Animals
Yesterday was a huge day for wildlife sightings. Those who stayed overnight at camp were surprised to find that a Weddell Seal had wandered into camp the night before. The seal was bloodied a bit from fighting (this is common), and rested near our camp for about a day and a half before moving on this evening. Evan, Justin, Vickie, and Brian followed the seal’s trail yesterday morning hoping to find the open crack it had come from, but gave up after a half-mile journey in order to start work for the day.
Keith and I arrived at camp by snowmobile later in the morning and enjoyed the chance to snap a few photos ourselves. It’s important (and required by the Antarctic Treaty!) to keep enough distance not to disturb these animals, so I was happy to have a big lens with me.
Heading back to McMurdo after a long day at camp, we encountered a single Adélie Penguin crossing the “road.” This was an unlikely sighting so far from open water, and the first penguin ever seen by several members of our team. We spent a few minutes taking pictures, gave a wide berth, and headed home delighted.
Reporting by Peter Kimball