Open Water, Ice and Penguins...Oh My!

After work, in the gloriousness of little wind and still present sunshine, I decided to walk down to Hut Point and take in the open water. Last year, there was a fair amount of open water around Hut Point and in the channell, but this year is unbelievable. Not only is there open water in entire bay, but all the way over to Scott Base and all around Hut Point, streching way out into the Ross Sea.

I could hear the surf crash at Hut Point. Take a look:

Ahhh...MacTown. This is the view from my new work center up in B140.

The vastness of open water will picturesque chunks of floating ice!

The new (and already broken) ice pier and Hut Point.

A closer view of the pier and the ice!

Crack!

Look at all those ice chunks!

I claim the middle one!

Slosh, slosh! So much water!

Ice, ice, baby.

Incredible!

As far as the eye can see, Ice!

Looks so glacial, doesn't it?

So blue and white! (There are only so many ways to describe ice and water!)

Vince's Cross at Hut Point overlooking the Sea Ice!

Mountains, Ice and Sea!

Sun, surf, ice.
Penguins! These Adelies are molting, so not the usual animated and playful sort I've seen before. I've heard that molting is painful for them and these little guys were hunkered down on the point.

One, Two, Three!

What does it mean when a penguin sees his shadow on February 25th?
Winter FOREVER!

What up?

I generally have the dialogue of the Madagascar penguins
running in my head every time I see the little Adelies!

Take that!

Awww...penguins!