As a writer, I was definitely a minority on an Antarctic science cruise. As a woman, I was in good company. I sailed with women scientists from the University of Alaska, the University of Hawaii, the University of Tennessee, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Like the men, they were there because they were good scientists who had passed the physical requirements for going to Antarctica (a complete medical and dental examination).
Oceanographers need to be physically strong as well as healthy. A science cruise involves a lot of lifting and activity, and everyone has to do his or her part. I began working on my strength as soon as I learned that I was going on the cruise, lifting weights and running three times a week.--Vicki Johns