Seawatch
December 16, 2008
We woke this morning to -8 degrees C, light snow falling, and 10mph winds, much nicer than yesterday’s conditions. I spent 12 hours in the field and resighted 240 banded penguins, put satellite tags on two penguins, and took one tag off a bird that had returned.
One of the high points of each day (literally) is scrambling to the top of Pat’s Peak to do a seawatch. We spend an hour at a time perched 1,200 feet above sea level, scanning the ocean with a spotting scope to detect whales. Just getting up there can be a little sketchy, especially if you angle up the back side ridge (as I did today) and kick steps up an icy snowfield before scaling a steep, loose rocky section above cliffs (we suspect Snow Petrels may be nesting in those cliffs). But, once on top, the view is terrific: the Ross Ice Shelf extends to the horizon in one direction, dramatically dropping into the Ross Sea, while Mount Terror looms inland, if clouds allow.
Today, I did a seawatch from 9pm to 10pm, and spotted 15 Orcas (Killer Whales) and 3 Minke Whales. The Orcas are identified by black and white colors and a huge fin sticking up, while the Minkes have a tiny fin near the back of their body and are a more grayish hue. Both whales spend a lot of time diving and feeding under the ice shelf. We are interested in whale activity at Cape Crozier because they eat some of the same things as penguins, so their movements may impact the penguins’ feeding behavior. By the end of the seawatch, my fingers were getting numb, despite a thermos of hot chocolate, handwarmers, and thick gloves; the wind was starting to blow, and I was glad to shoulder my pack down the mountain to a plate of Michelle’s eggs benedict.
Self-Timer Photo At The Summit Of Pat's Peak
Another Self-Timer: Noah Looks At The Ross Sea And Ross Ice Shelf
Adelie Penguin Wondering How Secure His Perch Is
One Response to 'Seawatch'
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Dude- those shots of you up on Pat’s Peak are awesome, and the penguin over the icicles is ridiculously cool!!
Keep up the great posts, and be careful out there!
Bill Schmoker
17 Dec 08 at 4:43 am