Environmental

In Antarctica, everyday life is closely tied to the penguins, birds, and other wildlife surrounding us. So, what are we doing at Palmer Station to “save the penguins”?

brashy Hero Inlet
My morning started with the wailing cry of seagulls – not an uncommon sound at seasides anywhere in the world. My seaside however did not include sand between toes or a tropical breeze.

The pile of tires, ship railing, and smaller materials collected on the Earth Day dive.
You probably know that Earth Day was last weekend. Our UAB in Antarctica group teamed up with other current Palmerites to do our bit to keep the station’s underwater surroundings clean.

Early morning boating

Once upon a time, on a continent far, far, away, it was a crisp winter morning with occasional little snow flurries swirling through the air. At 8:30 am, 30 minutes before sunrise, the divers and their fearless tenders were ready to head out, to islands far, far away.

GLarsen 2018.04 Whale resized
You’re out in a zodiac, the air is crisp, the ocean is choppy, the bow of the boat comes down off of a rolling wave to reveal the dorsal fin of a humpback whale in the distance. Trailing close behind is a smaller dorsal fin. You watch from a distance as mother and calf take turns surfacing for air – gracefully soaring along the shorelines of several islands on their way out to sea. Today, you are a whaler!