Five hundred miles of ocean separate South America’s Cape Horn from the otherworldly coast of Antarctica. Three oceans meet in this fabled stretch, known chiefly as the Drake Passage, infamous for choppy surf given to transforming into 10-meter-high waves in a matter of minutes. In summer, the sun hangs in the sky for six straight months, illuminating the gray curves of humpback whales, arrowed wings of fast-diving shearwaters, and fractured edges of icebergs.
On February 10, Vitalie Palanciuc joined a crew of 11 to make the perilous crossing in pursuit of the subtle signatures of climate change. By sampling ocean water, ice, and Antarctic land, the research team will collect and preserve microorganisms who may carry the effects of recent decades in their DNA.
But Palanciuc, curiously, is neither a marine scientist nor a member of the film crew documenting the three-week expedition. Instead, he volunteered to join them—countering an admitted lack of sailing expertise with eagerness and dedication. Indeed, the 67-foot, steel-hulled Challenger could use an extra pair of capable, willing hands in those treacherous waters.
“I wanted to explore an extreme environment as more than a tourist—as someone contributing in some way to the future of this planet,” said Palanciuc, an executive director at Lenovo providing technology solutions to small and medium businesses. “I also wanted to show to people who are not scientists that they can have an impact. Any of us, if we are conscious about climate change, we can do something and find ways to contribute to research.”
The crew, supported by the Academy of Science of Romania and the International Ocean Institute, set sail from the Ushuaia, Argentina—fondly and accurately known as El Fin del Mundo, or the End of the World. I caught up with Palanciuc just before the conveniences of high-speed Internet and, well, solid ground gave way to ocean water and the surreality of the midnight sun.
“I am, somehow, not afraid at all,” Palanciuc said. “It may be because I’ve never done anything quite like this, so I underestimate the challenge. We’ll see what I have to say in a few weeks!”
(Come back in March for the full recap of the experience, including photos and videos.)