World Earth Day: What my expedition to Antarctica taught me about climate change

A 13-day expedition to Antarctica, allowed entrepreneur Ankit Taparia to witness first hand, the effects of climate change and he's now on a mission to encourage people to be custodians of the planet.

Originally from Jaipur, Taparia says he first got interested in exploring Antarctica in 2007, while doing an internship with the National Centre for Antarctic & Ocean Research in Goa. "Any impact on climate is first visible there (Antarctica)," he says, talking about the first ozone hole detected and the sea level rising due to an increase in temperatures.

In 2015, Taparia was selected to participate in the 2041 expedition to Antarctica, led by polar explorer Robert Swan - the world's first man to walk unsupported to the North and South Poles. Swan's message is simple, "The greatest threat to our planet, is that we believe someone else is going to save us. It is we who need to take the action and make an effort to save nature".

Now in its 12th year, 2041 was created with the intention of bringing awareness and "developing the next generation with the skills needed to preserve Antarctica by promoting recycling, renewable energy and sustainability to combat the effects of climate change".

"He (Swan) wants to create youth ambassadors across the world, who will be the leaders of tomorrow and run businesses in a sustainable fashion," says Taparia.

Robert Swan sharing his inspiring story of being the first person to walk on the South and North Pole.

In March 2015, Tapria got together with 80 fellow participants from 29 different nationalities in Ushuaia, Argentina, who came from different backgrounds - researchers, environmentalists and people from business organisations.

Before setting out for their final destination, they were briefed by marine biologists, historians and numerous climate change experts to understand the history and issues observed in Antarctica. "They gave us a complete insight, not just on the travel, but on the environment perspective as well," says Taparia. 

The group spotted the first visible sign of climate change during an outdoor activity in Ushuaia itself. While on the Montes Martial hike up the Martial Glacier in Tierra del Fuego, they saw how the glaciers had receded tremendously over the years.

Testing physical capabilities: The expedition team prepping up by hiking up to a glacier in Ushuaia.

On March 13, the expedition team set sail towards the Antarctic peninsula, towards the turbulent waters of the Drake Passage, known as the sailor's Mount Everest.

Choppy waters: The Drake Passage, called the Sailor's Mount Everest.

After this, they entered the calm waters of Antarctica. Taparia says his first glimpse of Antarctica was incredible. "There are huge icebergs and because of the wind, they are sculpted into different shapes. The scene would be a dream for any artist," says Taparia.

First sight of icebergs in Antarctica.

To get a closer view, the group explored the grandeur of the icebergs on zodiac rafts.

Exploring the iceberg sculptures

Around the time of the expedition, the National Geographic reported that scientists measured the highest temperature ever on Antarctica. Taparia and his group witnessed the effects of climate change first hand. "On one of the Zodiac rides, a massive chunk of iceberg fell apart and created a tsunami kind of effect within the sea. We were lucky since we were at a safe distance from the iceberg and no untoward incident took place," he says.

Reality check: Massive chunks of icebergs falling apart

Taparia recalls climbing up to the top-most deck on their ship 'Sea Spirit', to view a tabular iceberg - an extremely solid iceberg that breaks away from ice sheets often due to increase in temperature. "We saw an enormous tabular iceberg, over half a mile wide and half a mile long, in front of us. It had broken off of the Antarctic ice shelf, and was now floating free and disintegrating in the Antarctic sea," says Taparia. Being witness to the effects of climate change was confirmation that the threat is real and catastrophic for our planet, he believes.

A tabular iceberg that had broken apart from the West Antarctic Ice Shelf.

Taken aback by what he saw, it dawned on Taparia that he was only seeing one tiny part of the vast Antarctica. The rest of it had yet to be examined. "It gives you a huge perspective of climate change and the fact that the issues that environmentalists are talking about are for real," says Taparia. 

Scale and perspective: The tiny Zodiac raft with 10 people, in front of an iceberg.

The group also spotted some of the residents of the area - penguins, seals and whales - on their expedition. The creatures around them were just as curious about the outsiders visiting their land. Taparia says that the penguins were especially baffled. "They (penguins) come to you, peck your shoe and anything you have on you, to try and understand," he says. 

Finally learnt Penguin language!

Observing the animals in their natural environment, Taparia also learned of the threat of extinction they faced. Taparia says they encountered three different whales - humpback whales, orcas - the killer whales and the sperm whales - the second largest whales. "In the 1930s, whale hunting was popular, so people would travel to kill and extract oil from whales," says Taparia. It was only after a ban on whale killing was initiated, that we have seen an increase in the number of whales, he says. Since being on the expedition, Ankit has become passionate about protecting these majestic creatures.

Orcas - the killer whales

Remains of whaling infrastructure at Deception Island.

Apart from witnessing the shocking effects of climate change, Ankit says he got an opportunity to immerse himself in a space on Earth that very few get a chance to see. The group enjoyed the panoramic views of the landscape, hiking the mountain tops on Deception Island, which is the caldera of an active volcano and Neko Harbour and more.

The team hiked at Deception Island where their rope training came in handy.

On the edge of the world: After hiking up to Meditation point at Neko Harbour. Image Credit: Teramatrix 

The participants also got to view a spectacular display in the night sky, while camping out on Ronge island for an entire night. "On survival night, the sky cleared up and we saw a galaxy of stars. Everyone was mesmerised by the beauty in the sky."

Setting up camp on Ronge Island , Antarctica.​

Survival Night Camping on Ronge Island, Antarctica.​

Witnessing a magnificent night sky full of stars – truly a sight to behold.

Watch what the expedition group observed at night:

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Sharing the experience with like-minded people who have a similar purpose bonded the team, Taparia says. "You interact a lot with each other and it's an amazing experience because you also hear each person's story," he says.

Team Inspire on the final day of the expedition 

After getting to know the passionate explorer Robert Swan, Taparia says he has found a friend in him who only wants to make a positive difference on the planet." Swan believes that if he manages to add to our stories, our lives and our careers, the point of the expedition has been realised and it's a job well done." 

Robert Swan and Ankit Taparia in Antarctica. 

Over the two-week expedition period, Ankit and his fellow travellers gained a deeper understanding of the wonders of Antarctica and got a first-hand knowledge of the affects of climate change.

Back in India, Ankit is taking an initiative to bring awareness and contribute to a better planet. He believes a major problem today is e-waste - dead electronic waste in your homes like old mobile phones, PCs, laptops, which are discarded and burnt in the environment releasing toxic fumes. "My company has a social arm called zero waste. We are doing a lot of e-waste management. Currently in Rajasthan, we have created a 'distribution planet' where we buy e-waste at the right price and provide it to professional recyclers so that it is done in the right way," he says.

The experience and knowledge Ankit has brought back from the expedition has helped him educate people around him about climate change and green initiatives. "Through our zero waste initiative, we have a lot of awareness programmes in schools in Rajasthan and street plays to spread the word."

Ankit is also an ambassador for Swan's new initiative, South Pole Energy Challenge. "The world is facing increasing energy challenges - rising demand and tightening supplies. We are all working to develop new solutions to meet people's energy needs, while preserving the health of the planet," he says. During this next daring expedition, Swan will be walking back to the South Pole with a team, solely relying on renewable sources for their energy needs.

Meanwhile, Ankit says he will continue to be on a mission to preserve and protect planet Earth and educate people about it. 

In Pictures: Entrepreneur Ankit Taparia captures Antarctica's majestic beauty on international expedition