One of the main learning objectives for this trip was for us to understand Antarctica’s place in the global business environment. I now believe that place is firmly within the research and tourism sectors. The Antarctic environment is far too fragile for there to be much more serious incursions than there are now, with potentially devastating consequences to the whole planet if that environment were to fail. For example, the cascading failure of melting sea ice that causes more of the ocean to be exposed, which absorbs more heat, which in turn melts more sea ice. Thus, while Antarctica has incredible research value as an isolated ecosystem and can also be used by the tourism industry to promote sustainability and exploration, such activities should be kept to a minimum.
I truly believe that Antarctica is the most alien place that I have ever been to. I now have a greater appreciation for its training uses for potential space exploration. When we were exploring the less rugged Davoy Point, I caught a glimpse of the plains of ice stretching out to the horizon, and I understood why some people describe the continent as desolate. The wildlife was striking and unique, and Paradise Bay also sticks out in my mind as an example of something I have never seen before. The weather actually surprised me by how calm it was, although we were told by the crew that we were incredibly lucky.
The crew was also exceptional in their knowledge and breadth of different backgrounds. My group was glad to become friends with John Dickson, who served as the geology expert onboard the ship and piloted several of our Zodiac cruises. Our fellow students from Arizona were also great companions, and the tourists from the British Commonwealth in particular that we met were very interesting.
After the conclusion of our travels, I have realized a few things. For one, my expectation that traveling abroad would be very difficult was not true. Customs was easier to get through than I thought it would be from my limited knowledge of traveling domestically in the US. However, the main thing that I did take away from this trip was that my appreciation for the Antarctic continent has increased significantly.
