Jamaican globetrotter Renee James takes on Antarctica
Published:Sunday | December 17, 2023 | 12:06 AMShanel Lemmie - Staff Reporter
Having completed her voyage to Antarctica, Jamaica-born globetrotter, Renee James, is holding it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“It was amazing. I would say some of the things I was most taken aback by was the size of everything, just the vastness of everything. When you are able to go to a new continent and there are no trees, no flowers, no buildings, you can really just appreciate the scale. And because of the nature of the continent, its ruggedness, everything shoots right out of the water.”
Standing next to steep landforms, James said she was in awe. Adding to the reverential experience was the disposition of the native animals.
“Once you’re there, because a lot of these animals are not used to seeing people, they’re not afraid of you at all,” she explained. “So you’ll just be walking and a penguin will just come and walk right in front of you. In Antarctica the wildlife have right of way, so if you are walking and a penguin just starts walking right in front of you, you have to stop and you just let that penguin go about its merry way. So it was really interesting.”
“One day on the zodiac, some humpback whales were kind of curious like what is this in the water and a pod of maybe six humpbacks just start swimming right up to our boat,” she added.
James said even though they could only see about one-eight of their body she was blown away by just the vastness of these majestic beasts.
While the beauty of the environment was captivating, she said being at the helm of the world opened her eyes to the true impact of climate-change.
“I think it was what I imagined. It wasn’t as cold as what I thought it was going to be. I would say it was maybe around 20 degrees Fahrenheit most days. It’s supposed to be colder. Maybe you’ve heard about the melting ice caps at the South Pole, we did see a lot of that. So because it’s warmer the icecaps are melting. Even before we got to Antarctica we saw a huge ice shelf that would take the span of like a block. Something like an entire street would just be floating in the water.”
She continued, “My friend who went with me, she is Latina, so she is kind of brown-skinned and because of the hole in the ozone layer she, for the first time in her life, got a sunburn in a place that’s [experiencing] winter. So I think it was really interesting because these are all things that I’ve read about, but to see in person you are now living the thing that you’ve learned about in school.”
With less and less snow accumulation on what should be the coldest part of the world yearly, James said it is impossible for her to ignore her carbon footprint.
“I think the trip has changed me in terms of being a bit more mindful. I think when we last spoke I already was in the midst of conservatism and being mindful of the products that I use and how I dispose of waste. But I think now I perhaps want to join organisations so that I can understand more about the impact that we’re having.”
She recalls being hit with a rush of dopamine when she returned to inhabited grounds after the isolating 10-day experience.
“When I came back I was overwhelmed with how bright and golden the sunshine was. How really green the trees were because when you’re on a ship for 10 days and you’re only seeing shades of white and blue and I wouldn’t even say black because it was summer at the South Pole so the sun never set. So we never saw night-time, it was just daytime 24/7. You’re only seeing basically three shades at most, so when I came back to the other continent, South America and was seeing green and sunshine, it was really kind of overwhelming and my brain was just like flooded with joy again. I think the dopamine was coming back,” she laughed
While the accommodation on the ship itself was comfortable, James’ initial fears about crossing the Drake were realised and validated. Though personally not getting sea-sick, she said the roughness of the water was definitely an unforgettable experience.
“There were times that the Drake was rough, you could feel the propellers, and the shaft or the stern of the ship being lifted out of the water. So the waves were so rough that at times parts of the ship was out of the water and you could feel the ship elevate then drop and slam back into the water. And if the propellers were out you would then feel the ship vibrate strongly.”
She said for the two days that it took them to cross the Drake, they were advised not to be in the shower so as not to slip and while sleeping [to] tuck themselves into their beds so as to not get tossed around the cabin.
“I think maybe the cost of it and the difficulties crossing the Drake, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing, but I do think if you are a person who is interested in the environment, a big traveller and a traveller who travels ethically, I think it’s definitely an experience that I would recommend.”