Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Have you seen any animals?

Question: We are glad you made it safe. Keep us updated with weather conditions. Continue being safe. Our class picture is on the way. How is the animal life out there? We look forward to more pictures -Ms. Cowart's Environmental Science class Answer: Hope all is well in Houston. I have seen two sightings, a large sea-gull like bird called a Skua. He was chasing people trying to get them to give him something to eat. They can be pretty aggressive and they are surprisingly big (and fast). Here is picture of a Skua outside the dining hall (or Galley in Navy terms). I took this photo while I was sitting in the shuttle that ferries us back and forth to the Ice Runway. This Skua dive-bombed a bunch of people while we were waiting to leave. I also saw my first penguin, I think he was a adeladie penguin. He was hanging around the ice runway, looking at all the different planes. He didn't come over to say hi to us so I didn't have a chance to get a good picture. We are not allowed to get too close to any of the wildlife. The penguins are hanging around the ice edge. And as the ice starts to melt, I hear that we will start to see more penguins. So I should have some better photos soon.