March 23, 2006

Funded by the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs

Location: Latitude 63° 20.572' S, Longitude 55° 53.1995' W

Air Temperature: 3.9°C

Sun

Blue sky days are few and far between in these parts. We're parked between Joinville and Dundee Islands, just off the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, and you can't grow this many glaciers without some crappy weather. So far in my limited experience working on ships in Antarctica, I've seen about one sunny day for every week at sea. Now I'm certainly not complaining, but it does make you appreciate the sun when it comes out in full force.

Today's sunrise was spectacular not only because we could actually see it, but also because it had a beautiful backdrop. I lagged a while up on the bridge after preparing the morning's satellite weather and ice images to catch the colors against the clouds and the ice cliffs where the tidewater glaciers meet the sea. And each time I had to run an errand, I took a route that passed outside so I could briefly catch some of the fresh breeze and a few rays. That right there shows some of the tradeoffs of working down here.

The scenery is amazing, but you may have to wait a week to see it. I get along well with my co-workers, but I miss my friends and pets at home. So many of the benefits seem to come with a downside, whether it's the food (4 great meals a day, but it's not like you get to choose what's available), the travel (Chile's cool, but why's it gotta be at the other end of the earth) or the ship's DVD collection (free movies, but what if you'd rather go for a walk). I tease and joke around like most everyone else about the negative aspects, and spend much more time absolutely savoring the highlights.

If you weigh it out, the highlights certainly tip the scales far toward the plus side. I am surrounded by a lot of people who are good at their jobs, and together we are working toward learning new things about how the geology and biology of the world works. And we get to do that in a place steeped in adventure and history. No, we're not explorers, but we criss-cross the paths which the early Antarctic expeditions took more or less a hundred years ago. And there is certainly still adventure and excitement when the ship is pushing hard to break through nearly a meter of ice and then has to pirouette to slide past an iceberg right in our path.

Yeah, I can deal with a bunch of gray days to get to the magical ones like today. And for all the things I look forward to while I'm out here, after a few weeks or so off of the ship, I'll be antsy to get back on.

--Dan Elsberg

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