The Magical Wonderland Around Spert Island<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

Our destination for today was not just another colony of penguins. \u00a0I would discover a mythical, magical place, unlike any that I had ever seen before… Spert Island.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Looking toward Spert through my longest lens, I could barely make out the tiny gap between the basalt cliffs. \u00a0It seemed that I could see something quite blue… the same startling blue that I recognized from the glaciers of Alaska. \u00a0Would we get a peek inside at the secrets hidden behind the rocks and pounding ocean? \u00a0Would it be just some more glaciers?<\/p>\n

Soon, the captain dropped Sea Spirit’s<\/i>\u00a0hook, and we boarded our zodiacs for the zodiac cruise du jour. \u00a0Better than hanging about the boat. \u00a0 I suppose.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Tim and Winnie in Uniform<\/h3>\n

As we approached Spert, there was indeed something blue. \u00a0And not a glacier. \u00a0Was this lonely iceberg our tour for today? \u00a0I had seen a couple of icebergs before.<\/p>\n

\n

Toward the cut. \u00a0I am here. \u00a0Today. \u00a0I am in the present. \u00a0I make a silent pact with myself to go forth… experience… appreciate… and learn… and live for today…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

As we got closer to the cut between the cliffs, I kind of thought we’d turn back, our pathetically pale attempt to breach the forces of Nature thwarted. \u00a0The surf was pounding on the rocks, the water surging in, pausing, rushing back out to sea. \u00a0Then, I quietly breathed a sigh of relief as we passed some invisible line, an edge of the force, and the water calmed.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Shooting the Gap<\/h3>\n

Always exploring in pairs for safety, we followed Pam in our sister zodiac. \u00a0(As a zodiac driver, photographer, and naturalist, she’s killer. \u00a0If I ever<\/u> get into trouble in a zodiac… I’ll want her or Mette twisting the stick on the outboard.)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Through the brash ice now, the vista expands. \u00a0First one berg, then a hard left turn and…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

…yet another berg.<\/h3>\n

A further turn to port side reveals…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

…an older floating berg.<\/h3>\n

Since water’s warmer than the air above, ice bergs melt from the bottom up. \u00a0 \u00a0This ice berg revealed two previous lifetimes on it’s right side… first, a melt that let it raise up into the air for 20m (exposing the higher indentation).. next, a chunk must have broken off its side allowing it to tilt to the left… then its current incarnation (the second indentation)\u00a0occurred\u00a0due to further melt down below.<\/p>\n

Next, we came upon two magnificent pinnacle ice bergs… Beautiful !<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

These bergs appeared to be taller than ten-story buildings. \u00a0Remember that ninety percent of them are hidden beneath the surface. \u00a0We’re in some pretty deep water here.<\/p>\n

I am now in complete sensory overload… the brain can only process so much.<\/p>\n

Mette, our zodiac driver, stops the outboard. \u00a0We all become hushed, listening to the sounds of Spert. Smelling its smells. \u00a0Getting into touch with our environment.. \u00a0Maybe getting into touch with ourselves.<\/p>\n

I feel a tiny shade of wistfulness colour my thoughts as the zodiac drifts, unpowered. \u00a0My very best attempts to photograph the unparalleled splendor of this land fall short of the continent’s true beauty. \u00a0Thoughts of family members, friends, and acquaintances cross my mind in these quiet moments… I so wish that they could all see this magical place.. at this very moment… and hear the water lapping at the sides of the boat… see and smell the crystalline clarity of the air about us.<\/p>\n

We move on. \u00a0Ever onward.
\nWe move by the pinnacles and see a possible opening between more bergs…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

…so we steer left and motor behind the first small berg and follow the face of<\/p>\n

the much taller berg behind.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u00a0… and following Pam, another course correction to the right leads us to<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

what seems, at first, to be a pair of icebergs, but a closer look shows rather shallow appearing water across the low point of a single berg, the two sides connected just beneath the surface. \u00a0No problem for the Mette and our zodiac. \u00a0If there’s a fan club or facebook page for zodiacs, I’m gonna join. \u00a0Great little boats that can accomplish anything you demand.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Next, we mush on through a bit of brash ice to find an ice face marked by algae like the annual rings on a tree. \u00a0Some of the lines are darker than others indicating warmer summer seasons.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Arctic Tern<\/h3>\n

An arctic tern flies by, so far the only wildlife that we’ve spotted. \u00a0Arctic terns are referred to as “birds of light”, due to their 44,000 mile round trip migration every year. \u00a0Northern hemisphere summer (June, July, August) for breeding, then southern hemisphere (December, January, February) for the antarctic summer. \u00a0Always heading for summer, somewhere. \u00a0Always heading for “the light”.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Every turn reveals a new vista .<\/h3>\n

This old berg reminded me of some old WWII movie, where the aircraft carrier is blown into two, and begins to sink…<\/p>\n

Each of these calved bergs represents the death knell for some glacier. \u00a0Glaciers are born when a few flakes of snow fall in the Antarctic mountains. These snow flakes become packed down by the weight of a millenia of snowfalls, and are compressed into a river of solid ice. This glacier may take 10,000 years or more to succumb to gravity, advancing ever so slowly toward the ocean, where chunks as large as office buildings yield and break off the face of the glacier. \u00a0Some will become grounded in shallower water and live a long time in the colder climes. \u00a0Others will drift to the ocean to wander it’s currents, finding the warmer water of the Antarctic convergence where they melt and die. \u00a0The water eventually evaporates, to be taken back into the atmosphere where it will begin its life cycle once again as another bit of light snowfall in the Antarctic mountains. \u00a0The continent breaths like a living being. \u00a0It inhales in the winter, the ice doubling the continent’s size. \u00a0In the summer the continent exhales and sighs, melting sea ice and calving glaciers, and shrinking once again.<\/p>\n

I love icebergs, even though their\u00a0sheer immensity and long lives make me feel a bit… \u00a0insignificant?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Forging onward, ever onward, we break on through to the other side, break on through, break on through…<\/p>\n

I break on through… the doors of perception. \u00a0I’m seeing a side of this tiny blue planet, and a side of life that I’ve never personally seen before. \u00a0I ponder at that which I see and think is real, and wonder if others in the boat see the same thing?<\/p>\n

It finally occurs to me. \u00a0It’s not what you look at, it’s what you see. \u00a0In icebergs. \u00a0And in life.
\n<\/p>\n

This is cool. \u00a0Yeah, I know, bad pun. \u00a0The dimples in this “golf ball berg” were formed by the same currents of water that melted it, then allowed it to roll over for us all to see and appreciate.
\nAgain: cool.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A berg that once floated free (rounded top used to be on bottom) has now grounded, and is being worn away by the waves.<\/p>\n

Although trapped and showing a bit of graceful aging, it’ll live longer.<\/p>\n

\n

<\/p>\n

Always turning right can be a good thing. \u00a0(In a boat, not necessarily in politics.) \u00a0It’ll eventually get you back to the ship. \u00a0In this case the right turn was really short-lived, and we ended up bearing left through a narrow canyon that was hiding in plain sight, just ahead. \u00a0And that, in turn, lead to…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Sometimes, you just cannot get through.<\/h3>\n

Tempting. \u00a0But in Antarctica, as in life, just being tempted don’t mean you oughta try it. \u00a0Might squeeze through… might all end right there. \u00a0When I was younger – much younger – I would have steered a course, full speed ahead, right for the tiny gap. \u00a0I know. \u00a0Another bad pun.
\nSurvival. \u00a0I am thankful for it.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Sometimes, you can.<\/h3>\n

A little further on, patience is rewarded. \u00a0I don’t know how these arches were formed, but it was totally thrilling to go through, waves and tide heaving, zodiac lurching forward, pausing, and lurching further… “the time of your life”.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A little further on, we came across this fellow. \u00a0If he looks cross, I’m sure he was. \u00a0I would have been. \u00a0Damn. \u00a0Guy can’t even haul out, warm up, and have a nap around here. \u00a0This neighborhood’s getting too crowded. \u00a0Maybe if I turn my back and ignore them, they’ll go away. \u00a0And NO FISHING DAMMIT!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Anyone for ice cream?<\/h3>\n

We came upon these bergy bits grounded on a shelf in the shallows near the cliffs. \u00a0They reminded me of ice cream treats. \u00a0Several sizes guaranteed to please the most discriminating desert palate, but considering the amount of ice beneath the surface… \u00a0probably not going to get one back to the ship.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\nBusting Through the Brash and Bergy Bits<\/h3>\n

A turn to the right and we were barging through these bergy bits.. the heftier ones we steered around, the smaller ones we just powered over. \u00a0They made quite a grating sound as they scraped and bumped underneath the floor of the zodiac. \u00a0I remember thinking \u00a0a) do we have extra shear pins for the prop, and b) isn’t that hard on the prop? \u00a0(Note: later, looking at one of the outboard props back aboard the ship, it looked as though the blades had been fashioned out of sheet metal with pinking shears<\/u>.
\nProps. \u00a0The renewable resource… on the Sea Spirit<\/i>\u00a0anyway.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

While we couldn’t get the ice cream bergs back to the ship, we could<\/u> take some iceberg ice back for bragging rights over drinks later…<\/p>\n

Ice from bergs can have trapped air bubbles that are thousands of years old. \u00a0They appear white to our eyes, as the sunlight entering the ice is scattered by the bubbles. \u00a0In very old ice, the pressure has been so great as to completely express the air out, allowing light to penetrate deeper into the ice. \u00a0Colors in the red area of the spectrum are absorbed by the ice 6 x more than colors of the blue spectrum. \u00a0Thus very, very old ice appears quite blue. \u00a0This ice that can be tens of thousands of years old. \u00a0It is a pure as water can be, and with the salt rinsed off the surface, lasts all evening for your favorite libations.<\/p>\n

Shunning the blue ice, I harvest some white ice. \u00a0 \u00a0For later.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Mind your heads, mates, we’re going left, just beneath this outcropping.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Arctic Tern does a fly-by to check us out.<\/h3>\n

<\/p>\n

The vertical striations on the berg in the foreground illustrate the paths that were carved by escaping bubbles as the melting occurred from beneath.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Storm Petral<\/h3>\n

For some strange reason, Mette is suddenly reminded that our zodiac tour was scheduled for only two hours. \u00a0It’s been three hours, and we’re a long way from Sea Spirit. \u00a0<\/i>Radio reception is scratchy and broken. \u00a0Unreadable. \u00a0We are out of radio contact. \u00a0Stupid radios. \u00a0All but two zodiacs, Pam’s and Mette’s, have probably been safely hoisted back aboard. \u00a0Captain and crew leaders are wondering “Where the hell are those two rebel naturalists?” \u00a0Are they okay? \u00a0Are they in trouble?
\nThe storm petrel. \u00a0I can see the fear of the coming storm on Mette’s face, and can imagine it on Pam’s face. \u00a0There IS a storm coming back aboard the Sea Spirit<\/i>\u00a0for Pam and Mette.\u00a0 Where had the time gone? \u00a0Didn’t anyone need to get back to the boat for sustenance? \u00a0Or to pee?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

We haul ass back to the ship.<\/h3>\n

One last look back to try to burn the memory… of the sunlight on the icebergs, the feel of the water, the smell of the salt, the camaraderie of all aboard our rebellious pair of zodiacs… into our brains forever, for,<\/p>\n

As of this day,<\/p>\n

I am changed.<\/p>\n

Forever.<\/p>\n

\n

\n

I have a new perspective about myself, and my relative significance to global order or chaos. \u00a0I can continue to be part of the problem. \u00a0Or strive to be part of the cure.<\/p>\n

That’s why I’m writing this. \u00a0Let’s take care of this tiny blue planet\u00a0for our kids. \u00a0And their kids. \u00a0We ALL have to help, however we can.<\/p>\n

As an aside, later, at de-briefing, tiny bubbles of air, tens of thousands of years old, are released as the ice melts in my drink. \u00a0I am inhaling antiquity, as I sip my Scotch.<\/p>\n

Life is good for all.<\/p>\n

As it should be.<\/p>\n

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The Magical Wonderland Around Spert Island   Our destination for today was not just another colony of penguins. \u00a0I would discover a mythical, magical place, unlike any that I had ever seen before… Spert Island. \u00a0 Looking toward Spert through my longest lens, I could barely make out the tiny gap between the basalt cliffs. … <\/p>\n

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