From Brooklyn to Antarctica from a Hellish Experience to Heaven
January 10, 2026
I boarded American Flight 2441 from Laguardia to Dallas.
We departed on time, but after taxiing about short distance, we returned to the gate because of an acrid smell on the plane.
After spending over an hour switching to another plane, we took off and flew for about 20 minutes. The plane became unbearably hot and the captain diverted the plane to Philadelphia airport. He said that this was horrendous and that in all his years as a pilot, this had never happened to him before.
The bright spot was that I was rebooked in Premier class on a nonstop flight from JFK to Auckland. It was really comfortable. I had to purchase a new ticked on Air New Zealand and I was quickly on my way to Dunedin on the South Island.
Unfortunately, my suitcase didn’t make it to Dunedin. It sat at DFW for four days and at AKL for four days before finally making it to Dunedin on the day after we left on the ship. I had to purchase all new clothing and gear for Antarctica.
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
I arrived in Dunedin and finally met up with my friends Kim and Lester. After dropping off my daypack in my room we headed out for coffee and breakfast. We quickly found Perc. The barista there made me a fabulous flat white and breakfast. I had breakfast there every day.
While sitting there, we heard a pop that sounded like a car running over a soda bottle. Actually, someone had hit the front fender of a parked car. I went over to talk to the driver who was parked and we struck up a conversation. After a few minutes, he invited all three of us to dinner at his home that evening.
He picked us up and gave us a tour of the three hill of Dunedin. Many of the homes are very beautiful and they remind me of homes in San Francisco as did the hills.
Saturday, January 17, 2026
We departed from Dunedin on the MV Douglas Mawson at about six pm and started our long journey to the Ross Sea and McMurdo Sound in Antarctica.
Sunday, January 18, 2026
At sea.
Monday, January 19, 2026
We landed at Sandy Bay, Enderby Island, Auckland Islands. We had a wonderful walk up. and across the top of the island. There was so much to see including fur seals and yellow-eyed penguins that were far inland, Royal allbatross, the Rata forest. The vistas of the sea and clouds were also grand to see.
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
In the morning, we did a hike from the Musgrave Inlet, Auckland Islands,
In the afternoon, we did a zodiac tour starting at Carnley Harbor, Auckland Islands. We entered large caves on the zodiac with beautifully colored geologic structures and the shoreline rocks covered with bull kelp. The roofs of some of the caves had collapsed leaving moss and lichen covered root structures from the Rata forest above.
Wildlife was also plentiful including rock-hopper penguins and albatross.
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
We did a zodiac tour starting at the North Cape of Campbell Island. It was quite a long tour and we saw more caves, two waterfalls, a sea stack, a few Gray-Headed Albatross among hundreds of Royal Albatross.
In the afternoon we did a long, climbing hike starting at Perseverance Harbor on Campbell Island. I went about two thirds of the way which was still about 4 1/2 miles. The landscape was quite ethereal in the fog and mist.
In the evening, the ship departed from Campbell Island on our long crossing to the Ross Sea and McMurdo Base in Antarctica. It’s about 1750 miles, 1400 nautical miles, and 2800 kilometers to McMurdo.
Saturday, January 24, 2026
This is our third day in open seas and for the first time there is actually a swell that you can feel. We should reach the pack ice and the Ross Sea on January 25th. Yesterday, we saw our first iceberg in the distance. It wasn’t very large, but we haven’t seen another since then.
Yesterday, at noon at 60 degrees south, we crossed the Antarctic Convergence and entered the Southern Ocean. It was named as the fifth ocean by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) in 2000, but the National Geographic Society National Geographic officially added it to their maps on World Oceans Day, June 8, 2021.
Key details regarding its recognition include:
Geographical Definition: The Southern Ocean is defined by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), not by continental boundaries.
IHO Recognition: In 2000, the IHO published a draft 3rd edition of "Limits of Oceans and Seas" which officially delimited the Southern Ocean, though it has not been universally ratified.
Alternative Names: Historically, this area was sometimes referred to as the Antarctic Ocean or the Great Southern Ocean.
Scientific Recognition: The ocean is considered the youngest, with the current forming around 34 million years ago.
Although some international agreements are still pending, it is widely recognized by scientists, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (as of February 2021), and cartographers as a distinct body of water.
Five Things You Should Know About the 'New' Southern Ocean
16 Apr 2024 — But scientists have long recognized a fifth ocean, called the Southern Ocean. In 1937, the body of water surrounding Antarctica wa...
Southern Ocean - The World Factbook - CIA
24 Nov 2023 — In 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization delimited the waters within the Convergence as a fifth world ocean - the Southern Ocean
Is there a Southern Ocean? Well, depends on who you ask! In 1999, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names officially recognized the Southern Ocean, extending from Antarctica’s icy coastline all the way to 60° South latitude. It surrounds the frozen continent and links the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans through the powerful Antarctic Circumpolar Current.
In 2000, officials proposed the name “Southern Ocean” to the International Hydrographic Organization, but not every country agrees on boundaries—so it remains ambiguous under international law. NOAA began using the term in 1999 and formally recognized it in February 2021. The National Geographic Society followed in June of that year. “From the Southern Ocean” Randie Bundy, Brian Guest, and Carin Ashjian/WHOI
23 May 2025 — The Southern Ocean is a unique and vital region of the planet. It was officially recognized by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.
Last night it never got totally dark and today, we should cross the Antarctic Circle and have twenty-four hours of daylight for at least the next 10 days.
From Aurora Expeditions Itinerary