A23a - THE Iceberg
There are moments in time that hit you later. At the time, you may not realize it was a moment. In the shower, a week later, something connects and WOW you think back – I did that, saw this, experienced something life changing.
As if being on a cruise that includes four days “cruising” around the Antarctica wasn’t exciting enough. With little to no expectations of how close we might get to ice covered land, icebergs, Drake Passage lake or shake or wildlife. I knew it would be interesting at the very least. After all, I had watched some documentaries about Antarctica. HA!
Then disappointment.
The westerly winds hitting Ushuaia prevented us from docking and going ashore. Drat – but safety first. No tugboat in Ushuaia to stop the ship from crashing into the dock. You think cruise lines could buy the city a couple of tugs? Oh yeah, weather will also prevent us from seeing Cape Horn. Double drat. But honestly, we’re on a fricking cruise ship headed for Antarctica…….right?!
Well sort of….
About two hours after announcements about missed ports and weather - the Captain has something more to say.
We are going to see the A23a iceberg!
Yes THAT ONE! The RSS Sir David Attenborough (research vessel) has just been on the news talking about seeing it, testing waters etc. We are the first and possibly only cruise ship and civilians to SEE this ICEBERG.
ICYMI. THE berg is HUUGE. Three times the size of New York City. Weighs three trillion tons (don’t ask me how the SCIENTISTS KNOW this). Taller than the Empire State building (analogy is important for us mortal humans to understand SCIENCE). It is 1,500 square miles big. Okay you can look it up the rest on Wikipedia.
We arrive to the expected point on Earth but A23a has moved. Of course, it is moving. Undaunted, WE ARE SAILING another 120 miles east to “catch up with the iceberg.”
After talking with Caroline Gunn, our onboard expert on the Antarctic region, about the speed of the iceberg and what it takes to move something that big on water. She explains, one seventh of the iceberg is above water. The rest is submerged. In fresh water ice floats one tenth above the water and nine tenths below. Salt water is more dense than fresh so it pushes the iceberg higher. The iceberg underwater is being pushed by currents moving faster than we know (not a lot of diving and measuring these currents in the deep, cold waters in the middle of nowhere SOUTHERN Pacific Ocean - like as far south as you can go!) So between the winds and waves up top and current below – of course the iceberg moved.
We sail on for another hour. It is mirky and foggy and the air is dense. Wet, cold, humidity. Dreary in any other place on Earth – except in the middle of nowhere Southern Pacific somewhere between Antarctica and South Georgia. (See photos for location).
This big piece of ice (understatement) sort of appears and disappears in the mist. It is weird, scary and awesome how close the Captain gets the ship. Honestly, it’s like watching a movie.
Then there is THAT block of ice EVERYWHERE that everyone (well scientists) has been talking about. Waves are crashing against the cliff walls. There is a wind that seems to come from everywhere. And there is a field of icebergs large and small that have calved off of A23a.
And the glow….this is what I noticed more than anything else. Despite the mist and overcast skies the sunshine above was carried through the wet air and reflected back from the massive white iceberg below. One big arc of white glow was above the iceberg that looked grey in the weather. My photos do not do it justice. Trust me it was a little like a movie clip of a ship disaster scene. You can see it coming toward you and the last thing you see is this bright white light or cloud above the iceberg. I was actually ok at this being the last thing I ever saw. I wish I could describe it better.
By the way, Ice Pilot Bob Parsons is on board. He joined the cruise in San Antonio, Chile. He was the Captain of the US Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star before he retired to get Princess ships safely to and from Antarctica. That ship cuts the ice to and from McMurdo Station in Antarctica so supplies and trash can come and go as well as help scientists do sciency stuff in the polar sea.
Ice Pilot Bob is making sure we are safe on the way to The Berg and in the field of mini bergs in the sea. Honestly, how close we got (see photos without a lot of zoom) were amazing.
At some point, I just stopped with the iphone to stare, blink, stare some more. Ooooh and aaaah with those next to me.
