The journey to Antarctica was incredible. I have traveled to many places before, but this was surreal. I was expecting it to be a really enjoyable and memorable trip, but it was a much better experience than I could have imagined. The two days that we spent exploring Ushuaia and the two-day trip across the Drake Passage were the perfect time for our group of Aggies to get to know each other and get hyped up for the meat and potatoes of the trip. As we got closer, parts of the continent slowly began appearing on the horizon. We were so excited at just the sight of the continent; you can only imagine the vibe when we got to make landings and began seeing the wildlife swimming around the ship. Even the weather was perfect, sunny and clear-skied, allowing many landings and Zodiac rides to happen. In our pastime, we attended lectures on the ship that taught us about the history, geology, and biology of the secluded continent. Through these lectures and the independent research done in class, we were able to learn about Antarctica’s role in global business and its future significance in an ever-changing world. My group researched the future possibilities of resource extraction and mining operations. Though controversial and currently illegal under the Antarctic Treaty, it proved to be an interesting subject to talk about and hypothesize Antarctica’s potential as a center point for global conflict.
With much free time on the ship, we got to know many of the other passengers and staff on board the vessel, many of them with very interesting backgrounds or future aspirations. We traveled adjacent to a group of ASU students, whom we also got to know very well. We got to participate in some of their science experiments that they were doing for their own college credit. We performed different tests on the water in different parts of the peninsula, collected water samples, and searched for different species of plankton. I believe one of them even discovered a new species that was not in the plankton directory in the onboard lab. The many landings were incredible, getting to see some old research stations, hike up a small cliff, walk amongst hundreds of penguins, and ride kayaks and Zodiacs through different bays searching for whales, seals, and swimming penguins. On the way back, the Drake Passage was much more eventful, especially since we spent an entire day going through a storm. After you got used to the rocking, it turned out to be a lot of fun to get shifted ten feet in a direction you were not trying to move. It was truly an eventful trip, in fact one of the best experiences of my life. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
