Today was such a fantastic day. Probably my best day on the ice.
Five of us were given the task of providing an alternative route for scientists on a seal research camp. The sea ice is thinning every day now, and these guys needed an alternative route back to McMurdo over the permanent ice shelf.
We eagerly loaded the Skidoos (snow mobiles) with the equipment needed, and started the hour-long journey. It was such a buzz to be riding a skidoo, cruising at 30 miles/hour, through such an amazing landscape.
The weather was an incredibly warm, blue-sky day. A perfect day.
We arrived at our destination and began work. We prodded the route with flagpoles whilst looking for signs of cracks. If one were discovered, we’d dig it out, drill it and take measurements. Some cracks once uncovered from snow produced, to our amazement, crevasse size depths of 30 to 40 feet. These required bridges to be secured in place. It was amazing, while we were tying of the brigde ropes to snow stakes we could hear seals goaning through the ice from the ocean.
After lunch we began the process of flagging the route back to the research field camp. I drove the skidoo whilst T stood on the trailer, and threw out a flag at each required measurement. The trailing skidoo would stop, drill a hole into the ice, then secure the flag in place.
Once the job was done we drove over to the field camp. The camp consists of 10 scientists, which sleep, eat, work and play out here for up to 6 weeks. The camp is a sweet little set up. They sleep in scott tents and a james way, have a lab, kitchen, a hangout area and a long drop with a close up view of Mt errebus.
The research being done here is around mother-pup relations.
We had the great fortune of being invited to walk out to the seal colony. After a short walk we found ourselves surrounded by 50 seals, basking in the warmth of the sun. Many pups were feeding or cuddling up to their mothers. It was an absolute unforgettable experience being that close to these mammals, and in their own environment, not caught up in some marine centre playing tricks for the entertainment of humans. It was a moving experience to say the least.
Returning to the field camp we chatted and sipped a hot drink, said our goodbyes, then rode the skidoos back to McMurdo Station in time for dinner.
