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Yesterday (4/18/07) I got to do something VERY exciting! I took my first trip out onto the ice!! Whoo hoo! It was really neat to be able to walk on the Bering Sea. The ice at this location was very thick- around 9-10 feet thick. A group of scientists were sent out to do some coring of the ice- we

Today started off like any ordinary day. I did have one major goal, to wash my clothes. Of course, I am sure you have wondered how I could have possibly packed enough clothes and gear to last 35 days. Then imagine trying to carry that through the ship. So I am really glad to have a laundry room here

Creature Feature - Beluga Whale Today a beluga whale was spotted from the helicopter. The whale was swimming in a small open area in the middle of an ice flow. This open water is called a 'polynya.' Read on to learn more about these beautiful whales. In the next few days, I will have the chance

I ate breakfast this morning with Lee Harris, a member of the National Marine Mammal Lab, NOAA’s ice seal team. Lee is also an Inupiat Eskimo. I enjoy listening and learning about what he says. It is obvious in the harsh Arctic environment, that Native people have the edge in making observations and

On board the Healy, there is one helicopter that is being used by the folks from the National Marine Mammal Laboratory to do population studies. Today they went out for two runs. In the first run, the team saw a Polar Bear eating walrus. The photos for polar bear will be added as soon as they become

Well, we’re about 1/3 of the way through our cruise. We’ve traveled into some pretty thick ice lately- some of it up to 4 feet thick!! When we reach ice this thick, the ship has to do some "backing and ramming” in order to break through. This consists of the ship backing up the path we’ve already

So what's on board a scientific research vessel and Coast Guard Icebreaker. Come take a tour with Kolehe, my naughty monkey friend. Walk the gang plank That's how you get on the ship. You are looking at the PORT side of the ship. It faces the port. The other side, starboard, doesn't. The

I realized that I was doing you all a great disservice by not featuring the most important creatures of all, the producers. Producers are organisms that take the radiant energy from the sun and transform it into food (chemical) energy. These little bitties form the first link in a food web or chain

Coming at you live and on the satellite phone, Maggie and Robyn from the USCGC Healy. Just imagining the logistics is awe-inspiring. We are out in the middle of the Arctic and still able to connect to our students, the public, friends, and families in Alaska, Hawaii, Ohio, and anywhere else. That is

Yesterday, April 15, was our first close encounter with a spotted seal. Spotted seals are the most common ice seals in this area. They are known for their spicy personality. ## Spotted Seal ### Scientific Name: Phoca largha #### What are spotted seals? Spotted seals look much like the North Pacific