GOULD BAY CAMP 77°56’20.9”S 45°07’16.1”W
meanwhile , high on an ice shelf , I finally arrived after a difficult journey; it was a sunny evening after two weeks of waiting and preparing for this expedition. My fellow travelers and I successfully made it to Gould Bay in Antarctica. Our camp is set up on an ice shelf, a couple miles from the emperor penguin colony, where one of the 5,000 penguins is Tundra in the middle of the chick’s protection shield. As I settled in my tent for the night, I dove into the warmth of my sleeping bag. Many nights, I had to shed layers within the sleeping bag to stay comfortable; it was just too warm at one of the coldest places this planet could offer. I could hear the penguins talking and was mesmerized by where we were, dazzled by what I was seeing, and hyper focused on staying in the moment. Each day was so different with the penguins. We had days that were freezing with high winds and snow, when the penguins would hunker down and stay together. In stark contrast, there were also sunny days when many penguins would spread out and take naps on their bellies. It was great having so many different types of weather at the colony because it showed how resilient, strong, and graceful the penguins were under the most trying environment and changing conditions. Penguins live on sea ice here, and the ocean is just six feet below them. It didn’t matter how cold it was; each day I stayed out with these incredible birds for as long as the guides allowed it. Every moment with these penguins was so different and magical, and there was always something new and exciting watching them. They were so mystical and enchanting that I could look at them all day. It was a dream come true. But this dream has the potential to become a nightmare for the penguins and the environment. They’re facing changes brought to them from life far away. Life in this climate becomes more challenging every day with the possible arrival of bird flu and the increasing danger of melting ice under their feet. Documenting the daily life and hardships—both the ups and the downs—of the emperor penguins became my mission, and I watched in awe the resilience displayed by these courageous and beautiful birds against the backdrop of Antarctica’s harsh elements. My heart connected with the penguins’ struggle, their affection for each other and their story, my camera capturing the fragile strength of life in this icy kingdom. Antarctica isn’t just the world’s southernmost continent but also the windiest, coldest, and driest place on our planet. Here, we find 70% of Earth’s freshwater and 90% of its ice. When these enormous masses of ice melt, sea levels rise and threaten huge land areas and many island countries around the world, both of which can disappear. Where will these animals be when the time comes, and how can we justify just sitting around and doing nothing when we know this? Our planet deserves more, more from each of us. Let’s stay together as the penguins do and together protect animals such as these, as well as each other and our world as a collective. “When these enormous masses of ice melt, sea levels rise and threaten huge land areas and many island countries around the world, both of which can disappear. How can we justify just sitting around and doing nothing when we know this?”
101
MOTHER VOLUME THREE
Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease