One of the peculiar things I found out during our expedition is the extra attention that goes into keeping Antarctic unspoiled by our expedition leaders and by the ship’s crew. Every time we go ashore we are reminded to wash our boots in disinfecting solution before we board the zodiacs. We are reminded all the time not to leave anything behind in Antarctic and not to leave with anything from Antarctic (except for the experiences and memories). We are not allowed to bring any food on land, except for the rations for the camping night and no drinks other than water. Every time I took the Frisbee with me, the ship’s crew made sure I brought it back with me. Our ‘Leaving Nothing Behind’ commitment was very much tested during the camping out. All of our waste, no matter in what shape or form, had to be bagged and brought back to the ship.
In another incident, when James hit 3 golf balls during his attempt for the longest drive in Antarctica, we couldn’t find one of the balls he hit. We rummaged around the snow slope and the rocky beach for over an hour, with no success. We then called off the search, to avoid delays to the activities scheduled for rest of the day. But, at the end of the day, right before sun set, three of us came back to the same spot. We conducted another hour of search in the cold, wind and snow before we found the missing ball. We kept on looking against all odds and all hope. You wouldn’t believe the excitement and pride onboard amongst us, among the crew and especially with Robert Swan. In finding the ball against all odds, we shared and met his lifelong commitment to leave nothing behind in Antarctica, even if it was just a golf ball. We knew that was important to him and we also realized it has become important for us as well.
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