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I That's me, Rachel Bakker. I was one of 40 teens that
; joined the Students On Ice voyage to Antarctica last
I December.
I The 86-metre-long M/V Polar Star one of only two
icebreakers that sail to Antarctica was our home away
from home for ten days.
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Tee Capades
in Antarctica
* "*¦+¦
by Rachel Bakker
The chance to see tobogganing penguins, sleeping seals,
and curious whales in Antarctica was a dream come true
for an Ontario student.
9
After months of picturing the
sights and sounds of Antarctica
in my mind, it was hard to
believe that the day December
16 for my real-life adventure
had finally arrived.
Boarding a plane in
All Aboard
The M/VPolar Star (left) is
absolutely huge I've never
seen anything like it!
After checking into our
cabins, we set sail for the Drake
Passage, one of the roughest
Toronto, I flew to Miami, where
bodies of water in the world.
I joined the rest of the Students
On Ice (SOI) group, which
included students, chaperones,
and scientists from other parts
With waves more than nine
of Canada, as well as from
Japan, Ireland, Belgium, the
United States, and the United
Kingdom. From there, we flew
to Santiago, Chile, and then to
Buenos Aires, Argentina, before
finally landing in Ushuaia (Ushy-ah) at the southern tip of
South America, where our ship,
captain, and crew awaited us.
metres high and winds gusting
up to 140 kilometres an hour, it
was too dangerous to go on
deck, and many of the students
got seasick.
With our sea legs under us,
we continued south while
wandering albatrosses soared on
air currents, dolphins dived
along the bow, fin whales
surfaced on the starboard side,
and a pod of killer whales
investigated our bright red hull.
Ice Capades in Antarctica
35
PaiiletT^/
; Island. .Land Ho!
Every day we explored the Antarctic,
using inflatable boats called Zodiacs
to travel between the ship and land.
In Paradise Harbour, we passed
within a few metres of Weddell seals
South Pole "\
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i
sunbathing on sea ice. The seals
ignored us as we whispered excitedly
and snapped photos. But a few killer
whales got very friendly! They swam
under our Zodiac, bumped the boat
and sprayed us when they spouted
their blows of water.
And the penguins! The Antarctic
Peninsula is the only place in the
Antarctic where Adelie, gentoo, and
chinstrap penguins can be seen
nesting together. We even had a
chance to stand among 100,000
Adelie penguins in a huge colony
(also known as a rookery) on Paulet
Island ugh, did it smell terrible!
A From Toronto, it took four
plane flights and two days of
sailing to travel the more than
Antarctica
13,000 kilometres to
Found
Antarctica.
At the South Pole in the
Southern Ocean
ÿ Every new animal
Size
adventure ashore started with
an exciting ride across the
14 million square kilometres (ice
and land)
waves in the Zodiacs.
Precipitation (Annual)
120 to 150 millimetres
(5 to 6 inches)
¦^ The chilly waters of the
Southern Ocean are
brimming with life both big
and small, from humpback
whales to tiny crustaceans,
like these krill.
36
CASI7
Mean temperature
Summer
0°C to -40°C;
Winter
-18°C to -68°C
Population
No permanent population
10
A Following a day of foraging for krill and a rest on the
pack ice, Adelie penguins prepare to dive into the icy
ocean depths and return to hungry chicks on shore.
ÿ Like Adelies, gentoo penguins share parental care:
while one is out feeding, the other parent stays at the nest
and keeps its chicks safe and warm.
Portable Classroom
While sailing from place to place, we
heard lectures by oceanographers,
marine biologists, mammalogists, and
historians about Antarctica's food web,
climate, wildlife, and exploration. We
also heard how scientists are using
satellite technology to monitor icebergs
in the region.
But the best part about the SOI
classroom was that we could apply what
we learned on our daily trips ashore. For
example, we pulled up beside an ice floe
and saw tiny krill, which swarm by the
thousands and provide food for most of
Antarctica's marine animals. And a
glaciologist showed us how to take an
ice-core sample from a glacier.
Floating Snow Cones
There are so many
icebergs in the
Antarctic that you
might think we
would get bored
seeing them, but no
two are alike some
are emerald-blue and
others are concrete grey
or bright white with wave
patterns carved into their sides.
And what is even more amazing is
that what we were seeing was only their
tips, many of which were longer and
taller than our ship, because more
than half of each iceberg is
underwater.
Ice Capades in Antarctica
37
Christmas Antarctic-style
Looking back, I realized how much we
While our friends and families at home
still have to learn about the world we live
were dreaming of a white Christmas, we
were celebrating the holiday by sledding
down the glacier in Portal Point. We also
swam in the Southern Ocean and dug a
hot tub on the beach of Deception
in and how important it is to take care of
the environment. Antarctica may be the
driest, windiest, coldest place on earth,
but it is also one of the most fragile
ecosystems in the world, and our
everyday activities, even in Canada, can
affect its climate and biodiversity.
Island, which is a dormant volcano!
Leave Only Footprints . . .
Even with 24 hours of sunlight, the days
flew by, and all too soon, we were sailing
back to South America and catching our
flights for home.
. . . Bring Back Memories
I will never, ever forget my Antarctic
adventure. I just wish I could have
packed a penguin in my suitcase but
then I remember that smell!
38
CASI7
Ice Capades in Antarctica Questions
Ice Capades m Antarctica
Name:
Date:
Read the article, "Ice Capades in Antarctica." When you are finished reading,
answer the questions below.
1. In your own words, summarize the article, "Ice Capades in Antarctica."
2. What is the main idea of this article? Explain your thinking.
Ice Capades in Antarctica Questions
3. Select the best answer for each of the following questions.
a) Explain the use of the parentheses in the following sentence:
We even had a chance to stand among 100 000 Adelie penguins in a huge colony
(also known as a rookery)...
O They are used to surround a comment to the reader directly.
O They are used to surround an idea that disagrees with the idea before it.
O They are used to surround an explanation of how to pronounce the preceding word.
O They are used to surround an explanation that the author has attached to the
sentence.
b) Explain the use of the dash in the following sentence:
/ just wish I could have packed a penguin in my suitcase - but then I remember that smell!
O It is used to introduce items in a list.
O It is used to prepare for a dramatic shift in thought.
O It is used to make suitcase a compound word.
O It is used to separate two clauses where a key word is repeated.
c) Explain the use of the hyphen in the following sentence:
And a glaciologist showed us how to take an ice-core sample from a glacier.
O It is used to separate two complete sentences.
O It is used to divide a word that continues onto the next line.
O It is used to keep the reader from confusing the words ice and core.
O It is used to join two words that work together as an adjective.
d) What is the meaning of the underlined phrase from the article:
The chilly waters of the Southern Ocean are brimming with life both big and small...
O empty of
O missing
O filled with
O found with
4. "Ice Capades in Antarctica" is a nonfiction article. List three characteristics that
show that this is nonfiction writing. For each characteristic, give an example
from the article to support your answer.
Ice Capades in Antarctica Questions
5. The author used two different kinds of print fonts in the article. Explain why
the author used different kinds of fonts.
6. From reading this article, we get to know some things about the author,
Rachel Bakker. Name three important characteristics of Rachel. Describe some¬
thing Rachel says, thinks, or does to show that she has each characteristic.
Ice Capades in Antarctica Questions
7. Use information from the text and your own ideas to explain why it is
important for students like Rachel and the rest of her group, Students
On Ice, to spend time visiting Antarctica.
8. Why do you think that the author chose to talk about Antarctica from her
own personal perspective? Explain your thinking.