Journals from The Ice

Excerpts from Anne Mills' Journals.

Anne Mills is a Biology Major at the College of William & Mary who will graduate in May 2004. Her work in the field did not begin until two years ago when she joined Dr. Cindy Van Dover’s lab at William & Mary. Read more of Anne's biography.

Log 1: She’s going to Antarctica

On the afternoon of December 28th I arrived in Punta Arenas, Chile after almost 24 hours of traveling. ...Our last day in Punta Arenas was New Years Eve, so our reason to party was twofold: we were celebrating the New Year and our last encounter with the known world for the next six weeks.

...Punta Arenas has an exceptional vitality, perhaps the function of its position at the edge of the Earth. As the southernmost city in the world, Punta Arenas is like the last gasp of human life before the desolation that lies below it. It is an incredibly colorful city, populated by what I found to be exceptionally welcoming people (not to mention hordes of feral but friendly dogs). ...more Log1

Log 2: Seasick

The past two days of transit have been pretty rough for me; I tend to get seasick during the first few days of a cruise and the Drake was all too willing to help me continue the trend. Generally speaking, though, we have fared pretty well in our crossing of the passage; compared to the legendary storms that have arisen there, the swells we experienced were nothing! I'm just glad to be feeling a little better... for the first time in two days, I was able to eat a meal consisting of more than crackers (it's amazing how much simple pleasures can mean when you're at sea)!

One of the worst things about seasickness is that you experience all the ailments directly to the water's motion (persistent nausea, muscle soreness, generalized willingness to die, etc.) as well as a whole new suite of symptoms associated with dehydration (headache, fatigue) and the side effects of seasickness medications (dizziness, drowsiness, blurred vision). Overall, it's like combining the worst hangover you've ever had, a skull-splitting migraine, food poisoning, and the flu. But hey, it's all part of working at sea! ...more Log2

Log 3: Amazing day

Adelie penguin diving.

When we arrived on the island, the first thing we noticed was the number of penguins—they were everywhere!

The second thing we noticed was the smell. Penguins may be cute, but hygiene-wise there is nothing cuddly about those birds! The island (and many of the less well-kept penguins!) were covered in pale pink material: the end product of an all-krill diet.

My image of penguins as exclusively adorable was also dispelled by their interactions with one another; when I asked Hugh if they worked together as a group, he laughed and replied, "Well, they actually hate each other, but they tolerate each other when they have to." This hostility was evidenced in the many raucous squabbles that we witnessed. Sometimes the birds even got physical! Our somewhat sullied idea of the birds didn't stop any of us from taking about a thousand photos—odor and lack of social decorum aside, they are fascinating little creatures! ...more Log3

Log 4: Workin’ on the LM Gould

When I got a break I went to the galley for my first "Mid-rats" experience; once the ship goes onto the 24-hour schedule, the cooks start preparing midnight rations for the people on the late shifts. Mid-rats tend to be less cohesive meals and a more hodgepodge of finger food; last night, for example, the cooks prepared chicken sandwich halves, egg rolls, fruit, and grilled cheese sandwiches. The captain of the ship, a really huge, jolly man who looks like a pirate and has a thick Cajun accent, was grabbing dinner; I think I scared him a little bit with my overwhelming excitement about the grilled cheese. After I calmed down and had enough to eat, I went back to the lab to finish my work and get acclimated to my new, bizarre schedule. ...more Log4

Log 5: Stories from an old salt

Minke whales swim along the LM Gould.

When I woke up today, I opened my portal to let some light into the cabin and saw the sleek, black back of a Minke whale as it dove beneath the boat. I had spotted whales earlier in the trip, but seeing one in such close proximity was unreal—if it weren’t for the glass of the portal, I swear I could have reached out and touched it. I threw on a coat and rushed upstairs and onto the deck, scanning the waters on the port side of the ship to see if it would resurface. After a few disappointing minutes I had almost given up, then I heard it spout back on the starboard side of the ship—apparently, it hadn't crossed underneath after all. It lingered near the surface for several minutes, spouting several times, before slipping back into blue obscurity. Although it may be difficult to distinguish one day from the next down here, it seems there is always something to remind you of how incredible this place is. ...more Log5

Log 6

The view of Lemaire Straight.

Everyone thought I was even more crazy today because it was snowing heavily--actually an uncommon occurrence here during the summer—and my perch on the bow was especially vulnerable to battering by the elements. It feels almost unjust to try to explain how beautiful it was; even photographs seem meek and inadequate in their effort to capture the scene. Protected by the mountains looming on either side, the water was an unnerving calm and an opaque amalgamation of blues and blacks. Rising out of the water, the mountains seem unimaginably tall, flooding the horizon with their proximity. Jason was also outside, but for the first few minutes neither of us could think of anything appropriate to say; we just raised our cameras in a feeble attempt to take something away from the moment, because if left to our memories alone scenes like that might have seemed invented, too unreal and amazing to trust. ...more Log6

Log 7: Sediment trap search and recovery

Today I got to use power tools, which means it's automatically a great day. One of the coolest things about doing science at sea is that a number of skills are required of you, so your obligations can range from meticulous labwork to manual labor. Because resources and manpower are limited, everyone on this ship has to be able to fill a variety of roles, regardless of their ostensible job. As part of the science party, we need to be able to wield a power drill as effectively as we do a pipette (although there are times when I feel incompetent in both arenas!). ...more Log7

Log 8: Happy Birthdays

We received the following email yesterday:

"To all those Pollywogs which dare trespass these crystal Antarctic waters: Have you been granted permission to enter my Antarctic waters LET ALONE steal my precious creatures - bacteria and plankton alike, foul my pristine air with your filthy boat and cause my beautiful seabirds to give up their last meal? I dare say you have not even thought to seek permission, you stinking, french-fry gobbling fools. Thus, you are called to stand trial in the court of King Neptune for these crimes and others. Yes, cower in fear for my penalties are severe and your sins are not negligible.

Though angered, I am a noble King and will grant you this clemency: reparations may be paid in the form of a skit performed the day you stand trial for the court. Vanquish your fears: put your trifling minds together and create a skit worthy of my court for your punishments will follow shortly. I am ever watching you, terrestrial trash!

Without Regards,
King Neptune"

This, of course, is a reference to the infamous hazing that awaits us sometime next week. Although we crossed the Antarctic circle today, the crossing ceremony is held off until our work at the stations is complete. As first-timers, all we are told is that King Neptune will come aboard the vessel and initiate us into his ranks. Beyond that, all we have to go off of are the various rumors that have trickled down from the veterans, including stories of fish-gut showers, hair cutting/head shaving, and forced consumption of sea creatures, generally recently dead, uncooked, and whole. All we can do is wait and prepare a skit that will hopefully dilute his wrath! ...more Log8

Log 9:

Yesterday we pulled into Rothera Station, the British base on the Antarctic Peninsula. At seven in the morning, fifteen of us got off the ship while twelve of the folks from Rothera boarded to spend the day cross calibrating their instruments with ours in the bay.

...After our touring, I headed back to the ship for dinner and a brief nap, then walked back to the station around eight pm for the much-anticipated Robert Burns party. In honor of the birthday of Scottish poet Robert Burns, the Rothera folks had promised us a night of haggis eatting, Scottish Country dancing, and whiskey drinking. Having a distinct fear of indistinct meats, I partook only in the latter two but enjoyed them heartily! After learning about a dozen of the Scottish dances, everyone was too dizzy from all the whirling (and possibly the wiskey) to continue, so we concluded the Scottish portion of the evening and resumed our dancing with more up to date music, although the kilts persisted throughout the night. ...more Log9