Tagging Whales in the Antarctic Seas

April 21 - June 11, 2009

Palmer station (Wed., 5/6/09) - Underwater Leopard Seal Video — by Andy Read — posted May 12, 2009

Dave managed to take some spectacular underwater video of two leopard seals      comments (3)

Wilhelmina Bay (Thurs., 5/7/09) - Hitting a Trampoline with a Chopstick — by Ari Friedlaender — posted May 08, 2009

These are by far the most rotund and plump whales I have ever been around. When they rise, the span of their backs looks like a small parking lot.     

Errera Channel (Wed., 5/6/09) - Leopard Seals — by Pat Halpin — posted May 07, 2009

Sometimes days don't go quite as planned, but opportunities do arise.     

Piccard Cove (Tues., 5/5/09) - It's a bird! It's a plane! Its an Arnoux's Beaked Whale! — by Reny Tyson — posted May 07, 2009

After a full night sleep free of listening to: SchshhhhhhhhhhthchhBEEEEEEPhhthhchhchhhcracklBEEEEP snaphrhchhchchchchrhchhcsh the team woke up well rested and ready to go at it again!      comments (2)

Nansen Island (Mon., 5/4/09) - Stage 8 of Radio Tracking — by Douglas Nowacek — posted May 05, 2009

After two days of intense searching we managed to relocate and recover our wayward tag just before dusk this afternoon.      comments (3)

At Sea (Sun., 5/3/09) - White Noise — by Dave Johnston — posted May 04, 2009

schshhhhhhhhhhthchhchhhhhhthhchhchhhcrackleshcchsnaphrhchhchchch chilechrhchhcshhehhchhehhhfhhhehhhehhshhehhhshhehehchhchhhhh hthhchhchhhcrackleshcchsnaphrhchhchchchcehshhshchshhshfhschshhshhchs hhchshhchhshshrhhshchilechhshhhhthchhchhhhhhthhchhchhhcrackleshcch snaphrhchpeppershshshchchsahchthachdhahhahahhfhhhehhhehhshhehhhs hhehehchhchhhhhhthchshshchhchshchhchhchhhhhhthhchhchhhcracklesh cchsnaphrhchhchchchcshchshchshsnap *beep*.......      comments (5)

Antarctica (Sat., 5/2/09) - Grease ice, brash ice, bergie bits and krill pancakes — by Elliott Hazen — posted May 04, 2009

After about 6 hours in a small zodiac with an air temperature of -5 degrees C, I stopped feeling two of my toes on my right foot. However, I still had a huge smile on my face and said aloud “this is paradise.”      comments (1)

Piccard Cove (Fri., 5/1/09) - A Cove of Whales and a Blizzard of Penguins — by Andy Read and Alison Stimpert — posted May 04, 2009

The home page on the ship’s intranet said that today was a good day to be a scientist a truer word was never spoken.      comments (4)

Palmer Station (Thurs., 4/30/09) - Game On! — by Lindsey Peavey — posted May 01, 2009

Yesterday we pulled into Palmer and effectively yelled “game on!” From 0800-1200 the fish team worked with LMG and Palmer crew to offload all the fish they had trawled and trapped over the last three days.      comments (5)

At Sea (Wed., 4/29/09) - Deadliest Catch: Out with the Icefish team — by Andy Read — posted Apr 29, 2009

The visual survey team has been out fishing with our colleagues on the icefish research team for the last three days. On our first day, in transit to Dallman Bay, we had great conditions and saw lots of whales (see Sunday’s blog).      comments (3)

Palmer Station (Tues., 4/28/09) - Preparation and Anticipation — by Douglas Nowacek — posted Apr 28, 2009

Busy making final preparations for our first day of full operations      comments (3)

Palmer Station (Sun., 4/26/09) - Exploring the Islands around Palmer Station (videos) — by Ari Friedlaender — posted Apr 26, 2009

The day began with a windy wake-up call, making the waters around Palmer Station choppy and too dangerous for small boat operations. Last night gusts were clocked up to nearly 40 knots, and even at half that strength, the bite of the wind cut through most clothing.      comments (12)

Palmer Station (Sun., 4/26/09) - Video walking tour — by Elliott Lee Hazen — posted Apr 26, 2009

Here is a quick walking tour of Palmer Station from the outside from the dock where we arrived to the Palmer Station Glacier in the backyard.      comments (1)

Palmer Station (Fri., 4/24/09) - We have arrived! — by Pat Halpin — posted Apr 26, 2009

We arrived at Palmer Station... An especially long awaited arrival for me.      comments (1)

Palmer - (Fri., 4/24/09) - We Survived! — by Reny Tyson — posted Apr 26, 2009

Today was another beautiful day on the Drake with winds between 10-20 knots, and seas at 3-4 meters. Apparently rubbing the big toe of one of Magellan’s friends on the statue in Punta Arenas does provide good fortune to those embarking on the journey south. Thank you weather gods and thank you “Drake” for taking mercy on us. We survived!     

Antarctica (Sat., 4/25/09) - An aquascience teacher's dream — by Megan O'Neill — posted Apr 25, 2009

Teacher-at-sea Megan O'Neill shares her Antarctic experience.     

Drake Passage (Thurs., 4/23/09) - Day One in the Passage — by Elliott Hazen — posted Apr 24, 2009

As I'm writing, we are at 59 degrees south. It is plausible that the Drake passage is the source of the sailors maxim that "Below 40 degrees, there is no law. Below 50 degrees, there is no God."      comments (2)

Drake Passage (Wed., 4/22/09) - Heading out into the Drake Passage — by Dave Johnston — posted Apr 23, 2009

We left Punta Arenas two days ago, and this afternoon we passed the southern tip of South America, steaming steadily passed Cape Horn and down into the Drake Passage.      comments (1)

At Sea (Wed., 4/22/09) - Anticipating anticipation — by Lindsey Peavey — posted Apr 23, 2009

The Gould was shined up and covered in a fresh coat of paint when I first boarded on the 20th. Ahhh, that means she’s anticipating a new adventure, just like me!      comments (2)

Punta Arenas (Sun., 4/19/09) - Preparations — by Andy Read — posted Apr 19, 2009

We spent today preparing equipment and obtaining our cold weather gear.      comments (2)