Out in the wild, wild WAIS

     WAIS'd days and WAIS'd nights . . . WAIS'd away . . . and many, many more word-plays.      
     This field camp supports a project coring ice of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS).   January 2012, they completed the project, going over 3,400 meters deep.  Over two miles.  It's estimated that the cores reach back 68,000 years, giving researchers a record of weather and climate.  That's the principle goal of the project.  This year they went back and replicated some cores that were of special interest.


     The camp started the summer season of 2005-06.  Since then, it's been staffed and operating from whenever they can put in, usually sometime in November, until late January or early February.  The camp population was in the 40's and 50's but occasionally swelled even more.  Many people came through on other science projects or on their way to somewhere else.  I passed through on my way to and from PIG.  Lots folks have been WAIS'd.

This is just the cargo lines and main portion of camp.  The tent camp is back behind the farthest structure to the left and the drilling arch, generators and associated buildings are several hundred yards directly off  to the left.



This might be called the work side of town.  The first tent on the far left is for the core drilling researchers.  The next is for the various other projects such as the weather and seismic crews that put out stations around the continent.   Beyond that is a hard-sided module, the mechanics' shop.  It and all other mods are mounted on skis.  They are towed to a mound of snow, a berm, for storage over the winter.  After that there are a couple of wooden storage sheds. 
You can see a Twin Otter parked beyond.  There were two based at WAIS when I was there.  As I said, WAIS is a very busy place.



The other side of town starts at the long recreation tent with a wash mod on back.    Inside the tent was an exercise bike, couches, computer stations and a large scale flat screen for movies.  The wash mod had a snow melter, water heater, washer, dryer, three sinks and two showers.  Hot and cold running water!
Beyond that is the medical tent, staffed by a physician's assistant.  The next two tents were berthing for the flight crews.  At the end is a Jamesway for transient berthing.



And in the center of town, the center of many activities, the Galley.  Who knows how the flamingos got there or when.

 

There was a staff of three cooks and a helper.  I always say, the farther you are from McMurdo, the better the food is.  We were VERY far away.   There was always something out, cookies, cake, pie, for those coffee breaks or late night snacks.


Besides meals, meetings and many games of cribbage and Scrabble, the galley was also used for social and educational functions.  For instance, take the second night I was in town.  The fellow on the left, Patrick Cassidy, a professor of something I can't remember, gave a lecture on the history and the making of scotch, complete with video.  After about the first 45 minutes or so the lecture ended and bottles of scotch went around for tasting.  Don't think was just an excuse for drinking.  All the scotch was donated but all participants tossed in $10 each.  Over $300 was raised for a charity in Nepal.  I don't remember what for, but a charity.  I don't remember how long this educational function went on, I don't remember if I was there at the end.  I'm just glad it was a Saturday night.

         There really were several educational lectures.  One of the weather researchers gave a lecture on  cloud formations.  The people going out in the Twin Otters to put weather and seismic stations in remote areas had a full time, professional mountain climber to assist them.  That fellow, Mike Roberts, gave a two-night presentation  with slides and maps of 'The Seven Summits'.  Mike has climbed the highest peaks on all seven continents including Everest in Asia, Denali in North America and Kilimanjaro in Africa.  You meet all kinds of interesting and talented people down here. 

Speaking of talented people, the second Saturday I was in town, there was an open-mike, coffee house in the rec tent.  There were several very good readings of original work, some live music and even a couple limericks that I won't repeat here.  The pilot that recited them swore her old Irish grandmother taught them to her.




It wasn't all fun and games.  This is one of the crews headed out for a shift in the arch.  I believe they worked two shifts a day, six days a week. 




With all that hard work, the crews finished their work ahead of schedule.  The final Saturday most of us were in town, we had a party to celebrate.   One of the researchers brought a pinata along for just such an occasion.  It was full of liquor miniatures.  Seems to be a trend here. 

     While the folks were out at the arch working and other researchers were out  putting in weather and seismic stations and whatever, there was a camp staff keeping things going.  Besides the cooks, there were two mechanics, two equipment operators, two weather observers, a fuels person, a person responsible for communications and IT, one camp coordinator, one camp manager and an electrician. 
     When this project was funded, it was decided that there would be an electrician at camp at all times.  I'm not sure why.  There is a lot of equipment in the arch, but those folks pretty much took care of things.  Most of my time was spent helping the other people in camp, shoveling snow, loading cargo, shoveling snow, loading the snow melters, shoveling snow.  I looked for electrical work to do.

Sometimes I looked for work.  Sometimes I didn't.

     At the end of my three weeks, it was time for the camp to close.  I started the process and the same electrician that put up camp came out to finish the take-out, as they call it.
     Once again, I had a ball.  I've even asked to go out next year for another three week shift.  Yeah, that's right, I'll be back here again next year.
     But right now it's time to go.  The winter crew has been showing up for a few weeks.  The fuel ship has been here and gone, the cargo ship has been unloaded and is being reloaded with waste.  Most of the scientists and researchers are gone.  The ski-equipped C-130 planes are all back in New Zealand, getting ready to head north. 
     I'm scheduled to fly out Feb. 24 weather permitting.  I'm going to spend a few days in Christchurch getting my physical completed as much as possible for next season.  The company arranges it so I won't have to pay anything.  After that I'm headed back to Bali for a few days of diving on Nusa Lembongan.  Then it's over to another Indonesian island called Lombok.  I'm told it's one of the most relaxing places in the world.  I intend to find out.
     In mid-March I'll be back in Pennsylvania.
     See you whenever.      

Whaling

     So the email said,

     This message is to confirm that you have been selected to participate in a morale trip to assist with

   looking for whales to tag via helicopter!

     Morale trips, sometimes referred to as boondoggles or, in the case of the South Pole, sleigh rides, are randomly awarded.  The amount of time someone has spent on the Ice may have something to do with it.  Earlier this year I filled out my wish list with a sleigh ride as my one and only choice.  I didn't know about whaling.

     Tuesday evening I showed up at the helicopter terminal.  Another fellow and I were going out with the three-man whale tagging crew.  It was about a ten minute ride out to the sea ice edge.  That's not very far, even for this time of year.  I had envisioned open water beyond the edge.  Actually, it's a jumble of ice, in every shape and form.

     We cruised west along the ice edge for a while, spotting whales, seals and penguins.  Eventually, Bob, the lead researcher picked the area he wanted and we landed.



Several flocks of the locals showed up to welcome us.



Orca, the killer whale.  Or Shamu.



This is a minke whale.  It's actually larger than the orca, a lot longer especially.  As you can see, the dorsal fin is a lot smaller and a lot farther back on the body.

 

The pool is barely bigger than a backyard, not even a good size fishing hole.  Obviously big enough for a killer whale to bob around in, catching it's breath.

 

This one was spy hopping, checking us out.  They bob out of the water to get a look at what's going on.  Minke's will do it as well, but only the killers, the orcas, were doing it while we were there.



These are both females.  The males have much larger, taller dorsal fins.

The fin to the reat belongs to a male.  I don't know how many whales we saw.  I can't identify them by their fins and markings and such, although, Bob could.  He should; that's his business.  Not counting the ones we saw passing through the ice chucks way off, we still saw at least 15 to 20, killer and minke whales combined




How close were the whales?  Dan was standing maybe 4 or 5 feet from the ice edge when this minke surfaced.  Once, an orca came right along parallel to the edge.  I'd say we were within 10 or 12 feet at times.

This male killer whale is not far off the edge.  You can see how it compares to a man.  As Mark said, "They may be small as whales go, but they are still really big animals." 




This trip made the whole season worthwhile - not to mention the other trips I've taken.

      This is a rush job.  I took these photos two nights ago.  I was scheduled to leave day after tomorrow for WAIS Divide field camp, but yesterday they changed it to tomorrow.  We are already rushed, getting  paperwork done for the end of the season, about 7 weeks from now. 

     I'm going to be gone for the next 3 weeks.  If you have any comments on this, please hold off until, oh, say Groundhog's Day, the Super Bowl, whatever.  Until then, my Internet connection is going to be incredibly slow.  Somewhere I read that the whole camp only has the capacity of about 1/100th of a household connection.  I don't expect to be able to connect often or to be able to download much.  



     It's been a busy day, it's about midnight, but I wanted to get these out.  By the time I get back from WAIS I should have enough for a blog about that place.  But no wildlife. 

See ya next time . . .