Estherville Rotarians heard a chilling tale Thursday - of how fellow Rotarian Sue Dare took a trip to Antarctica earlier this month.
Dare departed Dec. 28, eventually joining a 150-person expedition through the Drake Passage that offered everything from "fresh breezes to hurricanes."
When it came time to go ashore, they took a zodiac boat. Once on land - or ice - they were told to stay at least 15 feet from wildlife. That did not detract from the impact. At one point they saw up to 120,000 nesting pairs of penguins. That was in addition to seals and humpback whales.
And then there was the scenery.
"It was incredibly mountainous," said Dare, comparing it to Yosemite but with the peaks going right up to the ocean. "It was pristine. It was breathtaking and gorgeous," said Dare.
With an average age of 65-75, Dare said one Nebraska man was a spry 95. English and German were the main language spoken.
The boat trip itself took 11 days, and only 100 were allowed ashore at a time to make a minimal environmental impact.