Gentoos

Well, I made it across the Drake Passage pretty well, though last night I felt the effects of the crossing. My job here is to contribute to surveys of terrestrial flora & fauna of Antarctica, with a focus on certain seabirds. We made our first landing and began surveying marine mammals as well as nests of Petrels and Penguins. It was definitely an experience for me to see first hand what the Penguin nesting colonies are truly like, and to face the challenges - and joys - of the work head on. I witnessed my first penguin fight, where one penguin chased another for quite a ways, while bystanders watched from their nests & snapped if the chase came too close. Or in other words: Penguins!!! Real live, in the wild! Whoo!!!

History tidbit: On Shackleton's voyage south on the Endurance Expedition, his ship was crushed in the ice of the Weddell Sea, but the entire crew survived an incredible journey to eventual rescue and safety. (One cannot say his expedition was without casualties. His original plan had been to cross the Antarctic continent, and the ship laying food depots from the other side of the continent faced it's own problems and did have casualties.)

Despite some IT setbacks and learning on the job, I am having a fantastic time. Fortunately the layers I chose to keep me warm did their job perfectly, and the only part of me that got chilly was my hands (thin gloves to be able to take clear notes). Fortunately, there is plenty of hot chocolate on board to warm me up!