Antarctic Field Course - Study Abroad

Bethany's Journal

QA

Name: Bethany
Major: Zoology
Year of Study: Senior
Why Did I Want To Study in Antarctica: To see the most remote place on Earth
Biggest doubt before the trip: Whether or not we all would get along
Best moment/experience: Minke whale swimming right underneath the zodiac
Worst moment/experience: First day on the Drake Passage
Favorite Scenery/Place: Lemaire Channel
Favorite Animal: Chinstrap penguin
Would I Do This Again? Without a doubt
What do I think differently about since being back? I thought that I knew so much about the world, but now that I've experienced this trip, I realize how much knowledge there is out there that I have yet to gain.
Quote: "Before I left I had some idea of what Antarctica would be like, based upon pictures I've seen and videos I've watched. However, no picture or video will ever match what I saw with my own eyes while I was there. It was spiritual."

Please use the links below to view a specific date further down the page.

December - 2003

Sat. 13

Sun. 14

Mon. 15

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Wed. 17

Thu. 18

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January - 2004

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Photos credited to Bethany. Click an image to enlarge, hover over an image for a description.

December 13, 2003

I cannot believe that the time has finally arrived. We leave today for the most exciting journey that I have ever taken. I was so excited last night; sleep was out of my grasp. The idea of traveling to such a remote location with people that I do not know is not something that I am used to. Upon arrival at Detroit Metro airport this morning, as my parents helped me unload all of my luggage, there was quite an array of thoughts floating through my head. Would everyone like me? Would I enjoy myself? Did I remember my toothbrush? As I walk up to check in, I spot some of my travel mates all seated in a circle, chatting. "What a scientific looking group," I think. An instant later, I think about what they think looking at me. My blonde highlights, my pink lip gloss, my Tiffany's jewelry, and my Louis Vuitton purse…the token sorority girl, "She's not going to last a minute in Antarctica." Nonetheless, I was excited. I was ready to prove to myself, and to everyone, that I would get as much out of these next three weeks as anyone, and that I would never, ever be the same.

December 14, 2003

The majority of the remainder of yesterday and last night was a big blur. Luckily, I was able to sleep most of the time between Detroit and our arrival in Buenos Aires this morning. We arrived in Buenos Aires at 7:30 AM, and had a whopping hour to get our luggage and make our plane bound for Ushuaia, which was scheduled to depart at 8:30. Luckily, they held our plane because we would have missed it, much to the chagrin of the rest of the passengers. About five hours later, we finally arrive in Ushuaia. It was almost surreal to think about how far south we were. I pictured a map of the world in my head as we were landing, and instantly got butterflies just thinking about how far away I was from everything that I was used to. Once we all gathered our luggage, we wandered outside to check out the scenery while our luggage got loaded into the bus that was going to drop us off at our hotel. It was quite cloudy, so the mountain peaks were hidden, but the view was still incredible. With the ocean at our back and the foothills of the Andes in front of us, clouds or not, it was beautiful. Finally, we all piled into the bus and made our way for the Hotel Cap Polonio, which will be our home for the next 2 days. It was nice to unpack a bit and get settled in. Some of us went out to try to find some dinner. It was nice to finally be able to really start getting to know each other. We also didn't want to waste any time in exploring the local bar scene. So, after dinner, we made our way back to our hotel and I took a much-needed shower. Then it was off to what would become a favorite place for coffee, food, and beer: Tante Sara. What a fun night, everyone was so pumped up about the journey before us and getting to know each other. We also met some local guys who pointed out a couple great places for us to check out for later in the trip. A few hours later, dead tired, and a bit tipsy, we headed back to the hotel…who knows what time it was.

December 15, 2003

It is now our second day in Ushuaia. We met early this morning for a run down about what the day's plans were. Our first assignment of the trip was to check out two museums in town and answer a list of questions related to each museum. We all split into smaller groups and went our separate ways. My group checked out the Museo Yamana first. It basically covered the paleohistory of the Tierra del Fuego region. We learned about different migration routes that the first people to inhabit the area may have taken to arrive there. The most interesting thing that I learned at the Museo Yamana was that Magellan named the area Tierra del Fuego because of all the fires of the natives that he and his crew spotted when sailing through the Beagle Channel. Tierra del Fuego means "land of the fire" in Spanish. Our next stop was the Museo del Fin del Mundo. Here we learned more about the animal life of Tierra del Fuego and the sub Antarctic islands. It was interesting learning about the cranial morphology of the Leopard and Crabeater seals. It is amazing to me how specialized the "equipment" is of the different species of animals that live in this environment. We learned about the different tribes of native people that lived here, and how they survived in such a harsh environment. This evening we had a review session for our exam tomorrow. Most of us stayed in tonight to get some rest, and study. No complaints here.

December 16, 2003

Well, we got the exam over with early this morning. Admittedly, it was a little more difficult than I had expected, but nonetheless, I did fairly well. After the exam, Bob conducted a lecture on System Science. Afterwards, we had another assignment. This time, we went to the Maritime museum and also to the Ushuaia jail and military prison, which is pare of the museum. What an interesting place! Walking around, from room to room, and through the different passageways of the prison, it was easy to compare it with Alcatraz. When the prison was open, Ushuaia was not what it is today, and even if one would have succeeded in escaping from the prison, you would have to climb mountains, cross water, and travel a great distance before you would arrive anywhere with civilization. Escape probably didn't seem like as great of an idea when you were incarcerated in a prison as isolated as this one. With our departure from Ushuaia tomorrow, we had to change hotels. All of the passengers traveling on the Quark Expeditions trip to Antarctica had to stay at the Albatros Hotel the night before we left. So, with that, we gathered up all of our luggage, and walked to the Albatros. Throughout the last couple of days, I have noticed a saddening number of stray dogs in Ushuaia. They literally are every where you look; sitting on street corners, sticking their noses inside the doors of restaurants and stores hoping for a bite to eat, and wandering along aimlessly. Do these dogs actually have homes, but are allowed to roam? Or are they truly homeless? Either way, to a dog-lover, few things in life are more heart breaking than seeing a lonely, hungry dog.

December 17, 2003

We had to be up bright and early today, because today we leave for Antarctica! We had to have our bags packed and ready to go at 9:30 this morning. However, we couldn't board the ship until 4:00 PM. We wandered around Ushuaia for part of the time today, just to kill some time, and decided to go check out the grocery store to buy some bottled water and dry crackers for our inevitable sea sickness we would be experiencing as we crossed the Drake Passage. It was so cool today as we boarded the ship and secured our stuff in our room. It really hit me that I am going to Antarctica. I wonder how bad the Drake Passage will be? We were supposed to embark for Antarctica fairly early, but one of the crewmembers, Matt, was late for his flight. So, finally at around 9:00 PM, we set sail. It was beautiful in the Beagle Channel as we headed out to sea. Every minute that passed, the winds picked up more and it got colder. We saw many different species of sea birds. We saw Kelp gulls, Wandering and Black-browed albatrosses, Giant petrels, and some Cape petrels. A bunch of our group stayed out on deck for as long as we could stand the wind and cold. I didn't want to miss a second. Especially because I knew that the entire time crossing the Drake Passage, I would be bed-ridden. The longer we stayed out on deck, the more foreboding and menacing the weather and water was looking. How scary it must have been for the early explorers traveling through the Beagle Channel and the Drake Passage. As the sun finally started setting at around 11:30PM, I headed inside.

December 18, 2003

At 3:00 this morning, we hit the Drake Passage. I think that everyone on board the ship woke up when we did. I thought to myself when I woke up, they weren't kidding when they said the Drake was rough. We may have thought our stuff was secured, but nevertheless, there were things flying all over the room. I slept most of the day away, thanks to a sure-fire drug cocktail of Xanax and Dramamine. Luckily for me though, I didn't vomit today. For a long time today, the captain wouldn't let any passengers out on deck, because it was so rough. There were waves splashing over the ship, and up to our porthole. I got up at one point today to look outside our porthole. It was one of the scariest, yet coolest, things I have ever seen. I got up for some dinner, and then went right back to sleep. There is one thing for sure, when it comes to the Drake Passage, the only thing that will keep you from feeling so sick that you want to die, is staying horizontal.

December 19, 2003

We still aren't out of the Drake Passage yet. It has calmed down since yesterday, but it still couldn't be classified as "calm". Once again, I slept most of the day and I still get nauseated when I sit up or try to walk around. I did go out on deck for a couple minutes today, I thought it might be good for me to get some fresh air. Well, maybe it was, but it didn't make me feel any better. And luckily, I still haven't vomited. My parents called me today; it was nice hearing from them. Although, in order to get a phone call, you have to go up to the bridge, which means climbing a couple flights of spiral staircases, I wouldn't say that is compatible with seasickness. We had a meeting tonight with was let by the expedition leader, Olle Carlsson. Since we will be making our first landings tomorrow, we had to go over the IAATO (International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators) guidelines. We also had a briefing on safety guidelines we will have to follow while on the zodiacs. Luckily, after that was over it was around 10:30 PM, and the waters were starting to get calmer as we neared the islands. Some of us stayed up for a while and talked while checking out the first icebergs out of the porthole. We stayed up until about 3:00AM, and it still wasn't dark. What an eerie feeling.

December 20, 2003

I can't believe the day is finally here, we make our first zodiac landings today. It was so cool riding the zodiacs. The can go so fast, and with the wind and spray from the water hitting your face, it's quite invigorating. Nothing will wake you up early in the morning like a fast ride in a zodiac on a cold Antarctic morning. Our first stop was the Aitcho islands. We learned that the Aitcho (H.O.) islands were charted and named in 1936 by the Discovery Investigations (1925-39) for the Admairalty Hydrographic Office. Later on, cartographers started spelling out Aitcho instead of using initials. We saw Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins, Skuas, Southern Elephant seals, and a Weddell seal. After we left Aitcho Island, our zodiac driver took us around some of the icebergs in the surrounding waters. They were so amazing. The different colors of blue ice meeting the blue water of the southern ocean was incredible. Our next stop was Yankee Harbor, which is a small harbor on the southwest side of Greenwich Island. It is entered between Glacier Bluff and Spit Point. Yankee Harbor was famous among American and British sealers in the 1800's. Gentoo penguins nest here at Yankee Harbor. While we were there, I was able to make a lot of observations on the Gentoo's. We also spotted a random Macaroni penguin and another random Adelie penguin. The naturalists on board theorized that these two individuals were most likely young males scouting out different rookeries. Our final landing of the day was at Half Moon Island. Half Moon Island is a 1.5-mile long island in the shape of a crescent that lies at the entrance to Moon Bay between Greenwich and Livingston Islands. The Argentine Base Camara is located here. There were several large Chinstrap rookeries located on the island. More than 3000 breeding pairs of chinstraps were documented in a 1995 survey. It was interesting for me to note the differences in behavior between the different penguin species.

December 21, 2003

Well, we got really lucky today. We were able to make a zodiac landing at a place called Bailey's Head. The ship's crew told us that it was a special treat being able to land there, because of the rough winds, and unpredictable water, and the difficult landing site. When I got off the zodiac, I looked up and my eyes were met with the sight of over 200,000 Chinstrap penguins. It was a virtual penguin city. I'm glad I bundled up today; because it is the coldest it's been since we've been here. Freezing cold or not though, I don't think that any sight will ever beat this. The penguins have made their own little highway. The rookeries are far away from the shore, so in order to feed, the penguins have to make this 2 hour (one way) trip down to shore, and then back up. Oddly enough, the penguins know to "drive" on the right side of the road. The British could learn a thing or two from these guys. After lunch, we made our other landing of the day at Whaler's Bay on Deception Island. It was a desolate, lonely place. It was bizarre not seeing penguins all over the place. There were however some Weddell seals basking on the beach. There were also remains scattered around of the whaling station that was here. One of the crewmembers told us about how when they were still processing whales here, they would push the carcasses out to sea. Instead of continuing out to the ocean however, they would collect in the bay. After some time, the bay turned into a slimy, smelly mess with all of the decaying whale carcasses. I couldn't imagine this area looking like that. It seems so pristine now. The highlight of the day was when we went swimming. That's right, we swam in Antarctica. It was so cold I couldn't breath, I don't know what else to say about it.

December 22, 2003

Today was one of the highlights of the trip. We enjoyed fantastic weather, and beautiful scenery. Our first stop was Port Lockroy. It was a British research station from 1944-1962, and since has been turned into a gift shop and museum. I'd be willing to bet that it is the only gift shop in Antarctica. What was so interesting is that there are Gentoo penguins nesting all around the different buildings. Some of them have made nests even up to the front door of the museum. They seem to be so used to people that they just completely ignore you when you walk by. After the museum, we went to Jougla Point where we saw more Chinstraps and Gentoos. There were also a few skua pairs that were nesting here. The skuas are predatory birds that will take penguin eggs and penguin chicks. While watching the interactions between the different penguin species, I wondered to myself if there was any mutual altruism between different species. As soon as this thought passed through my head, I spotted two Gentoo's chase a skua away from some Chinstrap nests. After lunch, we started on our way sailing through the Lemaire Channel. What a perfect day it was. The water was so still it looked like glass, and the mountains reflecting off the water looked like something you'd see on a postcard. As we made our way through this famous channel, the crew decided that we weren't going to be able to fit in between some large icebergs that were blocking the way, so they turned the ship around, and we went the long way. To top off today, we had a BBQ on the deck of the ship. That was one thing I did not expect to do in Antarctica, but the wind was calm, it was a sunny 40 degrees, and they were serving beer for free. What a great day to be at the bottom of the world.

December 23, 2003

Today is the last day that we will be making landings with the zodiacs. Our first stop was Paradise bay, which is part of the actual continent and not an island. There was an abandoned Argentinean research station there. Everyone was giddy today. We climbed up to the top of this cliff, and then slid back down on our butts. It was great. At the bottom I made a snow angel. That was one of the things on my Antarctica to-do list. After we left the bay, our zodiac driver took us around to visit this huge glacier on the coast, and while we were there, a Minke whale was swimming around the bay. He (or she) even swam underneath the zodiac several times. It literally took my breath away seeing such a stunning creature in such a beautiful environment. It really hit me how important it should be to humankind to take care of the Earth and it's creatures. Nothing is more beautiful to me than seeing a healthy animal in it's natural environment. Next, we landed at a large iceberg and climbed all over it. That was pretty cool, and another thing I was able to check off of my to-do list. Our final landing of the trip was at Cuverville Island. Since it was the last time I would be on land in Antarctica, I felt sad, but wanted to soak up as much as I could for the hour or so that we were there. A portion of the time, I sat by myself watching the Gentoo's come and go from the sea, heading either out to feed or back toward their nests. As I watched them, I reflected back on the time that I had spent on this very special continent. I was in a daze for a few moments, when I looked up and saw one penguin, not more than a foot away, come and check me out. It sounds silly, but at that moment, I knew that I had become a different person. I have a penguin to thank for it. Inevitably, the time had come to go back to the ship. As the zodiac pulled away from the island, I continued watching as life on Antarctica went on without me. A few hours later, back on the ship, I feel the waves getting stronger. We've started back toward the Drake Passage. Here we go again…

December 24, 2003

Well, I'm feeling very much like Scrooge today. Christmas Eve on the Drake Passage is not the best experience I have ever had. Just like on the way down, I spent most of the day in bed. Admittedly, I am feeling slightly better than I did on the way down, but I'm still not in tip-top shape. As I lay in bed, I hear announcements on the PA system for lectures. I just don't know how these people can be up and about. One of my roommates just vomited. I'm just waiting until it's my turn. Just as I fall back asleep, the phone rings, it's my family calling again. Bless their hearts, but if they only knew how awful it is going to be for me to climb 3 flights of spiral stairs to get to the bridge. As I walk out the door to go get their phone call, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. At least my face looks festive with the shade of green that it has taken on. Merry Christmas. Bah Humbug.

December 25, 2003

Granted, I was quite negative yesterday, but I am feeling better today. Merry Christmas, by the way! It is strange celebrating Christmas without my family. However, they sent with me a box that I wasn't to open until today. It was filled with chocolate, presents, and my stocking. I had to open everything up lying down, since I didn't feel the greatest. Each hour that passes, I feel better and better. I'm so excited because today we got to see Cape Horn. (Another item on the to-do list) Cape Horn is the southernmost point of South America. They say that a long time ago, when sailors would round Cape Horn, they could get an ear pierced. It was a rite of passage to survive the journey. Well, I've survived to tell the tale, but my ears are already pierced. The cooking staff prepared quite a Christmas feast for us. Course after course and glass after glass of wine, we were making quite merry. Everyone got dressed up for dinner, and looked really nice. Luckily by the time dinner was served, we were safe and sound back in the Beagle Channel. So, no more seasickness for me. (At least not until my next trip to Antarctica) After dinner, our group had a secret santa present exchange, which was really fun! And we got really loud! What a fun night. The night progressed with cocktails and fun, then a couple more cocktails, and we had a beautiful sunset to boot. In the end, Christmas wasn't so bad away from my family after all.

December 26, 2003

We arrived back in port at Ushuaia early this morning, at around 7:30. It's almost like déjà vu being back in this town. We are staying at Hotel Cap Polonio again (and will be staying here for the rest of the week). I'm happy about that. It's nice to have a place to shower that doesn't rock, and to be able to check my e-mail again. Unfortunately though, since we arrived so early, we had a long wait before we could check into our rooms. A group of us wandered over to an internet café, whose internet connection was down, naturally. After a couple hours, we were able to check in and get settled again. I went to do some laundry at the local Laundromat and bought a couple presents for my family, then made it back to the hotel. Later in the evening, we had a meeting where we went over our schedule for the next couple days. Just in the next 3 days, we have presentations, two field trips, and our final exam. No more fun and games, it's time to get serious.

December 27, 2003

Today started out with a lecture bright and early this morning. Directly afterwards, we headed up to the mountains to do some forest surveys. We broke up into three groups. Each group would be collecting data at different elevation levels. I went with the group to the highest elevation. After being on a ship for as long as we were, it was nice to get out into the fresh air, and get some exercise. The foliage was incredible! I've never seen plants like the ones growing in this region of Tierra del Fuego. There were all kinds of different lichens, mosses, and liverworts. There were these big plants called cushion plants, which really do look and feel like cushions. They are even comfy to sit on! The trees were amazing too. The primary species found in the region is the Southern Beech tree. Observing the different specimens even within the same species, just at different elevations was quite interesting. The higher the elevation, the more "bush-like" the trees would appear. Just below tree line, the trees were so dense and close to the ground, in order to move around, you had to move over top of them. We stayed out most of the day, and got so dirty and scraped up! It was great. Boy did that shower feel good when I got back to the hotel.

December 28, 2003

We had several lectures today. Both Craig and John conducted lectures. It was really interesting to hear John give a lecture and learn about his area of expertise. From his work in toxicology, he has an incredible amount of knowledge about different pollutants within bodies of water around Michigan and Northern Canada. He has even spent a substantial amount of time in Canada to do studies on the effects of pollutants on local inhabitants. It was really neat hearing him talk about how pollution in other parts of the world still effects the Antarctic system. It is scary to think about the effects that pollution has on us, especially when a lot of the time, we don't know it is there. And there is no place on earth that is safe from the effects of pollution. Later on that day, we were fortunate to have a surprise speaker speak to us about his own personal experiences in Antarctica. His name is Chuck Kennicutt, and he works through Texas A&M University for the Geochemical & Environmental Research Group. During his presentation, he talked to us about the U.S. base, McMurdo. It was incredible hearing him tell us about how they used to dispose of trash and human waste at McMurdo, by just pushing it out to sea. He also discussed how many people stay at McMurdo year-round, and the costs of keeping the station manned and stocked with supplies. During the summer season, there are about 1000 people at McMurdo, and during the winter there are around 250. When we were finished up with the lectures, some of us went to grab some dinner, and then I worked on my presentation.

December 29, 2003

Today we Craig talked to us about his work that he did on the Australian island, Macquarie. It was interesting to be able to compare the facilities on Macquarie Island to the McMurdo base on Antarctica. Most scientists have a much more difficult time doing their research in Antarctica, and on the different sub Antarctic islands due to the difficulty in obtaining resources, but it seems as though stations like McMurdo just about have everything that they would need. Later on today, we had a review for our final exam. I'm feeling quite stressed right now. With the final and the presentations, I wish there were a few more hours in the day. I have so much work to do tonight. Tomorrow, we are going to be going to the national park here on Tierra del Fuego. Normally, I would like to have that time to work on my projects instead, but how often am I in Argentina? It will be so cool to be able to get out of the town and see the area in its full glory. I cannot believe that there are only a couple more days of our trip. I have learned more in this three week period then I have in this short of a time period ever before. Thinking back to everything I have done makes me so happy that I decided to take this trip. I keep having to pinch myself to make sure this isn't one big dream. Well, time to get working on that presentation.

December 30, 2003

Today was exciting. We got to go to the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego. We had a tour guide take us around to different areas of the park. It made it nice having someone to ask questions, and to have point different things out to us. It was interesting to see a national park in a different country. Except for the scenery, flora, and fauna, it wasn't much different from our national parks here in the United States. We hiked most of the day and were able to see many different parts of the park. The highlight of the park for me was seeing the different bird species, especially the Austral parakeets. They were so cute! It was so beautiful there. I really felt like I was in a different part of the world. Later on that day, half of the students gave their presentations. I stayed up very late tonight, working on my presentation and studying for our final exam, which is tomorrow. Tomorrow night will be fun though.

December 31, 2003

:o)

We finished our presentation today. My presentation was on the mating behavior and breeding ecology of the brush-tailed penguins. The brush-tailed penguins are all the penguins in the genus Pygoscelis. The brush-tailed penguins include the Adelie penguin, Chinstrap penguin, and the Gentoo penguin. It was interesting for me to see everyone's presentations. It's amazing how much we all have learned about the different aspects about Antarctica and Patagonia. Luckily, after the presentations were all over, we then had some time to study for our final. We had our final later that afternoon. I was glad to have that over with. Afterward, we got ready for our New Year's Eve celebration at the Hotel Albatros. It was a night of great food, great champagne, and great company. It was nice to see everyone be able to let loose and have a good time. (Even our professors!) What an experience it is to celebrate a global holiday in the southern-most city in the world. Also, it was so great being on such an amazing trip, with a group that meshed as well as ours did. Everyone really got along quite well, and it made for an even better time.

January 1, 2004

Last night was such an awesome time. It was fun being able to relax knowing that we were done with our work for the remainder of the time we were in Argentina. Since we partied late into the night, and most of us got little to no sleep the few nights previous, I decided that I was going to relax today. I woke up, ate, took a long shower, watched some CNN so that I could finally catch up, and then slept for most of the day. It felt so nice. I don't think that I've slept that well in a long time.

January 2, 2004

The time has arrived; we leave today for Buenos Aires. Our flight leaves today at 2:00 this afternoon. Since I slept most of the day yesterday, I woke up fairly early and decided to go buy a couple of last minute gifts with some of the others. I also wanted to really take in as much of Ushuaia as I could since we were leaving. As I wandered into one of the local shops, I noticed a sign on the door that reminded me of the serious problem the city has with the stray dogs. The sign showed a female dog nursing her puppies and it said, "You know that there are so many dogs in the street, because the city does not do anything to avoid it. [the problem] Massive castrations already! The solution is not to massacre them." I was glad to see that there are at least some campaigns to try to control the serious problem they have with homeless animals. It really made me think about the problems in our own country with homeless animals, and also forced me to consider the problems that countries around the world face with the same issue. The surplus population of dogs certainly isn't the only issue that is a common link between Argentineans and Americans. As I was walking back to the hotel to wait for our plane, I spotted some political graffiti on the side of a building. It said that there is enough massacre in Iraq, and in the world. Peace now! I don't think I could have said it better myself.