Hauling in the net from the frigid water was a dangerous and brutally arduous task. The net was forty-five miles long, triple the length of Manhattan, and Antarctica is among the coldest and windiest places on earth. The deck of the Sam Simon was partially frozen and cluttered. The crew’s spit froze before landing. The ship’s railings were low. Tripping was easy. Marbled with slush, the polar water below dipped in some places to ninety degrees Fahrenheit below freezing.
