The Iceberg graveyard - Pleneau, Antarctica
Pleneau, Antarctica
Then, we were due to go into the zodiacs to the graveyard of all icebergs. What was to be was as easily forgotten as a group of four leopard seals played by the boat and an iceberg, even chewing the prop of the zodiac and showing off it seemed just so we'd stick around.
A radio call came through...Fifteen Minke Whales had been sighted so away we went, reluctant to leave the seals who put on an amazing show.
The initial call of fifteen turn into a group of approx thirty Minke Whales, something never seen before by all expedition staff and guests !!
The rhythm of them blowing one after another dorsal fin after dorsal fin with the occasional head poking out of the water ! Nobody could believe what we saw. Eleven zodiacs and thirteen kayaks were being surrounded by Minke Whales. Looking over the edge of the zodiac to only be sprayed in the face by the Whale as it came up for air from beneath you.
We had Hayley driving our zodiac again and tears were had by both guests and expedition staff on our zodiac. Emotions were running high and some of us too overwhelmed to look at another in the eyes ! Then the cheer of each boat, one by one. A sound of exceeded expectations a sound of people experiencing the most amazing thing witnessed in nature for us yet.
I found myself staring at the water with glassy eyes and a head full of too many thoughts ! One in particular was why I will go back to a nine to five office, sitting behind a computer hiding from the world and all of its natural beauty. When every new day out here we see with our own eyes miracle after miracle and are filled with information from a well respected expedition team.
Individuals who will sacrifice their own lives, family and relationships because they're so passionate about what they do. Working in nature and travelling the world doing it whether it be passion for marine life, birds, glaciers, rocks or even guiding.
Some of the staff have been on the road for five months this season walking around with a smile, happy to talk about what they do still with a special look in their eyes even after so long, where some would by now burn out and hit a wall ! I envied them, I wanted to be them and I am inspired to do something else with life !!
All this, I thought about at the time I saw the whales, listening to them breathe and blow out tunes making music for anyone's ears. Perhaps I was hypnotised I don't know, I can't explain the feeling in a simple word, if I could I would but basically life shouldn't be lived behind an unnatural environment and this holiday has taught me that.
I placed my camera down and covered it up disappointed with myself that my intentions were to take as many great shots. This was the moment I realised life isn't about that !! The greatest lens anyone could look through is their own and that will be forever remembered next time I consider picking up my camera.
I had taken a lot of time out while ashore, the staff tell you take a minute every landing so you can take in the surroundings but never before had I felt like this.
Hayley: "Nicole, are you ok ?"
Me: "................."
I was so emotional but I couldn't cry. I know I needed to but I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t talk to anyone, I loved the serenity too much. Life for me at this point was at its absolute peak and nothing I had ever done or seen could compare to what had just happened in front of my eyes.
This was nature at its best and I witnessed it with people from all over the globe, not even my closest friends. Just people I had met a week before this. From here on every one of us will be connected forever because of this day. Becky, Lyn, Roz, Ping, Betty, Karen, Sarah, Kanak, Raakhe - just to name a few. These guys met me high on life and every one of them had influenced this. I had made some silly decisions in life but this one was the best one I had ever made and now I will be forever fortunate.
From the zodiac rides we boarded the ship again the polar plunge was scheduled immediately !
The adrenalin was still rushing from what had just happened so the idea of jumping into freezing cold water while it was snowing was never doubted nor questioned.
I was fifth in line and in my head I couldn't really understand what it would feel like when my body hits the 2'C water. I stood on the edge of the boat and decided to dive as deep as I possibly could. The freezing water hadn't hit me...water in general did but at no point when I was diving into the sea did I think for a minute the water was too cold. I turned around and with my eyes wide open looked up at the surface and could see clearly, so clearly I could see the snow falling on the water. I was swimming towards what looked to me like crushed ice and it wasn't until my head surfaced and I knew I had to swim back then my body went into shock. I couldn't swim, move nor feel anything, I had no control. I wasn't sure whether I had to cry, laugh or scream. I still hadn't really thought about anything and time had frozen momentarily. I looked up at the people holding a rope to drag me back on board and then wished for a second they'd just pull the rope and I knew I was in control again. I then screamed as loud as I could in excitement because I had achieved the so called dreaded, forever anticipated Polar plunge.
I got back onboard and was handed a towel yet I was numb, no pain nor feeling. A few minutes later a sharp tingle came over my whole body which was red and full of goose bumps. I had feeling again, the wet clothes I had on came off although I still wasn't cooler nor warmer I was just wet and adrenalin ridden and ready to do it all again.