Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 12/26/2008 - 11:40
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Oden Antarctic Expedition 08

What kind of animal tracks do you see on the antarctic ice shelf ?

 What is life like living on the Oden ?

 

John Clancy / Russ and Sean

Sun, 12/28/2008 - 11:32

Jeff Peneston

John, Russ & Sean,
There are very few kinds of animals here to make tracks on the sea ice.  For the last week the only animals that we have seen have been:Crabeater, Weddell & Ross SealsAdelie & Emperor PenguinsSnow Petrels & South Polar Skuas.
However, from the bridge of the Oden you stand 100 feet above the ice and without any vegetation to get in the way, you can see tracks all the time.  I have seen the tracks of all of the above birds and mammals.  The most common are the tracks of the crabeater seals.  They haul their 300-500 pound bodies out onto the snow covered snow and spend much of their day sleeping and resting.  The seals leave a belly mark that snakes across the snow with flipper marks on each side.  The small Adelies generally duck-sized footprints as they waddle across the snow.  The Emperor penguins are much fatter and they spend more time moving across the snow on their bellies. This leaves a very straight groove in the snow with marks on either side that show where their wings have touched the snow.
If you would like a description of life on the Oden, I have photos and captions in my Dec 2 journal.  As remote as we are when we walk off the ship onto the ice, the Oden is rather like a comfortable floating hotel that goes with us wherever we want to go.
 Take care,
Jeff