Room with a View
It doesn't get any better than this - both in terms of weather and excitement. Today was beautiful with virtually no wind. A perfect day for snowmobiling and scouting for seals!
The first time we went out on the snowmobiles was during sea ice training and the team stayed fairly close to home. We went to the pressure ridges near Scott Base - about three miles away. Today we are venturing out to Turtle Rock - which is about 1 hour by snowmobile.
Scientists and seal at Turtle Rock
Our mission was to find seals ready for tagging. In other words, we were hoping to find seals that were well into their molting process. This way we could assess when the tagging could begin.
Seals molt annually - usually during the end of January, so the satellite tags need to be glued to seals with a newly molted coat. This way the tags are more likely to stay on. What do you think... is this seal molting or just wet?
Look at the top of the seals head. Do you notice any difference in the fur? What do you think? Is this seal molting or just wet?
When we arrive at Turtle Rock we found dozens of seals. All had begun to molt but none were quite ready for tagging. It should only be a few more days though. So while we were out... we took advantage of the beautiful day and snapped a few photos.
Alex and a Weddell seal pup at Turtle Rock. Photo courtesy of Patrick Robinson.
Weddell seal soaking up the sun. Let's hope this helps the molting process!
Graduate student Kim 'talking' with the Weddell seal.
Just another cute Weddell seal pup.
Pressure Ridges at Turtle Rock - Amazing scenery!
Alex jumping for joy at the Turtle Rock pressure ridges. Photo courtesy of Patrick Robinson.
On our way back, the team took a short detour to a spectacular 360° view of the area called 'Room with a View'. I hope you enjoy!
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