CAPE SHERIFF PUT-IN: FINALLY!

Yesterday we steamed back to Cape Shirreff to have another shot at bringing our resident seal and penguin biologists back to land.  We had been anticipating a “weather window” (the weather is anticipated to get rough again today, Friday) and wanted to take the opportunity to give it our best shot.   Sure enough, the conditions were much nicer than when we tried a few days earlier.  Much less of a swell and no fog!!  

Joe, Kelly, and Paola helping sort the “freshies” – fresh fruits and vegetables to help consolidate space in the zodiac.  Photo by Ann Bucklin

Unfortunately, the science party was unable to go to shore and help upload the zodiacs.  This didn’t stop us from helping, though!  We needed to move all of the food for the field camp for the next four months from the refrigerator and freezer and protect it from getting soaked with salt spray with plastic bags.  I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of food – everything from apples and oranges, to artichokes and leeks; chicken and beef, to conger eel and duck!  They even had a whole turkey – my guess is for Thanksgiving.   It looks like our friends will be eating well for the next four months!

The final zodiac leaving the LMG with Jullie, Alan, Mike, and the last of the supplies for Cape Shirreff.  Photo by Melissa Patrician

After about six hours of extremely hard and cold work by the MTs and ETs, we waved goodbye to the final zodiac and our new friends now at Cape Shirreff and are headed to our third science station!

The zodiac en route to Cape Shirreff.   Photo by Melissa Patrician

-- Katie Wurtzell, Stony Brook University