 Jon Bowermaster discovers whale bones during the seven-month journey. |
For the past 20 years, Drake alumnus Jon Bowermaster, JO’76, has explored the world’s diverse environment and exotic corners of the world to find inspiration for his publications and films.
Last month, his book about his adventure across the Antarctic was republished in its second edition that is available online.
The book, “Crossing Antarctica,” follows Bowermaster and fellow explorer and author Will Steger through a feat that no human had ever accomplished: crossing the 3,700 miles of Antarctica on foot. Bowermaster covered the Trans-Arctic expedition in 1990 for seven months and following the adventure, he and Steger released the first edition of their co-published book.
“Readying the book for reprinting I have reread it several times during the past few months,” Bowermaster said, “and was happily reminded of just how audacious an undertaking it was, beginning with the incredible complexities of coordinating a six-man team from six different countries on a continent ruled by international treaty.”
Bowermaster has been given a one-of-a-kind look at both the health of the world’s oceans and the lives of the billions of people who depend on them. He has written extensively about the environmental issues facing coastal people around the globe and issues facing the fragile environments he has visited.
His most recent attention has been drawn to Antarctica and the ocean surrounding it.
In 1998 Bowermaster began his OCEANS 8 project, an expedition to explore the world’s oceans and the continents. This 10-year adventure took Bowermaster and his team of photographers, filmmakers, scientists and navigators to the seven continents and Oceania, along with each of the world’s oceans.
The trip ended along the Antarctic Peninsula, which became the subject of his 2009 film “Terra Antarctica: Rediscovering the Seventh Continent.” In addition,
Bowermaster’s adventures were featured in The New York Times, National Geographic and the Washington Post, among others.