Our current position is: 64 degrees 48' south 57 degrees 10.9' west
From Erwin Jackson, Campaigner.
3rd February 1997
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Erwin Jackson here with the today's update from the MV Arctic Sunrise. Just in the way of introductions, I am part of the campaign team on the ship and normally work on climate change for Greenpeace in Australia. I am on the ship as the Greenpeace's climate change impacts specialist, which means I get to talk and write about the impacts of global warming on Antarctica to the world's media, public and politicians.
Today was a day of adventure on the ship as we are attempting to circumnavigate James Ross Island, just east of the Antarctic Peninsula. We will be among the first people to do this because until two years ago this island was connected to the Antarctic continent by a 500 square kilometre ice shelf and the passage was impassable. In 1995, along with some other neighbouring ice shelves, it collapsed because the temperatures in this part of the world had become too hot for them to survive.
Most of the day has been spent slowing winding and crashing our way though the sea ice and icebergs that block the passage between the island and the continent. The ice cracks, groans and snaps as we pass, and occasionally the ship rocks violently as we hit thick ice that will not give way before us. The only witnesses to our passage have been the occasional Weddell seal which snooze on the ice.
My day was spent organising a couple of science briefing papers for the media (one on climate change predictions for Antarctica and the other on climate change and Antarctic plants) and writing a press release about the circumnavigation. I also took some time to take some photos of the ice and stand on the deck gazing at the scenary.
Well that is it from me, time for some relaxation in the ships lounge.
Ciao, Erwin