UFO

December 19, 2008

The weather is spectacular. Above-freezing temperatures, calm winds, and the highest barometer reading we’ve had all season. It was a perfect day to be outside in Antarctica.

On my seawatch today, I was observing a group of 15 Orcas (Killer Whales) when, suddenly, there was a commotion in the water. About five of them thrashed in one spot, and I believe I saw something, a seal or large fish, go flying through the air. A dozen skuas converged on the site from the air, and, for a minute or two, all was chaos, before the whales slid back underwater. It looked like the hunters had made some kind of kill.

Later, back at the hut, I looked out the window to judge cloud cover and spotted something strange – an Unidentified Flying Object! It was circular, silver-colored, shiny, and floating high in the clear blue sky above us. No planes ever fly over Cape Crozier (not even commercial jets), and, if a helicopter is around, it’s gonna land here; that’s about it for our air traffic. Of course, I grabbed my camera to document the strange occurrence. Judging from the photos, it looks like a weather balloon deployed by scientists from McMurdo Station (70 miles from here) to study the upper atmosphere. Various sensors attached to the balloon track whatever data they want to track. Well, sure. I still think it was a UFO disguised as a scientific weather balloon. Just try to prove otherwise!