Christmas in Antarctica!

Just signed up for a month of underwater exploration in Antarctica spanning Christmas and New Years. With its unnamed invertebrates, below freezing temperatures, and carnivorous seals that stretch the length of a mid-size car, our earth's most southern continent is a place of wondrous finds.

Swimming amidst grounded icebergs and penguins while losing sensation in your lips from the 29F/-1.6C water is the kind of diving that challenges the mind, body and whatever other ingredients make us human.

For laughs, I have included a link of some hijinks Patrick Gilmore and I got into when exploring the islands and channels of the Antarctic Peninsula aboard the National Geographic Explorer.

Penguins: High Def vs. Standard Def

As well as the recent article from scientist Skye Moret using my underwater images to compare the color differences between what is above and below the waters off the white continent.

In Living Color: Antarctica's Vibrant Wildlife Under the Sea

The Wilds of Alaska

Alaska provides.

Redefining our notions of wilderness.

Eliminating the gap that we imagine exists between ourselves and the natural world.

Letting us breathe again.

Far away from the stains with which we have colored the world.

And if it is only for a day, then a good day it is to reset our expectations for how we should interact with the creatures inhabiting this world.

Befriending the Leviathan – The Gray Whales of Baja California

How easily we draw the line that separates us from the wild. Presuming that our ability to name the creatures of this world somehow separates us from them, and worse yet gives us dominion to do with them as we please.

Yet out of all the places in the world where we have abused animal life as a resource, none tell a more magical tale than the lagoon of San Ignacio in Baja California where the California Gray Whales have suffered both slaughter and revival.

Beginning in 1845, these whales were found to be easy prey for the bold whalers that chose to hunt them. Injuring the newly born calves, the whalers knew that the mother would seek to help her young, thus dooming herself to die under the heft of their spears. Such hunting was easily accomplished with the known breeding grounds with water too shallow for the whales to dive and escape.

Without conscience, the slaughter brought the California Gray Whales down to the brink of extinction with population estimates at only 250 whales remaining in the North Pacific at the time. Luckily, Mexico stepped up and became the first country to enact protection over these magnificent and intelligent creatures, and over the last one hundred plus years the whales have been recovering and greatly adding to their numbers.

With the fortune of visiting the lagoon aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion, I was privileged to encounter these marine mammals in the very place that they are born. In the shallows water, the mother’s exercise their young against the current to prepare them for the five thousand mile journey to the feeding grounds of Alaska.

Once known as the Devil Fish for how fiercely they fought against the whalers, the Gray Whale mothers now, unbelievably, encourage their calves to approach. Out of all the marine mammals encounters that I have enjoyed, this one takes the prize.

Petting the calves as they rolled and rubbed our zodiac, I was close enough to look into their eyes, see the newly growing hairs that remind of the heritage that we share, and even get my hat blown off when they exhaled.

Words have no place in trying to describe the experience, thus I share some of the images I was able to capture with hope that the reader will be as endeared to them as I am, and perhaps visit such a place for themselves one day.

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All photos © Paul North (unless otherwise noted)

Shackleton's Ghost

Perhaps you have heard of Shackleton and the Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Perhaps you have even given consideration to the perils those men faced in order to survive months spent in the most unforgiving place on our planet.

But even now on the centennial of the event with the myriad of books and documentaries that cover the topic so well, we will still never know. It is not our fault. We just were not there. Unless we feel the numb that the cold forces or the hunger that brews madness, how can we ever understand what it takes to overcome it?

Were it not for Shackleton's unyielding and humored leadership, who knows what the final tally of survivors would have been - most likely none at all. Though his attempts to make the South Pole failed, the story of how he tended to the fires of his men's spirits is what makes him the legend amongst the role call of polar explorers.

Recently, I had the fortune to set out aboard the National Geographic Orion to trail the path of survival Shackleton and his men took. Not shying away from authenticating the journey, we took the vessel into the Weddell Sea and planted her firmly into the sea ice for an afternoon of snow ball fights and champagne.

After a week spent investigating the Antarctic peninsula enjoying the marine mammals and brush tailed penguins, we crossed the Scotia Sea to reach Elephant Island. Like Shackleton and his men, we first came to Cape Valentine but it was as clear to us, as it must have been one hundred years before, that this was not an ideal place to make camp.

Next we arrived at Point Wild - the location where the men decided to make camp. Hiding behind the glacier to protect themselves from the wind, the James Caird was made ready for Shackleton and some hand picked companions to make the 800 nautical mile journey across to South Georgia.

Following their track, we reached Cape Rosa, South Georgia. It was on this island that they would eventually find rescue at Stromness Whaling Station, but not before climbing through the middle of the night across the jagged peaks that separated them from the other side of the island.

The details have been accounted for. The story of Shackleton is told, but what resonants most is his refusal to die. A stubbornness that he infused in all of his men to keep them alive (even the stowaway). In this modern day, we call many leader, but have sparse examples as to what that should mean.

Shackleton now lies at Grytviken, a ghost of another of the whaling stations that populated South Georgia during the era.

Standing amidst the ruins gives one a sense for the world that was. Men of industry and adventure who turned down the coming world war for a chance to place a foot on untouched soil. These days such exploits are reserved for space and the ocean's depth and in those journeys we can only hope that another Shackleton will arise.