Wendell Sea
Antarctica
December 2007
I am on a trip to Antarctica. We are on a large ship that drops anchor twice a day and takes us on land. The captain announces "Prepare for landing" and that is our cue to run back to our cabins and put on 32 lbs of layered clothing.
The zodiac drivers know it is their cue to make their way to the front of the boat where the zodiacs are stored while we are under sail. They are piled on top of one another and a crane gentle drops one zodiac after another in to the frigid water. The driver is on the boat during this drop and hangs in the middle and holds on for dear life so that s/he does not fall in to the frigid water. With a narrow window of a mere 30 seconds to get out of the water, if tipped overboard, these drivers don't stand much of a chance of survival.
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