Aitcho Island.
Lunchtime!
Geoff