Penguins ahoy!!
I know I’m supposed to tell you about our science but AHHHHHhh we did it we saw penguins!!!!!! Well and let’s be honest: every scientist awake was gushing about the penguins yesterday, so this definitely counts as sharing the science life.
When the shifts meet over lunch (because everyone’s awake for the noon shift change), we all update our counterparts on the other side: How did the science go? What’s happening now? What animals did you see while I was sleeping?!?!?!
One of the science crew said we’re probably the first people those penguins have ever seen and we may be the last (which has a really good chance of being true- remember my message about how nobody comes to this side of Antarctica?). I’ll be thinking about this all trip.
- Your question: “Do you use a video camera tied to a cable or is it remote control only?” We have multiple cameras that we use multiple ways. All the instruments are on cables so that we can control them remotely, and the cameras are just along for the ride- we can’t adjust them once things are in the water. My favorite camera is the one that we can watch live from the ship on one of the TV channels while it’s down.
🐧 Virginia
Adélie penguins live all along the Antarctic coast and are the most common penguin species we see. They’re only 2 feet tall! We spot them on iceberg pieces and they hang out until the ship gets pretty close. Then they run along their iceberg away from us and slip into the water to get away.
When they run they have their flippers out and back like they’re mildly panicked, and in that moment I would follow unsound financial advice from them if it meant these little boops would have a good penguin life. It activates every “take care of that cute baby” instinct that ever evolved in humans.
This majestic emperor penguin has assumed the weight of the world and is working on soothing everyone’s hurts- I can tell 🥹 😭