Monday, April 16, 2018

Ocean Search and Rescue Training and a few penguins

An iceberg's size is two thirds underwater. 


I am on the Ocean Search and Rescue Team. We spend several hours on the water practicing drills in case we have a rescue scenerio.

A very dangerous leopard seal. Unfortunately I had to shoot into the sun for this picture.

Leopard seals are very aggressive and scary. Photo credit to: imgur.com/gallery/zcipc


Not like Florida boating. We wear floating survival suits.

Porpoising Gentoo penguins.

A Gentoo contemplating the enormity of it all. Cool cloud in the background.

Just hanging out.

A cool little berg. There are all shapes and sizes.

The hull of an Argentina shipwreck from many years ago.

Practicing tying off to the rocks.

A chunk off ice for this evenings cocktails.

I am motoring home through brash ice.

It can be a bit tedious as ice tends to become stuck under the boat. Sometimes you have to throttle up to get through the tricky areas. All part of the adventure. Here a few of the guys are pushing ice out of the way.

Brash ice maneuvering. 
Another beautiful sunset.

Palmer Station Gym.


Nice view from the rower.


Sunset glow.

Dishes are washed by hand and then sanitized.

The kitchen and serving line.






Global warming shown here. The Marr Ice Piedmont (glacier) has been through a rapid retreat. Palmer Station on the far left.

Working outside making a connection with an Inmarsat satellite.

A few years ago through the glacial retreat this was discovered to be an island.

There is a tremendous "thunder" sound 24 hours a day as the glacier calves into the water.

Three icebergs.

A visiting gentoo penguin.

He's a shy one.

3 comments:

  1. Is carol the reason you got into doing these assignments

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    1. Actually it was neighbor Bruce. When I retired from Boeing in 2011 he told me about his company that was looking for a person to work a NASA contract at McMurdo Station in 2012. So during Jocelyn's and my bike ride to San Diego I applied for this job and physically qualified on the road. While at McMurdo I applied for a South Pole job. The rest is history. Andi actually had two cousins work the program.

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    2. My cousins, Carol and Mariah Crossland both communicated with me and my students during their adventures in the 90’s. Mike has been a real explorer and covered many miles by different modes of transportation. Stay safe out there honey!

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