First day of expedition in the Arctic, the students tell all!
Arctic Expedition 2008
By Students On Ice's Youth Contributors
Our Students On Ice's Youth Contributors share with us their first impression of the Arctic!
August 4th, Recap
By Ophelia Snyder, Student
Woohooo!!! Today was the first leg of our journey north! We made it all the way to Iqaluit! However, as Geoff would say, “Flexibility is the key!” So instead of leaving at 7:30 and getting to Iqaluit at eleven, we got here at four-ish. So I guess this was a welcome to traveling up north. Not to mention we almost forgot all of our food – much to the dismay of many of the boys on the expedition. So finally, after much drama, we made it off the ground. In a flurry of French, English, Spanish, Norwegian, a little German and a lot of laughter we managed to reach the yellow-submarine airport. It’s incredible to say, but the Iqaluit airport is an amazing shade of electric yellow. Later we made our way to the Nunavut Legislature where the Commissioner of Nunavut welcomed us... and joined our expedition! After a quick bus tour around town and a stop at a convenience store, we headed for the Zodiacs. We all suited up in our life jackets for our first Zodiac rides!!! As we raced further out of the port we found the ship, the Lyubov Orlova, which will be our home for the next two weeks. All of our team was super excited as we were showed to our rooms! I have to say it has been a long year but I can breathe easier now that I’m back. Of all things, I cried because I was so happy to be here. After a safety briefing and dinner, it was time to set sail. With all the decks abuzz with excitement and eager expeditioners, the horn blew, we raised anchor and we are off. Off for another expedition full of excitement, adventure and great friendships (not even mentioning the countless laughs we are all destined to share).
Today was a really intense day for me, returning for my third trip with SOI, as soon as I saw the ice, even from the airplane window, I was reminded of how much I love this place. It never ceases to amaze and inspire. In truth, being in this place redefines all of our conceptions about the world and it can make you feel as insignificant as a spec of dust but as powerful as the currents, knowing you are responsible for this place and you can affect it. This experience, both humbling and driving, is indescribable and I can’t wait for all my fellow ambassadors to finally understand where my bubbly, hyper excitement has been coming from.
By David Crane, Student
Today was a day of many surprises. To begin with we got an hour more sleep than scheduled…a great relief because few teenagers enjoy waking up at 6:00 AM. After a late breakfast and a quick meeting we headed to the airport. We boarded the planes and started to taxi towards the runway before we realized we had forgotten to load the expedition’s food, turning the plane around to make sure there was enough for the voyage.
Halfway through our flight many of us saw our first icebergs. Below on a sea of dark blue there floated huge chunks of white ice. These brilliant, colossal formations were what I came to see and reminded me of the Titanic. I also thought that they might not be around for my future children to see. This doubled my resolve to do all I could for the environment.
When we landed, the cold wind bit into my jacket the minute I got off the plane. It was here, standing outside of Iqaluit Airport, I realized how dirty the air back home is. The fresh, clean wind tasted good.
We were welcomed by Ann Hanson at the Nunavut Legislature, before we hurried over to a large group of huge chunks of ice that were sitting in the mud flats of Frobisher Bay, stranded by the high tide. During high tide these chunks of ice floated but since the tide moves so drastically here, during low tide, they just sit there. The ice was amazing, cold, and melting. This reminded us all of the rising temperatures.
Image credits (from top): 1) 3 Students tasting ice.; 2) Iqaluit and ice in Frobisher Bay.;3) The team loading the zodiac.
Posted by on 08/06 at 12:39 PM