Ice

One of the more dangerous hazards to Antarctic explorers/oceanographers is ice. Its behavior is highly dependent on the wind which can either hold it together loosely or pack it in very tightly so that when the temperature drops, the ice freezes together and ships get stuck. This happened to Ernest Shackleton in the earlier 1900s and continues to happen to vessels as recently as last year. Our science questions only bring us about 2 km beyond the ice edge, and the Captain keeps a watchful eye on the wind and temperature in case we need to get out quickly. No need to worry, Mom!

As we approached the Wilkins Ice Shelf we found a surreal amount of ice.

Loosely packed sea ice as far as the eye can see

Lots of wildlife on the ice – including a Crabeater seal in the foreground and some penguins in the background; the horizon is almost impossible to see with the snowy-white sky

Ice is extremely strong and destructive, so it must be kept away from the equipment. Here our Antartctic Support Crew memebers Lindsey Loughry (L) and Hannah Gray (R) use boat hooks to keep ice away from the CTD and its wire.

Some of the ice floes are larger and can support the seals, some are enormous icebergs (very far distance), and a lot of it reminds me of Slurpee from 7-11.

2 curious Crabeater seals watch our ship pass by – I wonder what they think of our giant orange ship??? Most seals watch us bump through the ice instead of scooting away or hiding below the ice.