Second day in the frozen paradise. As unbelievable as this can sound, no one on the cave snored, so I slept amazingly well. We ate breakfast and had, guess what? another briefing. I feel like Obama, who needs to be briefed constantly. I attempted to send a package from the postal office to my family, but sadly they are no longer sending mail cargo. All the planes are leaving full with the summer folks that ended their season, as McMurdo prepares for its very few winter residents. And that is too bad. I had bought stuffed penguins for my kids and told them I would send them some penguins from Antarctica…
Penguins! I saw my very first penguin in the wild. A few of us went for a short hike in the morning and there it was, an Adélie happily waddling on the ice.
First penguin I really see in Antarctica, an Adélie.
Penguin waddling on the ice. Very cool in deed.
The papers were reversed. The penguin could go wherever she wanted and I was trapped to the station. I would not dare to venture far from the safety of our shelter. Any other time I have seen penguins, they have been trapped to their shelter at the aquarium or zoo, and I could wander wherever. It is humbling to feel so frail in this environment.
After lunch we went for another hike near the station. It has been wonderful to have to wait for the Palmer to get here, as we have had time to explore. Here is the intrepid group of explorers
The group of explorers on Observation Hill Loop.
We saw tons Weddel Seals at a distance. There is a crack on the ice shelf and they are mostly along the crack passively laying down. It is pretty cool to see them even at a distance.
Weddel seal baskin in the Sun.
A few South Polar skulls, an Antarctic bird closely related to the gulls, kept flying above us. They are rapacious and predate on Adélie penguin's eggs, mollusks, fish, crustaceans, squid, and more.
Skua flying over us. Southern Polar skuas are related to the gulls and are the flying birds that live most southerly.
A pair of skuas flying above us.
Early dinner since we have a field trip to Scott's Hut, the historic museum of McMurdo. I will devote another small entry to Scott's Hut, otherwise this entry will keep growing...