Monday January 23rd 2024
Scotia Sea
Bound for Antartica
Sea Day
No Wake up Call
9:15am Biosecurity
Welcome to Antarctica! Well, almost. Earlier this morning, as we slept, we crossed the 60th Parallel and officially entered Antarctica—biologically, environmentally, physically, and existentially.
Gus had a rough day yesterday with a congested chest and a sore throat. Luckily, his Covid test turned out negative, so phew! He’s feeling a bit better today but still congested, so it’s more rest for him.
Rogue Iceberg
An incredible development, however, took us slightly off course. A rogue iceberg was coming our way and we were going to hit it. OK, that may have been a little dramatic. Actually, A23a, the largest iceberg in the world, was drifting in the area, and it was all engines full ahead to try to see it. This behemoth of an iceberg, the size of Rhode Island, broke off from Antarctica’s Filchner-Ronne ice shelf in 1986 and had been stuck in the Weddell Sea for over thirty years. Only recently, in late 2023, did it completely break free and started drifting toward the Southern Ocean.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We were going to be among just a few hundred people in the world to witness this rare phenomenon up close. As A23a loomed at the horizon, everyone rushed to the bow to marvel at its sheer size.
For three hours, we sailed alongside a small section of the iceberg, lit up by bright sunshine for perfect viewing conditions. The Titanic iceberg had nothing on A23a—well, except for not sinking a ship!
Even though Gus wasn’t feeling well, I dragged his sickly ass above deck to glimpse the big iceberg, making sure that he witnessed it with his own eyes.
The evening ended with a movie about Shackleton and the Endurance. It was fitting since there’s a high chance we’ll be passing Elephant Island and possibly exploring Point Wild by Zodiac—the place where 22 men from the Endurance stayed for 4 months until they were rescued.
It's Opener There 
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