Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 12/22/2008 - 07:02
Forums
Oden Antarctic Expedition 08

Smilewhat is it like were you are? I miss u we got your flag Ilove you. is it cold down there?

love Katie PenestonLaughing

Mon, 12/22/2008 - 10:09

Jeff Peneston

Katie,
I miss you too!  It is amazingly beautiful here in Antarctica.  Imagine the nicest winter day in Vermont and you are down by the frozen shore of Lake Champlain.  Have you ever been on the ferry in the winter and looked out at the brilliant white, snow covered lake ice when the sun is shining so bright that it hurts your eyes as it bounces off the snow?  Now imagine that as far as you can see, there is no land, no hills, no trees, just endless, bumpy ice covered in 3 feet of snow.  Here in the Amundsen Sea, it is like that.  Now add dozens of icebergs as big as buildings, as far as you can see, that are stuck in the sea ice.  Now imagine that day after day you travel through openings in the sea ice called leads that look like jagged canals where broken ice floats on dark, blue sea water.  And, finally, you start to notice dark objects on the completely white seascape.  As we go from place to place you never lose site of at least one crabeater or Weddell seal and sometimes you see as many as 10 at a time!  Then when the ship stops moving, the Adelie penguins appear out of the water and walk across the ice to investigate the strange ship and visitors to their world.  
You would love this place!
Go back through my on line journal and you will see many pictures and a few videos that show what we are doing and what it is like.  I think you will really like the video of the penguin encounter and the video of the seal research team in action.  I think your dad would be very jealous if he saw those videos.
I hope everyone in your family has a great holiday.  Remember to keep reading my journals over the break.  There are new videos coming!
I love you,
Uncle Jeff