The Emperors Visit

November 24, 2008

I was high in penguin valley this morning, searching for banded birds on nests, when Michelle called tantalizingly on the radio: “There are four Emperor Penguins close to the beach!” The Emperors nest way out on sea ice, but occasionally wander close to Cape Crozier. I scrambled down rocky slopes and around an ice bluff to get closer to the visitors.

Sure enough, four Emperor Penguins plodded methodically next to our “beach” (a jumble of broken ice where ocean meets land). If Adelies are wind-up toys, then Emperors are tortoises of the penguin world. They shuffle slowly, hunch morosely, and just seem tired, like old men without their canes. Emperors starred in the movie, “March of the Penguins”, which was filmed not far from here. They have evolved to endure.

I am enduring just fine after a week at Cape Crozier, with just a few aches and pains. My lips are chapped to the point of bleeding. My thumb has a hangnail that is also bleeding. My heels have blisters (from walking with crampons), and Michelle and Kirsten were a bit concerned when they found two bloody socks warming above the heater. At least I’m not getting bloody noses (as others here do). Dry Antarctic air chaps and dehydrates quickly, and sun reflecting off snow burns twice as fast. I will soon have a balaclava tan! I scorched my finger on our oven yesterday, resulting in a large blister. I’m glad to be healthy. Help could be delayed for days should a serious injury occur.