1 December, 2000

FYI answer for 11/30/00

There are over 40 permanent bases in the Antarctica region, although there are many more abandoned or temporary huts and stations. Each summer over 2,000 people live at these places. In the winter, the human Antarctic population drops to around 800.

It was time to take a census (count) of the seals at Big Razorback and Turks Head. Gifford and I went to the north end of Big Razorback and, after finishing the count, we walked back into the deep pressure ridges and took some pictures and did some climbing through the deep accumulation of snow. We then headed to Turks Head. We started the census, took a break for lunch around the snowmobiles and finished the census early afternoon. We attached two instruments on two females before finishing the day.

We came back to Big Razorback and had to detach data loggers and a camera from a female seal. The female gave us little difficulty when we attached, but when we bagged her today, she was not going to stay still. I was the one holding the ropes on the bag. At one point I was on her back and she was taking me for a bouncing ride. Once I got my feet under me again I felt like a bull rider the way I was holding onto the rope, ready for a ride again. This was the first time that the pup was actually in the way and seemed to come after us too. Gifford had to keep the pup away from me and Katsu.

Gifford and I then went to the underwater camera and worked on chipping ice that was deeper in the hole. We can turn the camera up to see the under side of the hole and there are ice shelves about 10 feet from the top of the snow and ice above ground. We took turns using the chisel and the fish net. The process is somewhat endless until we bring the camera up, so we quit our progress after an hour. I went back to the hut and spent the next hou tracking activityand recording significant action. I plan to make a combination tape with these videos to bring home and share. This is a very new piece of technology in this seal study history. We really see some amazing behaviors under the water, and now the pups are swimming more.

FYI

The first base built in Antarctica for the purpose of ________________ research was a meteorological station built back in __________. The United States built the _________________ - ____________ South Pole base in 1956-1957. McMurdo Station was built in _______-_______ and Palmer Station was established in 1965.

Just another lunch in the field

Another look at our work