SARUM U3A SEPTEMBER COFFEE MORNING

David Fletcher, former dog sledge driver, base commander with the British Antarctic Survey, and speaker “extra ordinaire”, spoke about Antarctica. We heard of the many superlatives and extremes of this last great wilderness. Here is the coldest place,-127F in winter, and the windiest; home to the most extensive ice-cap, stretching thousands of miles and at a depth of 15,000ft. It has the most productive ocean, and rookeries containing over one million penguins. David described the fabulous sight of gigantic icebergs, varying in colour from blue to green to white, depending on the amount of air trapped within. Amazing plants and creatures survive the rigours of this awesome place by extraordinary means. Penguins and fish can control the temperature of parts of their bodies. Microscopic insects, lichens, and mosses lie dormant, only to regenerate in milder temperatures. Humpback whales gorge on millions of tons of krill before journeying north to breed, not feeding until they return

This is definitely life on the edge, and man, attracted by the awesome beauty and amazing resources of this continent, has battled the dangers and learned to survive here too. However, we must hope his presence will not lead to exploitation and destruction. We were reminded of the fragility of the eco-system with a photograph of a clump of moss containing a footprint from Scott’s Expedition. That plant still has not recovered. So far, the Antarctic Treaty keeps nations to scientific research, and tourism is regulated.

Thank you David for a fascinating morning.