Arrival to Palmer

So after two weeks working in the main office, almost two days of flying, two nights in Punta Arenas, and five days aboard the Gould, i arrived at Palmer- a cozy little station on Anvers Island with a glacier in the backyard. In our spare time, we can boat out to some surrounding islands, enjoy the wildlife (penguins, petrels, cormorants, seals), or hike to the top of the glacier.

Later that night, i saw the most beautiful sunset across the water as the Gould took the State Department on their way. This picture was taken and stitched together by my roommate Frank, who traveled down with me.

It's hard to capture the scenery and do it justice, but this picture does really well.

So now i'm here and assimilating myself into station life. It's a very busy life, but it has its rewards. There are less than 40 people on station right now, and half of them are part of the science groups (though, two people are part of an artist group not doing science but taking molds of ice chunks to take home and cast into glass to recreate the forms and textures)- the rest of us are here for logistical support. My position as Lab Manager is to take care of the groups' needs as they arise and work with the rest of the logistical staff to get it done. On top of that, we all (and that's all 40 of us) need to chip in on monitoring radio communications, cooking, and janitorial duties around station. I'm looking forward to a great season.

Icebergs

Soon after i warmed up with a cup of coffee from the galley and a visit to the bridge, we arrived in the Neumeyer Channel.

The bergs were beautiful- small, large, blue, white- they were all so unique in their shapes and textures. I hope to see more and more of them as the season goes on, but here are a few of the ones i saw.

The Final Leg

Among the passengers on our cruise were six members from the State Department who were coming down to check on stations from other countries and field camps. Their purpose is to make sure the stations' actions and such are in accordance with the Antarctic Treaty. They were a nice group of folks. Also, there was a researcher who we needed to drop off at Cape Shirreff on the way. By drop off, i mean we would anchor down off the coast, crane a zodiac or two into the water, and shuttle people and cargo to shore. I was also suppose to go ashore to take pictures of the radioisotope lab they had in their camp for our company's records, so we could know better what we were outfitting when ordering instruments in the future. However, the weather had turned sour after our smooth ride across the Drake, and we were not able to land. The lady we were suppose to drop off had to continue to Palmer with us and wait things out there until the Gould was going north again- then they would try again then. A free vacation for her, and no boondoggle for me. Yes, very sad.

We puttered on, the weather calmed down, we watched a couple more movies, i napped, we watched more movies, and i went to bed early anticipating our early arrival the next morning to the Gerlache Strait.

I woke up at 4:30 the next morning, went on deck, and i was amazed at the sights. Off both port and starboard sides were some of the most beautiful snow-covered mountains and glaciers across the waters.

from Chile to Shirreff

After finally settling (sort of) into life at Palmer Station, i have some catching up to do in how i got here.

Thursday, November 9th, i flew out of Denver to Santiago, Chile- a long overnight flight. We changed planes after going through customs, flew along the Andes mountains and arrived in Punta Arenas, a harbor on the southern tip of South America.

There, we enjoyed the city life- eating out, markets in the park, and strolling the streets. Their trees were hedged really nice, one restaurant served Beaver (an invasive species in the area and yes, i ordered it and it was delicious), and my friend Steve bought slippers made from baby alpaca that looked like he was wearing pomeranians on his feet.

Our second night in Punta Arenas, we slept on the boat- the Research Vessel Laurence M. Gould. This was to be our accomodations and mode of transport for the next 4-5 days.

Our trip was uncommonly smoothe. I have heard horrendous stories attesting to the notoriously rough waters of the Drake Passage, but i'm sure i'll get my fun on the way back in April (imagine suffering sea-sickness for days on end and never being able to sleep since you get tossed from your bed in the rough seas). But this trip was a gift from Mother Nature. We had clear skies, calm winds and waters, and we were able to get out on the deck everyday to enjoy the fresh air and commerson's dolphins riding in the wake of the boat.

Since there wasn't a lot to do on board, we mostly ate, watched movies, and enjoyed the sunsets. Everynight i was gently rocked to sleep in my bed.

We sailed on to Cape Shirreff...

Cute Pie for Dinner

Some have been disturbed with the grotesque picture of the leopard seal ripping the head off a penguin.

So here's a nicer picture on the same theme: Gentoo Penguin Head in Seal Mouth. Though it may look like it, this is not a circus act.

More great shots from Paul Nicklen.

A gentoo penguin checks things out before diving into the water.

i bet he got eaten.

Where is Palmer?

So, some may ask where this place is to which i'm running away. The best pictures i could find in less than 10 minutes on the web are below.

Palmer is in the Antarctic Peninsula, south of Chile. Palmer Station is not marked on this map, but it's about where the red line in the first picture points to.






here's a better general map: