23 Photos From 50 Days Aboard an Antarctic Icebreaker

Documenting a research station resupply mission to the Antarctic Circle with the Chilean Navy

23 Photos From 50 Days Aboard an Antarctic Icebreaker

Author

Jorge Losse

Photographer

Jorge Losse

Camera

Canon G15

Jorge Losse is Chilean born, Barcelona-based photographer and co-founder of publishing house Ediciones Daga.

In November I embarked on the Oscar Viel, a 295 foot Chilean Navy icebreaker on a supply mission to the Antarctic Circle. Together with a group of scientists, geographers, and almost 90 souls of the ship’s crew, we set sail south from the city of Punta Arenas, Chile on the Strait of Magellanes towards the Chilean Antarctic Peninsula.

At the beginning we made our way through the canals of Patagonia and then past Cape Horn to cross the Drake Passage, and after four days of turbulent navigation I saw for the first time in my life King George Island.

Losse-Antarctic-Icebreaker-15

"I have been in both the desert and mountains but Antarctica is like leaving the planet. The continent vibrates on another frequency."

Losse-Antarctic-Icebreaker-19

For 50 days we sailed along the coast of the peninsula, stopping in areas for scientific studies and to supply research basecamps with fuel and food. Our last stop was to be Margarita Bay in the Antarctic Circle, and after seven days of waiting due to bad weather, we arrived. From there we started our return to Punta Arenas.

It's hard to explain the feeling of being in these latitudes—it is certainly the most spiritual and different place I've been. I have been in both the desert and mountains but Antarctica is like leaving the planet. The continent vibrates on another frequency.

Losse-Antarctic-Icebreaker-8

The light there is very special—you can feel it around your body. It manifests in many scales, inevitably leading you to reflect on being present and conscious on this planet.

Losse-Antarctic-Icebreaker-1
Losse-Antarctic-Icebreaker-17
Losse-Antarctic-Icebreaker-9
Losse-Antarctic-Icebreaker-13
Losse-Antarctic-Icebreaker-14
Losse-Antarctic-Icebreaker-6
Losse-Antarctic-Icebreaker-18
Losse-Antarctic-Icebreaker-25
Losse-Antarctic-Icebreaker-10
Losse-Antarctic-Icebreaker-29
Losse-Antarctic-Icebreaker-27
Losse-Antarctic-Icebreaker-16
Losse-Antarctic-Icebreaker-12
Losse-Antarctic-Icebreaker-24
Losse-Antarctic-Icebreaker-11
Losse-Antarctic-Icebreaker-7
Losse-Antarctic-Icebreaker-3
Losse-Antarctic-Icebreaker-4
Losse-Antarctic-Icebreaker-2
Related articles
How Landscape Design Saved Chile's San Pedro Hot Springs
These Hot Springs in Chile Were Restored to Preserve Landscape and Culture

After these popular hot springs fell into disrepair, an architecture student gave them a second life by redesigning the riverside site

La Loica & La Tagua Are Twin Off-Grid Cabins on Chile's Pacific Coast
These Twin Off-Grid Cabins Overlook Chile's Rugged Pacific Coast

Strategic design elements allow a pair of modern cabins to stand on a steep hillside a few hours from Santiago and a few minutes from the beach below

These Recycled Sunglasses Are Helping Keep Patagonia Clean
In Chile, Community Collected Ocean Trash Is Recycled Into Fashionable Eyewear

Working in partnership with rural communities, Karün creates sustainable specs out of discarded fishing nets, rope, and other waste

An Off-Grid A-Frame in the Heart of Chile's Conguillío National Park
This Off-Grid A-Frame Sits in the Middle of Chile's Most Epic National Park

A clever two-structure vacation retreat set mid-mountain in the Andes embraces natural light and the local landscape

On Patagonia, Film Photography, and the Beauty of the Unknown
A Photo Essay on Patagonia, Shooting Film, and the Beauty of the Unknown

A journey to the end of the Earth reveals breathtaking alpine views & reflections on the value of optimism in the face of uncertainty

This Striking Black Cabin in Patagonia Offers Refuge Across All Seasons
This Striking Black Cabin in Patagonia Offers Refuge Across All Seasons

Natural materials and prefab construction make this remote structure durable and adaptive

More articles
23 Photos From 50 Days Aboard an Antarctic Icebreaker

Gallery Mode

Photographer

Jorge Losse

Camera

Canon G15

Back to article