We wanted to share a couple of stories from a couple of researchers on our recent trips to the poles!
From Trevaughn Ellis, PhD candidate:
My day job is working on boats around Puget Sound in Washington State, USA. As such, I’m used to seeing sleepy harbor seals and graceful seabirds. I’ve even had the occasional exciting visits from pods of orcas, one of the Puget Sound’s most iconic and charismatic megafauna. However, despite nearly 40 hours a week on the water, I have never seen any larger whale, like the humpbacks or grey whales that pass through. I knew whales would be around the Antarctic Peninsula, and I was hopeful I might finally see some of the largest animals on Earth. There were calls from the bridge of Ortelius most days about whales being spotted. I never seemed to catch more than a glimpse of a breath from a blowhole. One day, during a zodiac cruise around Duchaylard Island, things suddenly got very exciting. We had spent about 30 minutes touring and looking and gorgeous icebergs, when another passenger shouted, “whale!”, and pointed off our starboard stern. Everyone’s head turned at once. I saw nothing- I wasn’t even sure where to look in the water. The zodiac whipped around and sped over near the last known location of the suspected whale. We were all silent with suspense- hoping a large creature would be spotted again. Bubbles started breaking the surface, moving in circle. Something large below was creating a bubble-net: bubbles were confusing and disorienting small prey, maybe krill or fish, trapping them within the curtain of exhaled bubbles. The surface of the ocean was boiling with activity. Several whales then broke the surface, exhaling in a dramatic burst. There were at least four working collaboratively to cast bubble-nets and feed. They dove down again, their flukes breaking the surface last. Everyone on the zodiac was exciting. More bubbles were breaking the surface all around us! The whales were immediately below the zodiac. The humpbacks surfaced again, only a few meters off our stern. They dwarfed our zodiac, moving slowly through the water, propelled by powerful fins. I was in tears, and so were many others. I was shaking with adrenaline so much that I could hardly take photos. We were able to stay with the humpbacks watching them feed and breach the water for an hour. It was a breathtaking experience that left me feeling profoundly small and overwhelmed with gratitude. That moment will stay with me for the rest of my life.
From Camila Rimoldi, marine biologist:
Never could I have imagined the unparalleled beauty, peacefulness, and wonder of Antarctica. I found myself in complete awe every day of the 10-day expedition, not wanting to go to sleep in case I missed some humpback whales swim by, a chunk of an iceberg fall off, or a raft of penguins porpoising. The long days (very literally because the sun would ‘set’ around midnight!) were accompanied by the best adventures, creating lasting memories alongside new lifelong friendships. One day in particular, when we snorkeled and made a landing at Prospect Point, was very special to me.
To start off the day, along with the morning wake-up call came news that there was a pod of orcas at the bow of the ship! This was the very first time I had ever seen orcas, a particularly special way to start the day. Once at the snorkel spots, our group had the best time swimming between Adelie colonies situated on two rocky islands. As the penguins came in and out of the water, we were amazed by the speed and pack formation these beautiful animals performed underwater. As any young adult in the polar seas, we also had our fair share of playing around the bergy bits, even getting to jump off one! Then at the landing, after taking in yet another set of breathtaking views, as I was making my way over to the zodiac, three Adelie penguins jumped out of the water right in front of me! They looked at me with curiosity and slowly waddled around me as they made their way to higher ground. Having grown up in mostly tropical regions, I never thought I would find myself eye to eye with penguins, and yet here we are!
I would really like to thank BlueGreen Expeditions, the fellow scholars, and Oceanwide for such an unforgettable journey and the core memories that I will continue to think about until I make my way back to Antarctica 😉