Team members say

Tuesday about tea time.

Yesterday evening and last night was very exciting. We are now at Sea in the Drake Passage having powered through hurricane conditions, with winds of over 90mph and waves of 10m, the ship rolled all over the place, exceeding 45 degrees at times as the waves pounded us from the side. The worse point came when we were hit by a rouge wave at around 3am which swamped the ship almost bringing us to a standstill, chairs equipment and people were thrown all over the place. We have come through the worse now but the swell still rocks us badly. What a way to leave Antarctica. It is hard to imaging that in a few hours we will pick up phone coverage and sight land, everything that past so slowly now seems such a distance away. Important information has been shared and lessons have been learnt. We all have important stories to tell and messages to deliver when we get back home.

To my family you will be pleased to know that over 200 years of naval tradition have not been eroded away as I have come through this journey without being sick, although I must admit it got pretty close last night. Love to you all and sea you soon.

Luke

Time passes slowly here in Antarctica, each day brings with it new experiences that heighten our awareness. Mountains shooting up from the sea, their black faces blasted by wind and encrusted with ice. Glaciers fall into the sea, disintegrating into icebergs. The impact of the landscape humbles you, clearly we don’t belong here, yet the continent wants to suck you in and make you her own. There are so many experiences to tell you all about, an iceberg about the size of two rugby pitches that imploded in on itself and almost vanished right in front of us, leaving us stunned into silence. The pod of killer whales gently circling our ship before heading off to open water. Penguins welcoming us ashore then standing confused about why we are so much bigger than them. As I was typing this I was interrupted by an announcement that we have Humpback whales breaching out of water to the aft of the ship. Naturally I headed out with my camera to try for the iconic photograph of them, failing I am afraid to say. Last night a team of us spent ashore in tents at Dorian Bay near an old BAS base which was last manned over ten years ago. We emerged into the rising Antarctic sun in the morning feeling like veterans of some heroic expedition.

Love to Sally, Josie, Lola and Keir.

By the time you read this we would have reached the EBase, having crossed the notorious Drake Passage. Everything I had expected from this part of the expedition, 15m+ waves, strong winds and being violently sick didn’t happen and we have sailed through, in what the captain has described as ‘ideal’ conditions. MV Ushuaia is a small ship but she is now starting to feel like home, albeit a little on the cramped side. We have past our first iceberg about the size of a large house, spotted several whales and have been followed most of way by an albatross. I am starting to really look forward to first spotting land and then landing in Antarctica tomorrow, something which I am told is a life changing experience. For those of you still at school thanks for your support I know Robert has appreciated our engagement in 2041. Spread the word and keep posting comments on the website. For Sally, Josie, Lola and Keir I miss you all and love you very much.

Luke’s initial thoughts on climate change…

My local area has experienced higher rainfall and severe flooding in the last two years.