15 February
We were sailing in McMurdo Sound, getting ready to dock. The morning was overcast, and we wandered out onto the flight deck, looking at the horizon as far as we could see. Snow peeked out from behind the clouds. It wasn't until the clouds began to lift that we truly realized the size of the mountains. As the clouds cleared, more and more mountains appeared, it was unbelievable.
The ship approached the wharf, and we made our way to the flight deck. I had planned to quickly step out, snap a few photos, and head back inside, so I just threw on a jacket and skipped the gloves so I could use my camera. I managed to take a few pictures but quickly felt how cold it was! Then, some of the crew asked for a video of them firing the line over to McMurdo. They shoot the line across, tie their end to the berthing line, and the shore team pulls it in. The attached berthing line is then secured to the bollards.
I was outside for about 40 min waiting for this and I was frozen so I raced off for a hot shower and hot cup of tea to warm up. But I still felt the cold for hours after.
After the ship’s lines were secured, the gangway went down and we went off to lunch. After lunch we had the VIP tour and got a brief from a US Army person about the do’s and don’ts for being outside in McMurdo.
At about 1400 we were free to disembark onto Antarctica.
Oscar raced off to get to Scott Base for his designated tour time.
Peter and I went off on a little wander, up to Hutt Point and then around the outskirts of McMurdo and a mountain, before wandering into McMurdo itself. On our walk, the wind was hammering us. It was very cold. Luckily Peter had brought extra gloves with him, so my fingers were mostly okay. I had the issued thermals on, under my jeans. We had no windbreaker/outer pants.
It was like walking through the setting of a zombie outbreak, or apocalypse. Ther was only gravel roads, not much movement, machinery left all over the place, containers stacked up all over, and gruff men with big beards wandering around.
After our tour, we went back to the ship in time for dinner. I was very hungry from being in the cold.
The following day Peter went off to meet his science colleagues at Scott Base. I had a Scott Base tour at 1000.
The tour was originally supposed to include both Scott Base and McMurdo, but it ended up only covering Scott Base. No transportation had been arranged, so the crew members had to walk along the roads, asking passersby if they were heading in the right direction to Scott Base. They endured much colder winds and snow today, wearing inadequate gloves and with nothing to protect their legs from the biting cold.
Fortunately, a large truck ran a big bunch of us over to Scott Base that morning and a couple of cars ran some of us back, but many on the tour walked.
We made it back on the ship in time for lunch. Many of ship’s company ate at McMurdo. I didn’t because we have plenty of food on ship and I felt bad using their supplies, especially when they were letting us through for free. The Navy Divers went there often for extra meals.
After that, I headed out again to get my stamp at the McMurdo Post Office. It is only open 6am-8am and 1pm-2pm. Got a stamp from the Church – Chapel of the Snows. It was very cool.
After dinner, I put on my warm gear again and ventured out into the cold to head to McMurdo's Gift Shop. It's more of a general store, with items like chips, alcohol, toothpaste, and so on, along with a very small merchandise section.
I hadn’t been inside the Discovery Hut before. Built by Robert Falcon Scott during the Discovery Expedition (1901–1904) in 1902, it’s located at Hut Point on Ross Island, near McMurdo Sound. To enter, you need to be with a guide.
We made our way over, and I thought it would be a quick trip—a short walk, a few minutes inside, then back. I didn’t wear my thermals, just my track pants. However, we ended up waiting outside for an hour before we could go in. The medics gave me disapproving looks as I bounced around, trying to keep my legs warm.
While waiting, a small group of penguins gathered close to the hut, and a seal floated near the shore. I couldn’t help but wonder if the seal was smelling the penguins or hiding from an orca.
Once back on the ship, we were ready to set sail for home. Behind us, the Polar Star was waiting to dock for its fresh food resupply.
We quickly fell into the rhythm again, preparing for the science tasks we would complete on the way home—air samples, drifters, Sofar buoys, and some eDNA. There aren’t many tasks left now!
-Sara
