April 17, 2005

Funded by the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs

Location: 64 23.611 S, 63 15.370 W

Temperature: -1 C
Wind Chill: N/A
Port Wind: 1-5 knots

Lapeyrere Bay

The winds subsided and the fog lifted this morning. We got a glimpse of Lapayrere Bay dimly lit by sun. Its steep ice-caped cliffs lead to a glacier that gently slopes and forms the head of the bay. Ice caps are heavily crevassed resembling a meringue pie just out of the oven. A loud rumbling noise wakes me from this culinary fantasy. A large bit calves from the glacier and brakes into a thousand smaller ones. They join the ice drift. Crabeater seals are lazily perched on the ice seemingly oblivious of our presence. There is a mom with a pup. Her body is large, rotund, out of proportion to her small pointy-head. The color of her fur changes from a light cream color that blends in with the old, soiled ice to more of an auburn as the sun hides behind the cloud. She slithers across the ice. As her body moves I notice multiple deep scars. I picture a struggle with a leopard seal. The cow opens her jaws as if roaring. She repeatedly nudges the young seal trying to push it off the ice or maybe just showing playful affection. My friend asks if they are ever cold, lonely, or sad. I tell her not to be concerned about the seals and point out how well fed and at ease they seem. She appears somewhat reassured, but I know that she will continue to worry.

I go inside and pull out a history book and read of Charcot's expedition on the Francaise in 1903-04. He sailed these waters and named the bay after a French admiral Boue de Lapeyrere. He wintered on the neighboring Wiencke Island, managed to return to France the following year on the horribly leaky Francaise, only to find that his wife had divorced him in his absence on the ground of abandonment. He returned to Antarctica in 1908 married for the second time after his wife had signed a prenuptial agreement that she would not oppose his explorations. In return, Marguerite Bay was named after her. I ponder how hard our absence is on our loved ones and make a mental note to call home tonight.

It has been another day of waiting for the core that has not come. Technical problems continue, but we remain confident that persistence will ultimately bear fruit.

Alex Injac

Crevassed ice, Lapeyrere Bay

Some of us were busy building a snow-woman

Seals

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