January 21, 2000

The wind has been blowing erratically all morning--changing directions and intensity. This is always an indication of a shift in weather pattern, possibly an approaching front or storm. Steve and I checked the satellite image and barometer; we are staying close to Station today. We will begin to dismantle our satellite antenna and the wind harp on the roof of the Bio Lab.

This morning, I got an e-mail from Tony Gill, from Burley-in-Wharfedale near Leeds in Yorkshire, England. His daughter, Becky, is 5 years old and she and her pre-school classmates put together a few questions for us here at Palmer Station...

Evie asks, "Do you fall over on the ice?"

"You bet, it can be very slippery! One of the things that helps us from not falling over too much are cramp-ons. These are long cleats, or metal "teeth," that we strap on to our boots when we are out on the ice. In the picture below, Andy Young is wearing cramp-ons. Look carefully at Andy's boots!"

Joshua asks, "Have you seen a killer whale and does it squirt water?"

"There are killer whales in the area. The Captain of the Laurence M. Gould ship said that he saw a couple in the Gerlache Strait near Palmer Station. We haven't seen one yet. But we have seen humpback whales and Minke whales. The squirt of water comes when a whale breathes out, from a hole on top of its head. After they breathe out, they breath in, hold their breath and go back underwater. In the picture below, you can see a humpback whale's "blow," as it comes up for air." (Photo by Norm Lavoie).

Ben asks, "How do you keep yourself warm?"

"A very good question. The weather in Antarctica can be very unpredictable and it is important to always dress for the cold. When we go outside, we wear many layers. We put on long underclothing, two shirts and a vest. When we go out on the water, we put on a Mustang suit. This is a big orange-coloured coat and trousers. If you fall into the water, it will help you float until someone can rescue you. We also put on waterproof mittens or gloves and a hat. Finally, we always wear sunglasses and rub sunscreen on our faces, because the sun is very bright! Below is a picture of me in my Mustang suit. I am holding my tape recorder and listening to ice crack below the water. "

Aaron asks, " Does the ice crack?"

"It sure does! There are icebergs and glaciers here. They both crack and boom as big pieces melt and fall off into the water. This is called calving. In the picture below, you can see how craggy and rough the glacier wall is from ice cracking off. I am recording the sounds of the ice calving."

Click here to listen to an MP3 sample of ice calving from the face of the Marr Ice Piedmont. The knocking is tension building, followed by the crash of calving. The subsequent wave and ice are heard pushing out into the cove, followed by another crack from a smaller calving.

Ben wants to know if we eat soup and catch fish.

"We have two wonderful cooks on Station, Dawn Biddison and Sue Deyoe. They make delicious soup for us everyday. Today, for lunch we had zucchini tomato soup. We also had roast beef sandwiches and chips with chocolate coconut biscuits for dessert. This is a picture of Sue with a big salad. Generally, we do not catch fresh fish. We do have fish brought to us by ship from Punta Arenas in Chile."

Mark asks, "Do you see icicles there?"

"We see lovely icicles here--especially when the weather gets warm! There is an ice cave near Palmer Station. On the inside there are many icicles hanging from the ceiling, making dripping sounds"

Benny asks, "Have you seen any penguins and seals?"

"We have seen many penguins and seals! Look at the very bottom of the page to see pictures of penguins and right below for pictures of the types of seals we have seen."

Some Antarctic Seals

Weddell seal

Elephant seal

Crabeater seal

Leopard seal

Patrick asks, "Are the waves big?"

"Sometimes we get very big waves, but mostly out at sea. This is particualrly true in crossing the Drake Passage between South America and Antarctica. On a rough day the waves can reach nearly 50 feet high! The picture below was taken on the Laurence M. Gould--the ship we travelled on to get to Palmer Station. It shows a 15-20 foot wave breaking over the deck of the ship. Most of the time at Palmer Station the water is pretty calm and we have little waves lapping on the rocks."

Daisy asks, "Are there starfish in Antartica?"

"We get many kinds of starfish in Antarctica. They are very beautiful and come in all shapes and sizes. Starfish seem to love the cold water!"

Georgina asks, "What do you drink?"

"We have many yummy things to drink--hot and cold! We have coffee, tea, hot chocolate, orange juice, lemonade, grapefruit juice, apple juice, pineapple juice, milk and even fat-free milk. We also have water, which is very important. It can be very dry here and we always drink lots of water. "

Samantha asks, "How do you warm your food?"

"Our cooks do all the cooking on a big range and in ovens--bigger than what your Mum uses at home. We keep our food warm on steam tables. This is nice on a cold day because everything stays hot and yummy in the tummy!"

Benny asks "Are you staying in a tent?

"Most of the time, no. We have small rooms that we share in two dormitory buildings--two people to a room and sometimes more. We sleep in bunk beds. There are a few tents which people have pitched near the Station, in an area we call 'the backyard.' Most people do not spend every night in a tent, but they are very popular when the weather is nice and on weekends--when we pretend that we are on holiday. My friend Norm calls his tent his 'summer cottage.' For the last several weeks, I have enjoyed spending many nights in a little hut near Arthur Harbor (see picture below). It reminds me of a secret clubhouse."

Ben wants to know, "Do blue whales come to Antarctica?"

"Blue whales are known to come to Antarctica and live near the edge of the sea ice. We have not seen any yet. But we have seen humpback whales and Minke whales. Below is a picture of a humpback whale fluke, or tail, as it dives underwater in Arthur Harbor." (Photo by Norm Lavoie).

Becky asks, "Have you any photographs of the penguins or whales?"

"We have many photos of penguins and few of whales."

Some Antarctic Penguins

Gentoo penguins

Adelie penguin family

Chinstrap penguin

Emperor penguins

For more information about British activities in the Antarctic, please visit the The British Antarctic Survey website!