November 11, 2012: Sea Ice Patrol

A shot of McMurdo from the sea ice

Every week two carpenters are chosen to go on Sea Ice Patrol. This job consists of driving a tucker onto the sea ice and checking/refueling all the dive huts. These huts sites are meticulously placed, miles apart, off the frozen coast. It is a coveted job, with lots of possibilities of seeing wildlife. With only a few weeks left before the closing of the sea ice season (due to unsafe, melting ice), I was finally chosen. 

Our first job was to help drill a hole for a new dive spot. The huts are placed over the large holes and are heated with propane in order to keep a toasty environment for the divers emerging from the frigid depths. They bring with them samples and tiny sea creatures for studying, along with jaw-dropping photos of the underworld. How I wish I could one day dive under that frozen, blue ceiling.

The drilling process

The hole from inside the hut

Our next task was to refuel the huts. The exciting part about this job is that the huts are far from the active, noisy station and it brings in Weddell Seals--who like to use the diving holes to recharge and breath. Stepping into the first hut, I startled a seal who was resting. It slipped quickly into the water and disappeared--leaving only a fishy smell behind. I could hear a foreign language being spoken from the underworld. A series of clicking and high to low pitches echoed from below. I waited and listened quietly, hoping that the seal, who was probably giving a vocal description of me to its friends, would return. From information I've acquired about Weddells and their curiosity, I was sure it would be back--I was right. As I peered into the torquise water, I saw two eyes glued on me. She slowly rose up from the depths until she surfaced and lay breathing on the ice shelf. The sound of a seal breathing is methodic. It is like listening to a respirator rise and fall. They should use this sound for sleep simulators on clocks.

I felt the nagging urge to get closer but, respectfully, I kept my distance. I am constantly fighting this desire with almost all of the animals I encounter--I want to interact with them so badly! Staring at each other from a distance never seems like enough. Despite this feeling, I respected her need to rest.

The life of an arctic seal is an amazing story. They are biologically designed, in so many ways, to endure and thrive in this harsh environment. In search of food, Weddell Seals can dive over 1,000 feet deep. This is possible because they have five times more oxygen in their blood than humans. They also slow their heart rate and limit blood circulation to their heart and other vital organs. Weddells live on ice--preferring this habitat over their cousins', who choose to reside on the rocky coastline. They are transients--constantly moving, constantly searching for, and maintaining, ice holes in order to survive. Her inherent desire to search for air holes and my inherent desire to see new worlds--this is how the Weddell and I met. 

I could have listened to her breath and stared into her big, glassy eyes for hours, but my duty and coworker called and I had to break the trance. I should have become a marine biologist so I could justify my need to observe.

A Weddel sticks its nostrils through a small hole in the ice in order to recharge

On our drive back to the station I spotted three Skuas--arctic seabirds whose eventual arrival to McMurdo brings attacks on food-bearing civilians. To me, they are a welcome sight. Another sign of life's resilience in Antarctica. 

In Other News

After two weeks of cancelled flights and frustration, Dave finally made it to WAIS. He called from a satellite phone this morning and reported that all is well in West Antarctica. Their small town of tents has been set up and they are ready to get to work. WAIS Divide is a camp which is erected every summer season in order to support the NSF's ice core project--the drilling, abstracting, and analysis of core samples in order to read historic records left behind by nature. Its topography is similar to South Pole--flat and equally as cold. Dave should be there for a duration of two weeks--camping in the elements and setting up rac-tents--before he is flown back to McMurdo. That is, unless the weather delays his return. A very real possibility.

Shout Outs

Happy birthday, Britt! Twenty-seven is going to be a great year.

Happy late (sorry) anniversary, Mom and Dad! Love you both.

Thank you, Veterans, for your sacrifice in order to keep our country safe.

One year, David! I'm stoked to share more adventures with you.