On the third night of our expedition, the ship travelled ever further north so that when we awoke, we had reached 80 degrees north, way north of the Svalbard archipelago. This is just over 1000 kilometers from the north pole and is the furthest north The Greg Mortimer had ever been.
And what a wonder world greeted our eyes! Sheets of sea ice as far as the eye could see. After doing lots of research on sea ice for our lessons, it was a thrill to finally experience it.
It was a treat to watch the ship cutting through the ice with its specially designed streamlined bow. I stood on the front observation deck, mesmerised by the sight, hardly noticing the frigid chill in the air, and even managed to get some video which I include below.
This ice we were experiencing is annual. It freezes every winter, up to a meter thick, and then melts away as the summer goes on.
The sea ice is prime hunting ground for polar bears as it is frequented by seals, their main prey, but we didn't see one. We did see a bearded seal though, lazing on the ice, as the ship passed by.
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| Sea ice as far as the eye can see |
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| The streamlined bow of the ship breaking through the ice |
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| Watching mesmerised from the observation deck |
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| A bearded seal sitting on the pack ice |
The ship breaking the ice
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| A vast sea of ice behind us |
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| Tanya enjoying the sea ice from her cabin balcony |
It's time for a polar plunge!
What does one do when one is just over 1000 km from the north pole and there is plenty of frozen ice in the ocean? Leap into the ocean, that's what!
Our polar plunge was the northern-most plunge Aurora has ever done! 28 of us, including 10 expedition team and crew, took the leap. Cheer squads formed on outer decks as Scott, our expedition photographer, captured our leaps and facial expressions.
Our dream team decided to all leap together and you can see the photos and video below. Richard is a Wim Hof devotee who has a cold shower every day and regular ice baths. Unphased by the freezing water, he was in no hurry to get out, unlike the rest of us!
To be honest, it wasn't quite as cold as I was expecting. It felt similar to the temperature of some of the frigid canyons I've swum in in the Blue Mountains where the water never sees the sun.
As happens with freezing dips, we felt amazing afterwards; on a complete high. Cold water is a well recognised way to get dopamine flooding through your system and is even recommended as a treatment for depression. I think you're onto something Jo with your early morning ocean swims!
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| Gavin takes the initiative by leaping (diving headfirst!) slightly before the rest of us. |
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| There's no turning back now1 |
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| You can see the dawning recognition on my face that this is going to be decidedly cold! |
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