Journal Entries

2005-06

 

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January 27, 2006 — Palmer Station, Antarctica

Exploration is the physical expression of the Intellectual Passion. And I tell you, if you have the desire for knowledge and the power to give it physical expression, go out and explore. If you are a brave man you will do nothing: if you are fearful you may do much, for none but cowards have need to prove their bravery.

–Apsley Cherry-Garrard

Come explore with me...learn to appreciate this desolate land where so few have ever been. Once here, you will fall in love, for Antarctica is beautiful beyond words and full of life. I began this journey with the purpose of finding out what is so intriguing about Antarctica. I have learned that it is unlike any other place on Earth and beautiful beyond words or photographs. I hope you are beginning to appreciate what I am discovering as I continue this exploration.

I love the waterscape here because it's always changing. The icebergs are constantly moving and splitting apart, large chunks falling into the water. They bump into each other with thunderous roars. When we were out on the Zodiacs today, I kept looking at these statuesque monuments, not only speculating about what conditions existed as they were formed, but also about their origin. Each iceberg is unique, which makes their variety a spectacular art show. Look carefully at the pictures of icebergs I saw today and compare and contrast them. Notice the different colors, shapes, and sizes. Since most of the iceberg is underwater, try to imagine what lies hidden beneath the water’s surface. Some icebergs that are close together may even be joined underwater.

We went to Humble Island so Josh could collect some mites and ticks and were greeted by the usual island welcoming committee of Adélie penguins. Here too, the chicks are changing from soft little balls of gray fluff to the sleek and smooth, well-groomed adult. Again, the parents were enticing the chicks to leave their safe and familiar colonies with the promise of food. The chicks seemed to be a nuisance in the way they endlessly chased their parents, relentlessly begging for a morsel of food.

Off in the distance, terrible snorting and barking sounds caught my attention as two bulls (male elephant seals) began fighting, probably for territory. I backed away as their battle grew fiercer by the minute. It was apparent that neither was willing (or ready) to surrender as they moved toward each other, poking and pushing each other with their strong front quarters. The battle stopped as quickly as it started, neither bull bearing significant wounds but leaving a tragic trail of consequences for a nearby penguin colony. During the bulls' fight for supremacy, two Adélie chicks happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and were crushed as one bull charged past their colony. It’s hard to imagine this sleepy seal being so aggressive, isn't it?

We headed over to another island that we had never been to before named Hermit, continuing our quest for the mighty mites and ticks. Again, this island is unlike the others, even though it also is primarily rock, ice, grass, mosses, and a few lichens. Our boat docking area contained beds filled with hundreds of limpet shells, nestled between the rocks.

Hermit is home to many skuas, an aggressive predatory bird. They sit perched in their nests, hidden between the rocks. We climbed the rocks very carefully, avoiding any movement that might disturb them; they are unforgiving when their territory is encroached upon. We cautiously and deftly made our way through the rocks — almost to the top — when Josh shouted, "Look out!" We ducked and looked upward. Skuas soared high above their unguarded nests in order to gain speed for the attack and kill. Oh yeah — they were headed for us! We hid protected among the rocks until they passed over us. GC was caught off guard and raised his arms to protect his head. We managed to escape their vengeance unharmed, but continued on our way with heightened awareness. You can learn more about skuas by clicking here.

We found some other interesting sights on Hermit also. Check out the little stream of water, the result of melting snow. Look how brightly colored the moss is when found along a water source. Even the snow is different in places, as it is covered by a red tinted bacterial growth that is common on melting snow in this area.

The Antarctic Peninsula, on which Palmer Station is located, is composed primarily of metamorphic and igneous rocks. Diorite is the most common rock in the area. That's why this rock was so different and stood out. See if you can figure out what made it so blue. What does it look like?

 

It reminded me of the turquoise color that develops on copper covered domes and awnings over time. It turns out that the copper has oxidized. Notice how the rock has split, probably from water seeping in, freezing, and cracking the rock's surface.

It's always time to celebrate something at Palmer and today was no different. It was Josh's birthday and we celebrated with homemade carrot cake (considered by some to be a health food) and something special for the birthday boy. Matt works with the team who is researching krill and they apparently have had difficulty recently in finding and collecting krill samples. Matt walked into the dining hall greeted by friends wearing these homemade t-shirts.

...And I spent the evening with good friends, witnessing more of the majestic icebergs, sleepy elephant seals, adolescent penguins and sights that occur only in Antarctica...

 

- Kaput-on-Ice

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