Day 16 - In The Scotia Sea

-LEAVING THE WHITE CONTINENT
-Antarctic ICe BELT
-OUR TRIP SELFIE

The diligent expedition team members were usually available on the deck trying to spot whales, birds and other forms of activity they thought we might be interested in seeing.

With a surprising degree of sadness we began our departure from the White Continent late yesterday afternoon, headed off in the direction of South Georgia. (Yes, this means traversing the Drake Passage again!) I use the word, sadness, because upon seeing Antarctica you are left with the desire to see even more for a longer period of time. You know that the odds of coming back are pretty slim and even if you do, your experience will be very different. For some folks that can be good news, but for us, we can't imagine being so lucky with the tempestuous weather, our timing and generally great time.
There is also the fact that if you really want to go to the Antarctic you must accept the abuse that is required to get here. All in all it took us about 16 hours to get to Santiago, Chile and it was only because the good folks at Seabourn had the customer service awareness to make the first port Valparaiso. Then we slowly made our way south to Ushuaia. Because we stopped for interesting excursions along the way we didn't end up spending 24 hours travelling to the tip of South America in order to begin our journey.
It made me giggle to think that when I mentioned we were planning a trip to Antarctica, a friend asked me, "On purpose?" Trust me, you don't stumble upon the Antarctic. It's damn hard work to get here but the reward is like childbirth, you can't remember a second of the pain or the trouble until you start your long trip back home. Is it worth it? Oh my, yes! More than you can possibly know  the price you pay is rewarded tenfold.
Now we are leaving and the area is giving us one final wet, slobbery, kiss farewell. That kiss took the shape of a surreal image that will be remembered for a long while.  An image that we are unlikely to ever see again. It was an ice belt that extended as far as the eye could see on the Quest's starboard side. Several crew members told us at lunch that the Captain was looking for a way to pass around the thickest parts of the ice and that for the past couple of hours he had been maneuvering and changing our course to find an opening that would take us all the way through. Unlike many ships that operate in the area, the Quest is not an ice breaker, it is a luxury ship and goodness knows we have never regretted a moment while on board this beautiful vessel.
Standing on the deck in the front of the ship we took our "trip selfie." We haven't gotten into the GoPro trend at this point because we prefer to shoot with our professional camera but there were a few of those in use on this trip. I harbor no ill will toward them specifically but Selfie Sticks are ridiculous. Mark my words and watch the news there will eventually be an unfortunate incident involving a Selfie Stick. And then, I will rest my case.
However, upon seeing the pure, white ice barrier that prevented our passage, my thoughts turned to Ernest Shackleton - I'm fun that way - and his crew in 1915. I couldn't imagine what they might have experienced  as they watched the pack ice crush "Endurance" before their very eyes. What happened next is well documented and worth researching if you ever plan a trip to Antarctica or South Georgia but 1915 was a very long while ago and it is not even remotely possible that you can expect the same ordeal. Nonetheless, the Shackleton story is about enormous bravery, leadership, trust and faith. Incidentally, we watched a PBS show called "Frozen Hell" during one of our first evenings on the ship. All else seemed a tad minute comparatively. Also, noted was the fact that on Sir Ernest Shackleton's final expedition he set forth to Antarctica on a ship he named the "Quest."

The ultimate selfie leaving Antarctica and headed toward South Georgia in the Scotia Sea.