Latitude: 76.49 Longitude: 166.31 Temperature: -4.1 degrees C Wind Chill: -21.0 degrees C
Yesterday ended very late for many, and today began very early! We are on the last day of sampling and are in transit around Beaufort Island, looking for the correct station location. The day has been crystal clear with beautiful images of snow and ice around us. This afternoon we can see the TransAntarctic mountains in the distance. People spent several hours early on outside with cameras, hoping for a glimpse of Killer Whales. An alert went out sometime after 8AM that there were whales around. Within minutes the decks were full with cameras poised! Sure enough, there were whales! By the time I reached the deck, all I could see were blowholes in the distance. I'm told there were quite a lot of them. That's the good news, the bad news is they are extremely difficult to photograph, so I don't have a picture of them!
Beaufort Island
Mt. Erebus has been entertaining. When it first came into view, it was encircled by clouds. As the day progressed, we began to move more to the south side and saw some outgassing. By midnight, there was a distinct plume coming out of the top. It feels much colder today, the winds of Antarctica are blowing fiercely tonight.
Lollie
Mt. Erebus
What a grand sight- Mt. Erebus!
Mt. Erebus the Chimney
Looks like a chimney doesn't it?
**Penguins Swim in Formation***
Couldn't capture a whale, but here are some penguins!