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EXPEDITION UPDATE
GEOFF GREEN
Hello everyone - calling from ELEPHANT ISLAND!!!! All is well - everyone is excited and in great shape. We’ve seen our first ICEBURGS!!! and, we were able to have a ‘close-up’ look at Point Wild. The sea is a bit rough so we have not attempted any Zodiac activitiy - but as it calms we hope to make graet progess toward the ANTARCTIC PENINSULA!!!
We’ll send along photos and out Journals later tonight - so do check in for those in the morning. Just know all is well - and BUSY ...
FOR OUR ARMCHAIR EXPEDITIONERS:
To read more abot Shackleton’s Journey ... to know more about what we have just seen - visit our SOI main information.
We invite you to take some time to view a PBS Video about SHACKLETON’s VOYAGE OF ENDURANCE. Please visit: PBS.ORG
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(Earlier entry below)
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 It's 9:00am on Dec.22nd and we have awoken to a foggy Drake Passage!! There are hundreds of beautiful Cape Petrels soaring around the ship, and the air is definitely feeling more "Polar"... so we must be going in the right direction!
Yesterday was a great first day at sea. The Drake Passage gods smiled on us giving us smooth seas and remarkably warm weather. In fact, most of the students spent their free time on deck in t-shirts! It was a day packed with lectures and workshops and other activities.
Life on board is beginning to settle in. The students all love the ship, the Polar Star, which is truly one of the best expedition ships you could possibly ask for, and a real icebreaker! Many of the students spent the day exploring the ship, speaking with the officers on the bridge, writing their journals, and attending all the education activities. Despite some sea-sickness for some, they really toughed it out and made the extra effort to participate throughout the day and get their sea-legs!
Last night we crossed both the Antarctic Convergence and 60 degrees south, so we are now officially in Antarctic waters!! Our present position is 60.04 South, 056.50 West. We are 84 miles northwest of Elephant Island! This afternoon around 4:0pm we will arrive to Point Wild on Elephant Island, and if the weather conditions permit, we will launch the Zodiacs and go off on our first excursion. Today will be a day of firsts for the students, including the first glimpse of Antarctica, the first icebergs, and the first penguins!!
To say we have an excited group on board is an understatement...
That's all for now.
Geoff
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DAILY PROGRAM FROM POLAR STAR:
Dec.22/04
"Romantic ideas don't make it here. This is not a place to come to escape from something. It is a place to learn new lessons about yourself." - from B. Hodgson Antarctica: A Land of Isolation No More. National Geographic
Land Ho!? Does our search for terra firma end today?
Good morning Polar Star! Hope everyone had a wonderful rest. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled today for icebergs. Some luck person has to win the contest! Yesterday was a full day at sea. I believe the morning started off with people getting sea-sick. Then Diz gave us a wonderful overview of what to expect during our education programs. Following that, people got sea-sick. Next, David told us a little about the beautiful and mysterious continent we are going to be visiting.
There was a delicious fish lunch in the dinning hall, and then some people saw their lunch again. Everyone got a chance to rest and/or be out on deck, where much was happening. Among the creatures spotted was an amazing Wandering Albatross and an illusive Beaked Whale. A little later on, we had a talk on the Southern Ocean and what separates Antarctica from the rest of the world, by Juliet; and a talk about the Drake Passage and what makes it so rough, by Fred. Following this speech, there was a mad dash to the bridge by people trying to find out when we would cross the Antarctic Convergence or see our first iceberg.
After that, people resumed getting sick. We were finally able to pull Santiago from watching the back of the boat to give us a talk on seabirds. Then there was just enough time for people to be seasick before we assembled again for a re-cap of the day so far. Following dinner we had our first Pod Time. Get to know and love your pod, and remember to participate in the group discussions.
During the night, we crossed 60 latitude, and are now officially in Antarctic waters. We're headed towards Elephant Island, where the famous Shakelton and his men stayed, and then where the men stayed while Shakelton traveled to South Georgia Island to get help. Look forward to our first Zodiac landing today, and everyone enjoy our first day in Antarctica!
~Contributed by Phillip
Yesterday's Sightings!
In the Air In the Water
Wandering Albatross Southern Beaked Whale
Grey-headed Albatross Southern Bottle nosed Whale
Southern Giant Petrel
Wilson's Storm Petrel
Cape Petrel
Soft Plumaged Petrel
Antarctic Prion
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Petrels, Shearwaters and Diving Petrels
 There are many species of petrel in the Antarctic. All have dense plumage and webbed feet. They usually feed at sea, but remain closer to the coast than the albatross. The largest are the South Giant Petrel and its close relation, the Northern Giant. These carrion eaters were dubbed "stinkers" by the early whalers and sealers. One of the smallest is the Wilson's storm-petrel that skips across the surface of the water as it feeds, stirring up small marine organisms with its feet.
Snow Petrel
Possibly the most beautiful bird in the Antarctic, the Snow Petrel is pure white with black eyes and black underdown. They live in the Antarctic year round and can be found up to 435 miles (700 km) inland on isolated nunataks (the tips of mountain that poke through the icecap). Cape Petrel
Also known as the Pintardos (Spanish for "painted ones") because of the striking pattern on their back and wings. These pigeon sized birds nest on sea cliffs and in rock crevices and can live for 15 to 20 years.
Antarctic Petrel
Antarctic Petrels live and nest exclusively in the Antarctic, spending the winter in the pack-ice. They are mostly found in the Ross Sea region.
HUMPBACK WHALE
 Most baleen whales migrate over the entire globe, moving from the Antarctic where they feed on krill, to the sub-tropics, where they breed and spend the winter season. The most well-known of these species is the Humpback, frequently spotted off the southern coasts when pods pass close to inhabited coastlines during their migrations.Humpbacks reach up to 50 feet in length, and weigh up to 40 tons; they travel in large pods of 200 or more individuals though they are more spread out during their migrations. They feed on schooling fish, and have the behavior of circling around these schools making a "bubble net" to concentrate their prey; they then lunge into the dense cloud of fish with mouth wide open to feed.
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EXPEDITION JOURNALS
December 22nd
Posted Thursday 9:00 am ET
Kelly:
Part 1- I woke up to a foggy and cold room today, and marched over to reception for some food and medication. I was given an anti sea sickness patch, sea legs medication, a banana, water, and Norwegian crackers. After eating half of my banana, and surprisingly keeping it down, I fell asleep in a very awkward position in an office chair. After my nap and small "breakfast" I felt better and decided to attend my first lecture which was regarding Shackleton's multiple voyages down to the Antarctic. I had seen the movie before but I got a lot more information about his previous journeys this time around.
 After my first lecture, I ventured out on deck. We saw our first iceberg which resembled a table. Then only a couple of hours later I saw my first glimpse of land: Elephant Island.
On the island, there were Chinstrap penguins and sea birds all over. Some penguins were even swimming alongside the ship, diving in and jumping out of the frigid waters. The weather conditions were pretty harsh, and it was astonishing to witness first hand how those small creatures could withstand the waters. I took some pictures, and I can't wait to get them developed.
As we were sailing away from the island back into open waters, bright white waves were crashing up against the bow of the boat, and it really was quite a sight. After freezing my hands and my face off, I retreated to the bridge, where the warm heater was calling my name.
During the re-cap and briefing Scobie told us a story about his experience with Sir Ernest Shackleton's grave. He had spent the whole day tidying up his tombstone and repainting the fence surrounding the graveyard, and only a few hours later a herd of elephant seals came and knocked down everything. He was astonished at the bad news, and woke up early the next day to re-do his whole job. While giving the repaired fence its final touches a man walked up behind him and spoke. The man was Sir Ernest Shackleton's sixty year old son who had voyaged to his father's grave for the first time.
Part 2- Hello again everybody!!!!
This is a big happy hello from Antarctica!!!! A little while ago, we all came in from being outside in the rainy and foggy weather. I would say that the seas have become quite a bit more wavy since yesterday, and your balance gets thrown off a little bit. Today, we began the day with two lectures. One was by Fred on a general history of the Antarctic Polar Region, and the other one was by David Fletcher who gave us some information about Shackleton's expeditions (more specifically - the Endurance Expedition). A little later in the day, we observed Elephant Island and saw the very spot where Sir Ernest Shackleton's twenty two men camped for a long while.  By being pretty much out in the middle of nowhere, it really makes you think about what Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men would have gone through in harsh weather conditions in order to fight for their lives. It really makes you think about where you actually are at this very moment. All in all, it has been a very exciting day, and full of many firsts. We saw our first tabular iceberg early this afternoon, and we caught our first glimpse of land after approximately forty eight hours of seeing nothing but the Southern Ocean in all directions (and let me tell you…seeing that was sure wonderful for a lot of us). As well, we saw our first bunch of Adelie penguins. Some of them were resting on the actual land, and then there were some that were dodging in and out of the sea as we sailed closer and closer to Elephant Island. We were super lucky because we got closer to land than is usually possible. Thanks Captain! Anyways, at the moment we are all sitting inside the ship in the observation lounge. Quite a few people are asleep…I guess seasickness is still settling in. Oh and family…you don't have to worry…I've been doing pretty well as far as seasickness goes, despite the stumbles and the common bumps into the walls!!! One lesson that I have learned in these past two days is the importance of, as everyone likes to say, "DRAKE PROOFING" your cabin. My roommates and I have done just that...and have definitely worked at securing all belongings in the room. Call me crazy but the past couple of nights I have slept really well…the rocking of the ship makes you fall fast asleep. Let's just keep the fingers crossed for some more good night sleeps like that.
 Hmm…I can't believe that we have finally arrived. Well, we sort of have, because right now, we are still seeing open ocean in all directions with a couple of icebergs every once in a while. We are now headed down towards that Antarctic Peninsula and it is pretty exciting! Tomorrow, we are hoping to make a shore landing in the zodiacs which I am super pumped for! Seeing this beautiful place really makes you think about where you actually are on the globe…it hardly seems real. This is almost as if it is a dream and I'm not totally certain if the thought that I am actually on the bottom of the world has sunk in. Right at this moment, I feel like the luckiest person in the world…as I am sure that everyone here probably does. It is hard not to always have a camera in your hand because I want to capture every wonderful moment on this trip, but I have been trying to make myself put down the camera at certain moments so that I just take in the beauty through my own two eyes.
Well, I probably should go…it is almost time for our expedition day recap and briefing. All the best back home in Ontario, Canada. This is absolutely amazing and I am thrilled to finally be here!!! Love you all! Keep smiling…and have a great Christmas. Just a note mom, don't forget the Secret Santa gift for Sarah. See you all later!! Love Kels...
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Jesse Lever
Hello,
Greetings to one and all from the Antarctic region!!! The sea has been getting a bit rougher since last night. As soon as I sit down the swaying motion of the ship on the waves and the darkness when the blinds are closed rock me to sleep. It was only this afternoon that I realized the importance of "Drake proofing" our cabins. Walking through the halls can be hazardous if you do not watch your step and are within grasping distance of something solid.
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Today we had two awesome lectures about the history of this grand place. The fist was on the first thoughts on the continent, the Greeks and their theories and assumptions. The second was on the exceptional voyage of Sir Ernest Shackleton. We spotted our first iceberg this afternoon. Since then we have seen others creeping in and out of sight through the fog. Today has been a bit worse, the seas are rolling with more power, the sky is overcast and the wind has been picking up. Even so, this does not dampen our joy at being at such an incredible place. The weather is becoming what I imagined it would be, cool with an icy wind, and the waves have been coming up over the sides of the ship making it slippery.
 The first land we saw was Elephant Island. Disappointed though I was that the weather did not permit our departure in zodiacs, I was just so amazed at the island. We spotted the point in which Shackleton's men stayed their long months in isolation and deprived of all we take for granted. It is a tiny piece of land, in the cold wind only a fraction of the temperature they experienced it is unimaginable that they could have such faith in their leader. Gazing at this land we spotted penguins leaping along beside the ship. They leaped like the dolphins would (though on a smaller scale) and the other sea birds have been visible since we left on this voyage two days ago. No book, movie or story could have ever prepared me for this mystical type of beauty from this awe inspiring land. I anticipate the following days with hope and joy at all the other sights we are to see. The fact that we are at the bottom of the world has still not fully sunk in. It was with such speed that we traveled across the many countries between here and my homeland of Canada it is unimaginable we could travel so far.
The day's recap is in a few short minutes so I must depart and leave this journal until next time.
Farewell to one and all,
Love the ecstatic voyager,
Jesse
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Zach Herak
Today was a day full of different feelings and emotions both good and bad.
 Some people felt a sense of awe as they listened to the story of Shackleton's expedition, while at the same time staring off into space and trying to comprehend how Shackleton successfully overcame the barriers he faced and accomplished the seemingly impossible.
Some people spent a very cold day outside casually searching for animal life such as a whale, or the wandering albatross. Others were on a mission: to be the first to spot an iceberg or the first to point out Elephant Island.
Then there's the sea. To some, the sea is a large, majestic, freezing pool of mystery which provides them with a sense of calmness and tranquility. To others, the sea is an angry, somewhat spinning pool of torture, made to torment them and give them a severe case of sea sickness.
In the end, today was a good day full of mostly positives and some negative experiences. We took pictures of the animal life, we learned about the great Sir Ernest Shackleton, and we experienced the true power of the sea, which either inspired us or made us run to the bathroom.
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