Now we understand why there were so many emperor penguins close to station this year. The ice edge was so close that the penguins didn't have to go very far to find a place on the ice to molt. In fact, this season was so warm that the ice broke out completely in Winter Quarters Bay (the water right in front of station) all the way to Cape Armitage. This probably doesn't mean much to those of you who haven't done time in McMurdo, but to those who have, you know how special this is. The last time the ice broke out completely was in 1997. After that, an enormous iceberg blocked the opening of the channel and held back the ice - until several years ago when that iceberg (B-15) broke apart and drifted away from the channel opening. We've been waiting since then to be able to look across OPEN WATER at Mt. Discovery!
Here are some photos of how things looked yesterday. It is truly amazing to hear the waves lapping on the shore and see actual waves behind the chapel. There have been minke whales and orcas swimming around and we spent one evening watching seals close-up swimming near the shoreline. What an unexpected treat!
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| The Nathaniel B Palmer in Winter Quarters Bay |
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| Ice Floes at 10 pm before all of the ice moved out |
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| View from Ob Hill Loop |
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| View from Hut Point |
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| View from Cape Armitage |
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| View from the Platform in front of the Waste Water Treatment Plant |
1 comment:
Oh my gosh! Those photos are truly amazing! I am sorry to have missed seeing all the open water. It truly has been a long time since it has done that. Thanks for posting the photos!
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