Orange!

Open Water all the Way Over to Scott Base

The massive amount of open water continues to break up the ice shelf.

Kelli takes a walk down the plank to get a better look.

Looks serene right? Tropical even? Think again.
It was wicked wicked cold out and windy as hell.

Which is exactly why I bundled up to walk the plank!

Most of the Pressure Ridges near Scott Base have melted,
these remain, along with penguins and seals.

Kelli against Mt. Terror.

Erebus on the left, Terror on the right.
Visible also is the transition and the beginning
of the road to Pegasus Airfield.

Panoramic view of Mt. Erebus, the transition and
the road leading to Pegasus Airfield.

Hut Point and Open Water Videos

This year, I'm making and effort to take and upload more short videos.

Here are few of Hut Point and open water.



In this video, you can see little chunks of ice floating in the
bay and two Adelie penguins hanging out at the base of Hut Point.



Standing on the base of Hut Ridge and looking out, one would normally
only see ice for miles and miles. The channel usually is opened up by the
Icebreaker for the supply vessel to come in. This season, however,
there is an abundance of open water, with crashing waves even.
Listen to the sound too - there aren't many sounds in Antarctica
other than wind, which of course you can also hear on the video!

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!