The adventure unfolds aboard a small, 118-foot research vessel fully packed with enough equipment for an 18-member expedition team, lots of food and fuel, and one helicopter. Facing extreme conditions and a multitude of risks without a safety net, the expedition travels from Lyttelton, New Zealand and crosses thousands of miles of the world's roughest seas to reach a desolate, rarely visited region of Antarctica. Here, floating in the offshore waters of the Ross Sea, they find the enormous icebergs they had been seeking, and conduct their research into an area that could hold important clues on the impact of modern day global warming. In an extraordinary anomaly these huge icebergs originally began separating from the Ross Ice Shelf in early 2000 as a single piece of ice nearly the size of Texas.
With this scientific journey as the backdrop, the author weaves into the book a surprisingly well-rounded assortment of interesting facts, insights and personal observations concerning both his own experiences during the trip and about Antarctica in general. Subjects discussed range from the regions bird and animal life, marine science, oceanography, natural history, ice diving, and global warming all the way to a short history of Antarctic exploration. Not surprisingly, the author also touches upon the trials and tribulations of living and working for over three months in tight quarters with 18 others - often under harsh, dangerous, and unpredictable conditions. His descriptions and photographs of ice diving, flying, and boating in some of the worlds coldest, dangerous, and most remote waters is breathtaking.
Appearing on every page of Ice Island are colorful and engaging photographs taken throughout the journey. Unique viewpoints are captured from every possible angle, both above and well below the surface of the water, from the air, and even from inside the icebergs. My favorites are the striking images of brilliantly white polar ice sculpted over many years by the forces of nature and standing in such stark contrast to the deep blue of the ocean's water. Also well photographed are the few remarkable marine animals, birds and plants hardy enough to inhabit this bitterly cold and constantly wind and water swept environment.
These spectacular photographs document the science and true adventure of this expedition while unveiling a polar world of extreme beauty that few of us will ever be lucky enough to experience first hand. As a photo-essay on Antarctica these pictures could easily stand-alone and be worthy of being published as a "coffee table" style of picture book.
Devoting the last few chapters to an overview of how global warming is profoundly affecting the Antarctic region as well as the rest of the world's oceans, Ice Island ends with a strong conservation message and the paramount importance of protecting this fragile polar eco-system.
Ice Island's greatest appeal is that it can be appreciated on so many different levels. The author does a great job of organizing all of the books' many diverse elements into a cohesive and well-communicated whole and for anyone interested in these topics I strongly recommend this book.
