Antarctic Field Course - Study Abroad

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Mark's Journal

QA

Please use the links below to view a specific date further down the page. December - 2003 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14 Day 15 Day 16 Day 17 Day 18 Day 19 Reflection

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

Day 1 - 12/13/03

On the plane I met two of the group members, Justin and Brad. They were seated next to me. They're great guys and I'm sure the rest of the group will be the same. We landed in Miami in no time. We had quite a while until we boarded our connecting flight. So we grabbed some lunch and then watched the Michigan State vs. Kentucky basketball game at Chili's.

While we were sitting at our gate waiting for our next flight, we noticed a group of loud energetic young girls. They were singing and dancing. As time passed the group of girls grew larger and larger. Soon they had practically taken over the terminal. We were hoping they were on a different flight.

Day 2 - 12/14/03

While in Buenos Aires we had an hour to catch our flight to Ushuaia. It was pretty nerve raking. We impatiently waited for our luggage and than sprinted to our gate. I was positive we were going to miss our flight. Since our group was so large they held our plane for us. By the time we reached our plane we were 15 minutes late. I noticed several dirty looks from passengers as we boarded. I was seated next to John and Kannan. Before Ushuaia we stopped at a small town. From above the landing strip looked none existent. It was tucked up against a body of water, which had some of the most iridescent beautiful water I have ever seen. The airport was very isolated. There was nothing to be found except for mountains and water. We had only a short trip until we reached Ushuaia. Coming in for the landing was awesome. It was cloudy which gave the city an eerie feeling. It felt great, to know that I was flying into the southern most town in the world. I have never been on a bigger trip in my life and I couldn't be happier.

We reached our hotel Cap Polonio and got settled in. I explored the town a bit with several other students and then went down to the water. We observed several species of birds. I believe they were Petrels. After eating out I decided to go to bed. I was exhausted from the long travel.

Day 3 - 12/15/03

The next museum we visited was Museo Del Fin Del Mundeo. This museum covered similar material as the first. However, it was a little more elaborate. This museum also included more information about the early shipping industry. I learned about seven different ships that sank. I also saw teeth from a leopard and crabeater seal. Crabeater seals have teeth specially adapted for straining out krill. The leopard seal has teeth designed for eating larger prey, such as penguins. I think I'm getting sick. My throat hurts.

Day 4 - 12/16/03

We had another field assignment. It was at the Ushuaia Maritime Museum. The assignment included writing 5 interesting facts about the Darwin exhibit. This place was great. The museum began as a prison. It housed hundreds of prisoners. It reminded me somewhat of Alcatraz, as in they were both very isolated from the outside world during their time of operation. In order for a prisoner to escape from Ushuaia he would have had to travel over the Andes Mountains. This would have most likely been a death sentence.

I was in the mood to get off on my own. The entire trip so far I had been with other people from the group. I strolled through the streets of Ushuaia. I bought my gift for the upcoming Christmas celebration. It was a small decorative rug.

For dinner I met with the Human interactions Group. I was a little concerned with my topic. Originally I was supposed to write my paper on research impacts in Antarctica; however we may not get the chance to visit any research stations. This may cause difficulties in gathering information. On the walk back to the hotel there was a beautiful sunset. The sky was covered with a range of colors. It was awesome. I caught it at just the right time. Then I went back to my room and slept. -

Day 5 - 12/17/03

We boarded the boat later in the day. It was a quick boarding. I checked in and went straight to bed. It was not very eventful. I was disappointed that I was not able to see the departure. - -

Day 6 - 12/18/03

Dinner was great. There were several different options for entrées. The options included a meat dish (the Explorer), a fish dish (the Ocean), or a vegetarian dish (the Antarctic). Preceding the main course there were several wonderful side dishes such as potato salad, coleslaw, and a type of soup.

Day 7 - 12/19/03

After watching the lectures I continued my exploration of the ship. The boat has everything anyone could ever need. This includes two bars, lounge, dining room, work out room, large decks located on all sides of the ship and a so called library. The library is hardly a library. It has one bookshelf. Tonight Mike, Justin and I hung out with our neighbors Bethany and Callista. We stayed up very late talking. At about three o'clock in the morning Callista, Mike, Justin and I went out on the bow of the boat and looked at our very first icebergs. It was amazing. It seemed to be out of a dream. It was neither light nor dark outside, it was twilight. It was very eerie. As the icebergs came closer and closer the reality of what we were witnessing was blowing us away. One, two, three, soon we were surrounded by chunks of frozen perfection. Many of the bergs looked as if there had been long hours of engineering put into them, in order to make them flawless. Adding to the excitement was knowing that there were no other passengers around. It seemed as if we were alone on this great adventure. -

Day 8 - 12/20/03

The first stop we made was Aitcho Island. The ride over was a blast. The zodiac driver was a madman, he was driving extremely fast. I was not expecting to go as fast as we did. I practically fell off. I quickly learned and balanced myself correctly. I'm glad I have rubber boots because; when I left the zodiac I had to jump into the water. Landing a zodiac for the first time was awesome. I felt like a navy seal. We landed on a black sandy beach. I have never seen a beach this shade before. Chinstrap penguins were there to greet us. I was blown away at how close the penguins came to me. At times they walked up to me and were within 10 feet. After watching the penguins for a bit, we hiked to another location. It was a beautiful walk. We saw a pile of elephant seals. They were very interesting animals. This group of elephant seals laid on top one another, farted, scratched themselves and looked disgusting in an interesting way. They appeared to be very lazy animals. They hardly moved the entire time we were there. There was also a weddel seal. The weddel seal had a bit better manors. This one did not have the same gassy habits as the elephant seals.

The next stop we made was to Yankee Harbor. There was a strong odor at this stop. The penguin guano was thick. There used to be a sealing and research station there. However I didn't see any evidence of them. I went to the spot where they were supposed to have been and I saw nothing. The rest of the time I sat around with the penguins. The landscape is pristine. Everywhere I looked there were endless mountains and some of the clearest water I have ever seen. This place is paradise.

There was one more stop we made today. It was Half Moon Island. This was the first chance I had at experiencing a research station. Charles Swithinbank, a staff member of the Orlova, invited the human impacts group to take a look at the Argentinean Communications Center. It was very exciting to have this opportunity. Not many people get a chance to explore a place like that. When we entered the building we noticed a sign on the wall that said that the entire station was open to anyone in need of shelter. We searched the building and discovered that it was sleeping quarters. There were 8 rooms with 2 beds each. The building also had a kitchen and a living room. There was a mysterious room at the end of the building with a dramatic drop off. Mike and I were fortunate that we took our time entering the room. It was pitch black and impossible to see a foot ahead. We still cannot agree on what that the room was used for. The next building we entered was a large storage facility. It stored items such as paint, wood, and a large supply of fuel drums. The fuel drums looked as if they were a possible threat to the environment. Nearby there was a large amount of snow leaking in through the window. If this snow melted, than froze the ice could cause a leak within the drums. It is difficult to say if it was an imminent threat. We were not able to enter anymore of the buildings. Observing this site gave me a real feeling of what it is like to live in one of the most remote research stations in the world.

Day 9 - 12/21/03

After I walked down the mountain toward the coast, I had a moment with a penguin which I will never forget. He walked up to me and stood about a foot away from for a couple minutes. It looked as if he wanted to introduce himself. I was shocked that I got as close as he did. I named him Bob, no relation to Bob Hollister. It was very intense to encounter a penguin that close. After Bob left I didn't want to move. I sat in the same spot for about an hour hoping to meet another penguin. However I was not that lucky. There were no other penguins that came to pay me a visit.

Our next stop was to an active volcano named Neptune's Bellows. I tried video taping our entrance, as we sailed into the volcano. The wind was amazing. As I tried steadying my camera the wind practically pulled it out of my hands. I may not have gotten the best video coverage but I will never forget sailing into it.

After we enjoyed another delicious lunch, we landed at Whalers Bay. It was a desolate landing compared to the other stops we had made. There were no penguins and only a handful of seals. I hate to sound like a girl but they were so cute. They were a couple of weddell seals hanging out near the shore. These seals are much more attractive looking than elephant seals. However the elephant seals were much more entertaining to watch. Weddell seals have big innocent warm looking eyes, with beautiful, rich silver coats. The elephant seals were molting and continuously burped and farted. Several people decided to jump into the Antarctic waters. As I saw the faces of shear horror as the students left the water, I decided to skip the polar plunge. It would be nice to be able to brag about swimming in Antarctica but I had to skip this endeavor (real lame, I know).

Day 10 - 12/22/03

Our next stop was at Jougla Point. This was another wonderful place to watch penguins. There were large rookeries, which lined the coast. I spent all of my time studying the movements and interactions amongst the chinstrap penguins. I got some great video footage of a penguin trying to help several others by giving them rocks for their nests. However the efforts by the generous penguin were not appreciated. The nesting penguins chased him off. The poor penguin was pushed out of the rookery. I learned that penguins can be extremely territorial.

After lunch we sailed down the Lemaire Channel. today we have experienced the most scenic day of the cruise. The view was overwhelming. I spent every moment I could outside. The flawless weather had created amazing clarity of the mountains on all sides. Reflections of the mountains glistened off the water. It didn't look real. It looked like a movie set. As we continued through the Lemaire Channel other students and I noticed a large iceberg directly in our path. We wondered if our great ship, the Orlova could dodge such a large iceberg. As we drew closer the captain and crew decided that we were too large to fit along side of this great chunk of ice. The crew kicked the boat in reverse and we turned around.

To top off the perfect day we had a BBQ. It was awesome. Before this trip I would have never imagined us being able to have a BBQ outside in Antarctica. It must have been about 40 degrees. I could not imagine a more perfect time. We were served a wonderful mix of delicious food. The choices included a diverse choice of meats, vegetables, soups and salads.

After dinner we concluded our evening with a stop at Petermann Island. This stop was single handedly the most beautiful view I have seen on the entire trip. There was a mountain range, which stretched the entire coast. Laced along the shore were rookeries of adelie penguins.

I had an extremely informative interview with Charles Swithinbank. Charles is part of the staff on the Orlova. Charles has accomplished more in his life than anyone I have ever met. Within Antarctica and the northern polar region, Charles has participated in a variety of activities such as a nuclear-powered icebreaker, on land with skis, dog sledges, snowmobiles, and a nuclear submarine. Honors received by Charles include the Patron's medal, which has been awarded to other famous explorers such as Nansen, Peary, Amundsen, Scott and Byrd. Other awards he has received include medals from three reigning monarchs. There are currently more geographical features in Antarctica, which have been named after him than any other living explorer. I asked Charles questions pertaining to research stations. He has worked at many, so he had a lot of interesting information to tell.

I stayed up almost the whole night trying to soak up the Antarctic scenery. This was probably my favorite time of the whole trip. I sat on a bench at the stern of the boat, with a couple beers and my cd player. I was alone and for a short time it felt as if I was the only person on the boat. The mountains looked amazing. There was a sort of permanent sunset. The sky was lit up with reds, purples and blues. Clouds rolled over the mountains and at some points I couldn't tell when the snow ended and the clouds began. I think that today has been the best day of my life. Antarctica Landscape

Day 11 - 12/23/03

After everyone loaded back on the zodiacs we went for a ride around the bay. I experienced an awesome whale encounter. A minke whale swam underneath our boat. It was incredible. As the whale was swimming under our boat I looked up and there was an avalanche tearing down the side of a mountain. I will never forget that moment. We continued our tour on the zodiac and cruised around perfectly sculpted icebergs. The sun was out today so the reflections of the icebergs were amazing.

When we got back to the Orlova we were in for a surprise. There were two humpback whales breeching relatively close to our boat. They swam close to our boat for about a half-hour. Later that day we made our final stop at Cuverville Island. Knowing that this was going to be the last time I would see penguins, I was quite sad, but I had a great time sitting and watching them. The penguins had built a large system of paths. I was shocked to see how the paths created a much more efficient way of travel. The penguins were able to get from one rookery to another within a matter of minutes. I would estimate that if not for the penguin highways, traveling the same distance would have taken twice the amount of time.

We did not waste any time departing Antarctica. After our final landing we headed towards the Drake Passage. The waters became rough very quickly. The waves on the trip back to Ushuaia through the Drake seemed to have rocked our boat more than the first time.

Day 12 - 12/24/03

The waves are incredible. We continued our sailing through the Drake Passage and waves are not letting up. I spent much of my time updating my journal and attending lectures. However, it is difficult to do anything when the boat is shaking like this. today's lectures included a Swedish Antarctic expedition, seals and global warming. They were all very informative. The attendance for the lectures was a little low. Once again many of the students are feeling the effects of motion sickness. However when I compare the first trip through the Drake to the second many people have adjusted quite well. I saw a handful of people the first day through the Drake and now it's about double. I feel very fortunate to have not been affected by motion sickness.

We had a short glimpse of humpback whales. I saw two that were very distant on the horizon. I believe I got outside too late because other students told me about how they had a much better view a few minutes before I had gotten there.

After watching the whales I headed for the bridge. I loved watching the huge waves crashing into our boat. The waves were so large that the waves reached the windshield at the bridge. As the majority of the people were feeling sick, I was having a blast up on the bridge. Although our boat is very large and sturdy there were times when I felt nervous after seeing and hearing the strength of the Drake. Although I did not have motion sickness my throat has been throbbing the entire trip. I am not going to let some illness ruin the best trip of my life.

Day 13 - 12/25/03

The lectures continued today with Charles explanation of the Antarctic Treaty. I enjoyed Charles lectures much more than the rest of the staff. today was no different. He explained the process of composing the treaty and also the lack of punishments set aside for offending countries, which really surprised me. Instead of punishments, countries that break rules are more likely to receive economic sanctions. For a country to have to endure a sanction would be a great humiliation. This has acted as a deterrent for many years. However, if I were to revise the treaty myself, I would include a list of punishments that would be enforced on any country that broke a rule.

There was a disembarking meeting, where all of the staff members made a little speech. I was sad that the Antarctic portion of the trip was over already. I could have used another week on the continent. It seemed like just as I was really getting used to the environment it was time to go. We later reached Cape Horn. This is the southern most spot in Argentina. I had heard of it from war movies and books. There had been a strong military presence in the area from many nations, especially before the Panama Canal was created. Before the canal was built if any ship wished to sail around South America it was necessary to travel around Cape Horn, through the Beagle Channel or the Straits of Magellan.

After the lectures had concluded it was dinnertime. This meal was awesome. Course after course the food kept coming. We must have had about 6 different courses. Several were different types of food, which I had never eaten before. The Russian waitresses sang a song while everyone sat back and enjoyed yet another great meal.

Later that evening our group of students and staff had a secret Santa celebration. The way it works is everyone buys a gift. After putting all of the gifts in a pile everyone receives a number. The person with the lowest number chooses a gift they would like. This continues until all of the gifts are gone. During this process gifts can be stolen. This means the victim of the robbery has to choose a new item. It got a little intense at times. Several people had their hearts set on certain gifts, which later ended up stolen. It all ended with everyone walking with smiles on their faces. The night continued with plenty of champagne drinking and an all round great time.

Day 14 - 12/26/03

We had a meeting later that ay. The reality of all the course work hit me. As I heard the schedule for the upcoming week I became very nervous. We had two field trips, a power point presentation and a final exam to do in the next several days. That evening I began preparing for the upcoming week, by brainstorming and looking over my notes. Ushuaia

Day 15 - 12/27/03

The hiking was wonderful. I still feel sick, but the fresh air was nice. I have never hiked in an environment like this. The foliage was very strange. At one point the trees were more like bushes and became extremely dense. In order to travel through them I had to walk on top of them. They were strong enough to support me, so I don't think they were damaged. As I walked from tree to tree they bent towards the next one, which continued down the mountain. Although I was scraped and bruised I had a lot of fun. When we returned to the hotel I took a much needed shower and then I continued on my presentation.

Day 16 - 12/28/03

We had a surprise speaker give a presentation to our class. His name was Mahlon C. Kennicutt (Chuck). He worked through Texas A&M University for the Geochemical & Environmental Research Group. He was extremely helpful. The majority of his presentation outlined information about McMurdo Research Station. Just as I was looking for information for my project, Chuck gave this presentation with information, which was more helpful for my presentation than anyone or anything else I learned on the trip. It couldn't have come at a better time. Hearing about pollution caused from the presence of McMurdo was fascinating. He discussed how in the past when it came time to dispose of trash, they would load it all on an iceberg, push it out to sea and hope that it would float far away, which it obviously didn't. It floated a short distance and than sank into Winter Quarters Bay, which is still very polluted today. Other topics he discussed in his lecture included the average population of McMurdo during the summer season (1000) and the winter season (250), and much more. After all of the lectures I worked on my presentation, than went to bed.

Day 17 - 12/29/03

After seeing several lectures of people living and working at different research stations, it has made me question if I am in the correct major back at MSU. Charles, Chuck, and Craig seemed to have had a wonderful time living at the different research stations. I'm glad that my experience on this trip has opened my eyes to other occupational opportunities. My main goal going into this study abroad program was to experience a trip of a lifetime and also search for interests within the science field for possible future employment. I now know that I have those interests and I am going to bring that knowledge back to MSU and try to incorporate it with my present studies.

We had a review for our final exam. It was not as extensive as the review for the first exam. The professors provided a cd with all of the past lectures. It was very helpful. I walked away from the review scared. There was a lot of material to know for the exam. today was my last day to work on my presentation. Tonight I worked with four different computers. I felt like a chicken with my head cut off. The first two didn't work because I did not know the passwords for them and the owners of the computers were out. The other two, I was able to work with for short period until their owners required them for their presentations. Some of my information was unable to be transferred between the computers. My presentation did not turn out as well as I planned. I hope I can still do well tomorrow.

Day 18 - 12/30/03

After our trip to the national park I had my presentation to give. It went relatively well. I am glad it is over with. I continued to study for the exam late into the night.

Day 19 - 12/31/03

I finally went to get medicine at a drugstore. Jen helped me translate. When the pharmacist heard about my symptoms he told me I should go to the hospital. There is no way I am going to an Argentinean hospital, since I don't speak Spanish. I took the medication and I still feel ill. It is definitely not going to slow me down.

Later in the evening we had our final exam. I am very confident I did well on it. It seemed much easier than the first. We then met at the Albatross hotel for our New Years Eve celebration. I was extremely exhausted. I had gotten about four hours of sleep the last four days. I was planning on staying until shortly after midnight, and then I was going to go back. It didn't work out like that at all. I was celebrating New Years Eve in the southern most city in the world. I would have stayed and experienced that even if I fell asleep standing. There was no way I was going to sleep early. I had a lot of fun and I stayed up pretty late. It was a New Years Eve celebration I will never forget.

Reflection