Back when I was working as a geologist in Australia (um, well over two decades ago) I had a colleague who was working in Antarctica – which he always referred to as “The Ice.”
Well, now I am getting to know this spectacular wilderness too, and building up my time on or near The Ice. I have just finished a month working for Lindblad Expeditions, as an expedition guide and naturalist/lecturer: our route had us first in Patagonia, and then down in Antarctica.
Here are a few pix from our last week at The Ice, all from Christmas week, uploaded as I travel home (currently in Santiago de Chile). Hopefully I will find the time to put up a few more posts (and videos) once I get home!
This is how we spent Christmas eve day – landing everyone on this ice floe (not all at once!). Once all guests were back on the ship, our expedition team had our Christmas staff photo taken while as the captain nudged the ship stunningly close up to our hunk of ice. Much closer than it appears in this photo! (Taken by my colleague Sue Forbes).So many cool icebergs… it felt like we were just permanently passing through a sculpture gallery.
A highlight of our Antarctic voyage was, as our Captain Martin Graser explained to us, making history – by traversing narrow and spectacular LeMaire Channel alongside our sister ship, the National Geographic Endurance.
Zodiac cruising in Wilhelmina Bay, with humpback whales around. Yes, we were (mostly) extremely fortunate with the weather!So many cool icebergs… it felt like we were permanently passing through a sculpture gallery.Lots of grounded icebergs around Port Charcot – big ones! – a totally fun zodiac cruise, checking them all out. (Thanks for the photo, Martin).Our ship, the National Geographic Resolution, is capable of getting very close to shore. Here we are in Neko Harbour – it was barely necessary to launch the zodiacs!A colony of gentoo penguins, which we hiked up to over the snow from NG Resolution, at Neko Harbour, with one of the very active and crevassed glaciers behind.
I am a scientist, an adventurer, and a communicator: best-selling author, photographer, and public speaker. I'm an elected Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and recipient of the RCGS's Sir Christopher Ondaatje Medal for Exploration.
I have a PhD in Structural Geology and Tectonics, and an MFA in Creative Writing: I pride myself in my ability to explain technical subjects like geology to people in a way that is not only understandable, but engaging and exciting - whether in my work as a ghostwriter or in my work as a naturalist/expedition guide.
I am author or co-author of four published books (and there are two more in the works right now!). My articles and photos have been published in quality magazines and newspapers around the world, and my radio documentaries have played on CBC Radio (Canada) and internationally. I have spoken at numerous venues across North America (from The Explorer's Club in New York to museums and outdoor clubs across North America) and I am a TEDx speaker.
And I am an expedition guide and naturalist, working on ships and driving people around in zodiacs in exciting parts of the world (lately, mainly Patagonia, Polynesia and Antarctica). If you want to find out about my travels - or perhaps join me! - please sign up for the mailing list on my Contacts page (don't worry, I won't spam you or share your info!!) Read my bio.
Where is Jacqueline right now?
I have just spent an extended summer at home on beautiful Vancouver Island: paddling and hiking around our cabin on Sproat Lake, and tending to my gardens. My harvest was amazing this year, in spite of me only returning from down south in late spring - Dave and I have canned another year's worth of enchilada sauce from my tomatoes and tomatillos! (We pretty much live on enchiladas - we love them!)
I also managed to research and write two book chapters and started on my own book! It has been a while since I have published anything under my own name. Most of my writing these recent years has been for other people - so I am excited to be back into it.
But now I am preparing to leave for my season down south - working on ships in Patagonia, Antarctica, Polynesia and southeast Asia for most of October through May. Very excited about this upcoming season: it brings a lot of variety and adventure into these upcoming contracts!
Jacqueline Windh 