Sisters man recounts trek to Antarctica

Roscoe Creed of Sisters is a man who has walked on all seven continents.

He shared his exciting Antarctica adventure with a large Sisters COCC Lunch and Learn audience last week.

Traveling aboard the Russian research vessel Akademik Shuleykin as part of The Ends of the Earth travel group, Creed, his wife Jody and fellow travelers stopped at several nations’ research stations, saw giant icebergs up close and made island stops to view animal and plant life.

Countries with research stations on Antarctica included Chile, England, Japan, Poland, and Russia, according to Creed. Research topics covered studying holes in the ozone layer, animal and plant life and other areas.

Creed, an avid photographer, shared these experiences with his audience through the many pictures he had taken on the trip.

Particularly noted was the great variety of penguins encountered on the “crystal palace,” as Antarctica is known. Beautiful blue reflecting icebergs, whalebone remains from an earlier thriving industry and pink soil on some islands made for other photographic subjects.

The pink soil comes from penguins feeding on krill whose pigments pass through the birds and are deposited in the birds’ waste products.

“Some of the tall icebergs reminded me of trips to Bryce Canyon,” said Creed.

Creed’s audience especially admired close-up pictures of chinstrap penguins. Other birds seen included the wandering albatross with wingspans up to 12 feet, the giant petrel, and the blue-eyed shag.

Elephant, fur, and leopard seals were encountered on island stops.

“The leopard seals are known to eat penguins,” Creed told the group.

The 217-foot Shuleykin had a Russian crew of 27 and six naturalist guides. The group made its island stops using Zodiacs to transport people from the larger ship onto land.

The voyage started at Ushuaia, Argentina, at the southern tip of South America and rode across the Beagle channel towards Antarctica.

“Ushuaia is the end of the Alaskan Highway,” Creed said. “It’s 17,848 kilometers from Alaska and takes some ferry crossings along the way to complete the journey.”

This mix of waters crossed to reach Antarctica included the South Atlantic, South Pacific, and Southern Ocean.

“Waves in storms are known to reach 50-75 feet or more through the great passage,” he said.

Antarctica is the fifth largest continent, 600 miles from South America. It is comprised of 99 percent ice and holds about 75-90 percent of the earth’s fresh water.

“It is also the highest continent averaging 7,500 feet and mountains as high as 15,000 feet,” Creed said.

Creed traveled to Antarctica during summer, 1998. He spent his working life in journalism. Creed has published two books and is now engaged in nature and travel photography.

“Jody and I have traveled extensively and in 2000 set foot on our seventh continent, taking a nature photo tour of Australia,” Creed said.

The weekly Lunch and learn group meets Wednesday at the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration. for more information call 383-7270.