Journal Entries

2005-06

 

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Click here to access journal entries by Giancarlo Lopez-Martinez or Luke Sandro.

 

January 31, 2006 — Palmer Station, Antarctica

“All right stop
Collaborate and listen
Ice is back with my brand new invention
Something grabs a hold of me tightly...

Ice ice baby, too cold, too cold,
Ice ice baby, too cold, too cold”

– Vanilla Ice

I can’t believe I did this, but last night I jumped into the freezing cold water in Antarctica! Really! It's customary to jump as a ship leaves, but we did it just for the experience. And what an experience it was! Imagine this: the water is 30°F, that's BELOW freezing, right? Water freezes at 32°F/ 0°C. So do you know why it wasn't frozen solid? Yep — seawater has salt in it, which lowers the freezing point. But this is water with icebergs floating in it. My research team, affectionately known around Palmer as the "Bug Team", was doing this as a team. So, you could say I gave in to peer pressure.

This is how I did it. There was a group of onlookers and supporters. Great, a support group, but did any of them have any lifeguard experience? I made sure to go first, that way I wouldn't lose my nerve. I looked around to see if there was any life saving equipment around. I spotted a life ring and hook. Check! Safety first at Palmer Station for an insane teacher about to commit an unthinkable act. I hoped the onlookers knew where they were; if not, I pictured myself pointing an icy finger in the general direction, hoping they would take the hint. I stepped onto this huge floating buoy or rubber bumper that is used for docking ships. At this point, there was no turning back — I was committed to going through with this absolutely absurd act. Everyone watched and cheered. My mind was spinning with thoughts of death and cardiac arrest, which happens to people my age under normal conditions. Where was Greg, the doctor? I would feel better to know he was around and not napping or in the shower. What was I doing?! I thought of how Andreas and Paul, my crew coaches, said that if we accidentally flipped our boat they would have four minutes to get me out of the freezing Cuyahoga water when it is below 45° — and this was 30° water! I have done some pretty wild and crazy things in my life, but never... Was the portable emergency crash cart freshly stocked with defibrillator paddles, charged and ready to spark life back into my shocked and quaking heart? I remembered a stress survival strategy that has helped me get through unnerving situations in the past: I visualized myself jumping, rising to the surface, and swimming to the ladder. Then, I did it.

Dear Lord WAS IT COLD!!!! Is there a word that means colder than cold? Surprisingly, my first thought upon surfacing was that the water was salty. Unusual thought, eh? Then, I felt instant cold like I never felt before. I think I said a few words too, but I don’t remember what they were. I came to my senses and headed for the ladder — fast! I couldn't climb fast enough. Then, suddenly I felt just fine. Imagine that. So, I stood by watching each one of my group take the plunge.

Josh dived.

GC shouted something.

Mike did a flip.

Rick had the best expression on his face upon surfacing.

We posed for pictures and then headed for the hot tub.

What an event! Another part of this amazing Antarctic journey...

What now? What next? After a long day working in the lab and writing at the computer, I did it again.

 

- Kaput-on-Ice

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