“After nourishment, shelter, and Companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world”
— Philip Pullman
Antarctica Part 5: Let's seal this deal
Back on the National Geographic Explorer, the staff organized an iceberg pareidolia contest. Rules were simple:, take a photo of an iceberg you think looks like something, then submit it to the staff with a creative title of your choosing. The contest allowed for two categories, one permitting photo manipulation with words or simple drawings, the second must be a stand alone shot. I entered the first category, Will entered the second….
Antarctica Part 4: A Whale of a Tale
Meet PAN-1772, a well traveled whale that has been sighted off the coast of three continents since 2007 - Colombia, Panama, and now by us in Antarctica. We know this thanks to a very cool citizen science website: happywhale.com. As it turns out, a whale’s tail or fluke acts as a unique identifier just like our finger prints. Get a good photo of the fluke…
Antarctica Part 2: Many, Many Penguins
The ship finally stopped moving both vertically and horizontally, and all human life was starting to emerge from their cabin bathroom floors. We were briefed on our inaugural landing at Barrientos, which is populated by two species of penguins. The excitement aboard was palpable.
Antarctica Part 1: Ottawa to the Drake Passage
As Michael informed us, we were’t about to get off easy. They were predicting impressive six meter swells (which he explained none to reassuringly is actually about medium range for the Drake). It was going to be a rough crossing.