www.polar.org/antsun ThAe ntarctic Sun January 14, 2001 Published during the austral summer at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, for the United States Antarctic Program Quote of the week Play time “It’s just a giant massage.” - Polar Sea crew member on sleeping on icebreaker as it crushes ice I N S I D E Tour de Ice page 5 Penguin teens get their water wings page 6 Hard-knock life aboard a breaker page 10 Changing of Benedick (Erik Paulsrud) professes a newfound faith in marriage after being forced to confess his love the Coast Guard for Beatrice (Jessica Manuel) in a rehearsal of the play Much Ado About Nothing. Director Jason Davis adapted Shakespeare’s comedy of love and trickery for an Antarctic audience. It will be performed page 12 Saturday at 8:30 p.m. in the gym. Photo by Kristan Hutchison Sabbatini. Meet the springtail... (20 times its actual size) Grrrrrrrrrr! By Beth Minneci Sun staff In the mountains and valleys across the McMurdo it is small. Sound, Mark Stevens hunts the continent’s largest "It'll chew your ankle off," snapped Stevens to year-round land animal. another scientist ribbing him recently about his tiny He tramps miles up rugged terrain setting traps prey. and picking up his game. The lion of the land, how- Penguins are marine animals, not land. So are ever, is far from ferocious. At .05 to .06 inches long skuas and seals. Stevens' business is bugs – the (1.3 to1.6 mm), it is half the size of a grain of rice. jointed little specks living under rocks – and in cer- And its name, the springtail, is as unthreatening as see Lion page 4 2 • The Antarctic Sun January 14, 2001 News In BRIEF South Pole saga soon in stores everywhere 'Harsh continent' pay raise kicks in Dr. Jerri Nielsen's book about her experience fighting breast can- The U.S. Department of Defense has increased its stipend cer while working at South Pole station will be released this week. for members of the armed forces assigned to areas with "ardu- Nielsen discovered a lump in her breast ous quality-of-life conditions," including Antarctica. while employed as the Pole's winter doctor in The Hardship Duty Pay for people working in designated 1999. Amid-winter airdrop gave a team of locations (HDP-L) will replace the Certain Places Pay (CPP) scientists and technicians the supplies they that has been in effect since 1949. CPP, which is only available needed to help Nielsen diagnose her illness to enlisted people serving in specific places outside the U.S., and start treatment. currently provides $8 to $22.50 per month on top of regular On Oct. 16, 1999 the 109th Airlift Wing pay. of the New York Air National Guard made The HDP-Lwill be paid to active and reserve service mem- the earliest landing ever at Pole and flew bers in 110 countries at rates of $50, $100, or $150 a month, Nielsen north. depending on the severity of conditions in the area. Her book is called Ice Bound: ADoctor's Locations in the most severe category include South Korea's Incredible Battle for Survival at the South DMZ, the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, Pole. Hardcover, CD and tape versions will Johnston Island in the Pacific, and Antarctica. To qualify, be out on Thursday. Talk Miramax said it paid a "mid six-figure" members must be assigned to the areas for more than 30 con- sum for the book, magazine and movie rights to Nielsen's story, but secutive days. the exact amount was not made public. According to Miramax pub- In determining the level of pay, the Pentagon considered licist Hilary Bass, a movie on Nielsen’s ordeal is currently in devel- factors such as the physical and social isolation of the post, its opment. climate, the risk of political violence, harassment and crime, Her publicity tour will include appearances on the television sanitation, disease, medical facilities, housing, food and recre- shows Good Morning America, Oprah, The Rosie O’Donnell Show, ational opportunities. (cid:2) Prime Time with Diane Sawyer, programs on CNN and MSNBC, and magazine features in Talk, Elle, Glamourand Reader’s Digest. (cid:2) - Josh Landis Getting the lead out at McMurdo Station By Josh Landis McMurdo’s environmental depart- Water produced by reverse osmosis Sun staff ment tests for lead in all buildings is very pure and prone to leach metals McMurdo’s latest round of water twice each summer season because such as lead out of the solder that was testing for lead is complete, with all levels have been consistently elevated used to connect pipes when the build- but three locations falling within in the past. Analysis is performed at ings were built. Previously elevated Environmental Protection Agency Crary Lab by the analytical group. lead levels have been reduced primar- standards. The department also collects annual ily by altering the chemistry of the The U.S. limit is samples at the water plant for addi- station’s water. The addition of natur- 15 parts per billion tional tests in the States for volatile al minerals balances the chemistry (ppb). Dorm 202 organic compounds, synthetic organic and makes the water less corrosive. showed 17.5 ppb, compounds, metals, coliform bacteria In 1996, water from the first floor Southern Exposure and other contaminants. of building 155 had lead levels of 395 had 33 ppb and the The results of this season’s tests ppb. This year the level is zero. At Berg Field Center aren’t yet available, but the most that time the station’s average was 30 registered 16.7 recent findings were within accepted ppb. Today it is 3.7 ppb. ppb. The station as a community EPAboundaries. "We determined it’s a good idea to passed the agency’s requirement that McMurdo gets its drinking water monitor lead content at buildings on 90 percent or more of all locations by reverse osmosis, which desalinates station because we haven’t gotten to contain under 15 ppb. seawater from the sound. The process the point where every building is The EPAcalculates its limits based involves heating the water to 37 F (3 below 15 ppb all the time," said envi- on the consumption of two liters of C) and passing it through numerous ronmental technician Dan Evans. But water per day over a lifespan of 70 stages of filtration. The final reverse he added that lead levels are dropping years. Anyone concerned about the osmosis screen is so fine it excludes each year, and for the last several water in the above locations can run molecules of salt and other dissolved sampling sessions McMurdo as a the tap for 90 seconds. This will flush contaminants. In addition, the water is community has been in full compli- standing water out of the pipes and treated with chlorine and other chem- ance with the Safe Drinking Water introduce a lead-free supply. icals after it’s been desalinated. Act. (cid:2) January 14, 2001 The Antarctic Sun • 3 Employees give Raytheon, NSF earful will hire a third-party consultant to positions that are filled. By Josh Landis evaluate the pay scale here. The inde- • Suspending plans to create a new Sun staff pendent finding won’t necessarily smoking lounge in dorm 208. There Two of the top managers in the U.S. translate into a change in salaries, he wasn’t a clear consensus the communi- Antarctic Program got a crash course on said, but will give Raytheon a better ty wants another such space, they said. what it’s like to live and work on the Ice idea of whether the wages are appropri- • Looking at whether certain work from the people who know it best. Erick ate. centers should be provided with spe- Chiang, the head of polar research sup- "We hope people will feel what cialized cold-weather gear. port for the National Science they’re making is fair," Yelvington said. • Bringing some employees to Foundation and Tom Yelvington, presi- Another common theme was quality Denver earlier so they can have more dent and program manager of Raytheon of life and the ability to experience planning time before deployment. This Polar Services Company spent the last Antarctica outside of McMurdo. A would apply particularly to field man- two weeks on a whirlwind tour visiting major draw of the USAPis the idea of agers and supervisors. USAPwork centers. being able to see the continent. Many For the most part, Antarctic workers They said they wanted to learn about people, however, rarely get off-station. say the meetings were a good idea, and the most pressing issues for people Chiang and Yelvington say increasing Chiang and Yelvington seemed receptive. here, one-on-one. After 20 meetings opportunities for people to get out of "It was good to be able to get things averaging about two hours each, town is a goal, and could eventually be off your chest and talk about how they Chiang and Yelvington are sorting out performance-based, rather than gov- could be better," said plumber Ron the hundreds of questions and com- erned by a "random" lottery system. Richen. "Now we just have to see what ments. Other issues involved the housing happens." "It was a golden opportunity to voice policy, equipment and materials, work- In the end, Chiang and Yelvington your opinion," said FEMC foreman space allotment and long-range plan- said they want to figure out how to Richard Perales. "When you have two ning. Chiang and Yelvington are trying make the program more efficient and of the top people on the ice (listening), to boil down more than 20 pages of keep employees coming back season it adds a lot of validity." notes and comments into concrete after season, so on-the-job experience Atop concern of USAPparticipants plans. Initial approaches include: isn’t lost. was whether they were getting adequate • Offering contracts for the next "We’ve heard it’s not hard to get pay for the work they do here. summer season at the end of the current people down here," said Chiang. "It’s "That was a common theme for a lot season to eliminate uncertainty workers getting them back for a second or third of people," said Yelvington. In might have about their future with the season and retaining their experience response, Yelvington said Raytheon program and cut recruiting costs for that’s a challenge." (cid:2) the week in weather The Antarctic Sun,part of the United States around Antarctica Antarctic Program, is funded by the National Science Foundation. McMurdo Station Palmer Station South Pole Station Opinions and conclusions expressed in the Sun High: 30F/-1C High: 46F/8C High: -15F/-26C are not necessarily those of the Foundation. Low: 10F/-12C Low: 28F/-2C Low: -25F/-31C Use:Reproduction and distribu- Windchill: -17F/-27C Avg. temp: 38F/3C Avg. temp: -20F/-29C tion are encouraged with Wind: 25 mph/22 kph Wind: 35mph/ 56kph Wind: 20 mph/17 kph acknowledgment of source and author. Publisher:Valerie Carroll, around the world Saturday’s numbers Communications manager, Raytheon Polar Services Staten Island, N.Y. Casablanca, Morocco Senior Editor:Josh Landis High: 39F/4C High: 64F/18C Editors: Beth Minneci Low: 23F/-5C Low: 52F/11C Kristan Hutchison Sabbatini Long Beach, Calif. Trinidad, Cuba High: 59F/15C High: 80F/27C Contributions are welcome.Contact the Low: 44F/7C Low: 55F/13C Sun at [email protected]. In McMurdo, visit Palm Beach, Fla. Baghdad, Iraq our office in Building 155 or dial 2407. High: 69F/21C High: 70F/21C Web address:www.polar.org/antsun Low: 56F/13C Low: 36F/2C 4 • The Antarctic Sun January 14, 2001 Lion from page 1 tain parts of Antarctica he is unchallenged by oth- traps. In the last two months, at least 5,000 ers in his endeavor. With 6,000 species, the springtails have been under his microscope. springtail is one of the most widely distributed "There's just so many fascinating, unan- insects in the world, but for the last four decades swered things going on with them," Stevens said. “There's just so has been virtually unstudied in the south Victoria Stevens' work expands on studies done 40 Ranges of Antarctica. years ago by Keith Wise, also of New Zealand, many fascinating, In three seasons Stevens, who is a doctoral who was part of the British Antarctic Expeditions unanswered things student in New Zealand, along with his supervi- in the 1960s. Wise surveyed the lowest valley sor, Ian Hogg, have unearthed more information and mountain areas by dogsled and toboggan. going on with them.” about the springtail’s presence around here than Another kiwi scientist, Brent Sinclair, recent- any scientists since the 1960s. They’re finding ly did some work with springtails here. Sinclair - Mark Stevens, that the bugs are getting around in the mountains found, like most before him, that they produce ecologist and on Ross Island. antifreeze during winter that prevents their body An ancient animal from before the ice ages, fluids from freezing. the small springtail is a survivor in a big way. Most of Antarctica's permanent animal resi- Most scientists believe that at least 50 million dents are midges, mites and nematodes, which years ago Antarctica was much warmer. Joined are worms, that live in soils. with continents close to the equator, it was cov- By noting the springtail's habitat, Stevens is in ered with forests in which a wide range of ani- a way, making charts for unexplored new territo- mals lived. ry, said Diane Wall, a leading U.S. soil ecologist Eventually, the continents separated and who studies nematodes in the Dry Valleys. "In Antarctica moved south. The climate became most of the Dry Valleys areas there aren't any cold and ice-covered. All but a few animals were arthropods," Wall said. "He's kind of mapping wiped out. The handful that did survive was where their high productivity areas are.". thought to have lived on mountaintops that were springtail never completely covered in ice. In the last many more times its actual size 30,000 years the planet has been coming out of an ice age, exposing survivors to habitats that were not available to them during the glacial His tenacious stalking of the animal is paying period. off. Hence, the springtail’s distribution, which "I found them further out than they've ever appears to be spreading compared to what is sus- been found," he said. pected 30,000 years ago and what was recorded An Australia native, Stevens, 31, moved to a few decades ago. To illustrate, Stevens points to New Zealand on a doctoral scholarship at an area north of the Dry Valleys. On a peak pro- Waikato University in Hamilton. His career chas- truding through glacial ice about 100 miles ing insects started with bee studies years ago. across the sound, three species that have not been "It was interesting at the time," he said. found together anywhere else live in the same He came to the Ice with the Antarctica New spot on Mt. Suess. Zealand program and the university to study "I'm thinking that this could be one of the few springtails and other arthropods. He works with spots they survived the ice age," Stevens said. midges, too, but is most excited about spring- From there, the insects probably migrated tails. (cid:2) throughout the valleys and to Ross Island. On Ross Island, there is at least one place where springtails lived until recently – Hut Point. Three times a week Mark Stevens climbed But humans trampling on soils in that region the highest ridges in wiped out almost all signs of life. In less-tra- Taylor Valley this versed areas, however, such as capes Royds, summer to peer into jars Evans, Bird and Crozier, the springtail is found. and wind socks he used Fairly common in parts of Antarctica, spring- as traps to catch tails live under flat-bottomed rocks in moist areas springtails. The jars, near glaciers, where the soil is enriched with called pitfall traps, are nutrients. placed on the ground "As soon as you go away from the glacial where the springtail streams you don’t find them," he said, "so there marches in and must be moisture and nutrients provided by the becomes stuck to a glacier. In the right spot you find lots and lots of substance on the bottom. Here, Stevens is them." with the wind sock, his Stevens is finding many, but he’s not tripping own creation. Set up on over them. During the last two summers and a short tripod, the sock is since November he has been vigorously pursuing a net that swings to face the bugs. Each discovery provokes new ques- the wind. Anything that tions, prompting Stevens to go back up the blows into it ends up in a mountains and through the valleys with more jar at its tip. January 14, 2001 The Antarctic Sun • 5 On tour in Antarctica Cruises cost $9,950 to $19,750 a person, plus airfare to Tasmania By Josh Landis Sun staff First came the explorers, next the military, then the scientists. Now the tourists are upon Antarctica. Earlier this week the cruise ship Kapitan Khlebnikov arrived in the McMurdo Sound with the first of hundreds of visitors that will visit Ross Island this sum- Left: Seven-year-old Glenn mer. Keough and his mother, Rosemarie, talk to Rocco About 90 passengers traveled by helicopter from the converted DiCesare, a McMurdo fireman. Russian icebreaker to the edge of McMurdo Station. Volunteers Above: ARussian Mil-2 helicopter gave tours of Crary Lab, Scott’s hut and other locations. operating off the Kapitan The tourists’ reactions varied along with their motivation for Khlebnikovferries tourists to coming to Antarctica. McMurdo Station. "It was a great big high to see the penguins, and killer whales, A child’s outlook on the too," said Frank Robinson, a retired doctor from southern California who now lives in Italy. continent, McMurdo Station An American named Jeff Budd signed up for the cruise to fur- ther his goal of visiting the deepest valleys in the world. He checked Africa, Europe and Asia off his list, and decided to go for By Kristan Hutchison Sabbatini Antarctica next. Sun staff "I’m not a cruiser," Budd said, referring to the frequent meals Tourists often take pic- er Kapitan Khlebnikov. All and confining nature of a trip aboard an ocean liner. "But this was tures of locals, but locals under four feet tall, they drew the only realistic way for me to get here." were taking pictures of three stares from McMurdoites as Low visibility and overcast skies cast doubt on whether heli- tourists in McMurdo this they toured the station copter flights into the valley would be possible, but Budd said he week. Tuesday. was hopeful. "Oh, that looks too short "You’re the first kid we’ve The Khlebnikov’spassenger profiles were as eclectic as its des- to be in Antarctica," said seen in a long time," Tobias tination was exotic. Off the top of her head, an Australian named Miguel Vargas when he spot- Schunck said to Glenn. "I Ruth Pyle listed credentials including a geologist, a glaciologist, ted 7-year-old Glenn Keough wish I would have come to an ornithologist, an astronomer, two PhD students, an expert on in the hallway. "What is Antarctica when I was your Antarctic history and three children. She said numerous national- that?" age." ities were represented and most of the people on board had been Glenn was one of three Though he’s young, Glenn to the Ice before. children visiting Antarctica is an old hand at traveling. Any traveler that makes it this far south probably has a strong aboard the Russian icebreak- His parents, Pat and see Tourism on page 9 see Kids on page 9 Highw y 1 ee nn oo Where on McMurdo “Follow the ridge line up from Hut Point. “Observation Hill. You Station would you There’s a meltpool. “The sausage dump. can see it all from there, Sometimes there’s It’s historic. It’s like Willy Field, Pegasus, the take a tourist? algae and moss. It’s a time capsule.” whole station.” a pretty little spot.” Erik Paulsrud Kevin Stephens Charlie Blackmer general assistant fire protection welder 6 • The Antarctic Sun January 14, 2001 POLAR PLUNGE penguin style Left, a penguin digs its beak into the ice, pulling itself out of the water. Ten growing emperors live at the penguin pool in the sea ice five miles from town. The pool is 50 feet long and three feet deep. The young penguins started swimming late last month, at about four months old. By Kristan Hutchison Sabbatini Sun staff At a swim camp on the sea ice, researchers are try- ing to transform juvenile penguins from 35-pound weaklings to world-class swimmers in just six "We’ve looked at adults, weeks. we’ve looked at chicks, but The emperors preen and pose beside a pool of green water carved into the sea ice. When they finally dive in and this is a chance to look (at swim 50 feet to the other end, the scientists take note. A month ago these young birds couldn’t even go in the water. the age in) between." When emperor penguin chicks are born in August they have almost no muscle. What muscle they do have is weak - Robert van Dam and inefficient, with only a half-percent myoglobin. Myoglobin is a protein which stores and transports oxygen in the muscle, helping penguins stay under water for five to 10 minutes at a time. Adult penguins are at least one- quarter muscles, and the muscle fibers are about six per- cent myoglobin. Normally the "teen" penguins buff up far from the sight of curious scientists. "Chicks of this age you never get to see because they’re out at sea," said Robert van Dam, head swim coach at the three-person, 10-penguin camp. "We’ve looked at adults, see next page January 14, 2001 The Antarctic Sun • 7 from previous page we’ve looked at chicks, but this is a chance "The first few times you’d see one jump- to look in between." ing out, they’d be in the middle of the pool. Led by Paul Ponganis, the scientists are Whoops," said Knower. trying to see how scrawny chicks grow up to Now the penguins go for short swims be barrel-chested swimmers. In December several times a day, but each time they go the researchers picked 10 chicks from about through the same process. 20,000 young penguins left at Cape "Every morning it’s like the first day," Washington by their parents. Penguin parents Knower said. "They all crowd around the abandon their chicks after four months of care edge, but one has to go first." and feeding, swimming off in search of food Hesitation is a survival instinct. Penguins to prepare themselves for the coming winter. are most vulnerable when they first dive in Left alone on the ice, the teen penguins face a the water. Aleopard seal could be waiting to swim-or-die future. As they grow hungrier devour them, so the birds let someone else and thinner, instinct drives them to jump in go first, to test the water. If it survives the the water and forage fish for food. rest jump in together, hoping there is safety "We selected 10 birds which were kind of in numbers. Once in the water and swim- borderline whether they’d make it or not," ming, the penguins can outmaneuver leop- van Dam said. "They’re mostly feather and ard seals. guts." "And insatiable appetites," added Torre Knower, who works with van Dam and “The first few times you’d see one jumping out, Monica Bustamante at the camp. they’d be in the middle of the pool. Whoops.” On Dec. 13 the adolescent penguins rode in a Twin Otter plane from Cape Washington - Torre Knower, to a swim camp set up five miles from McMurdo. on penguins shooting out of water Being a teen is tough for any species. The and missing the ice penguins arrived at the pool with the downy gray feathers of chickhood. Over the last few To coach the penguins, the researchers weeks they lost it slowly, for a while sporting put boards over the middle of the pool, forc- hairdos punks would envy. ing them to swim farther underwater. They The chicks couldn’t go into the water until also released live fish in the water, which the adult feathers replaced the down. The sleek, penguins quickly learned to catch and eat. black and white feathers repel water, allow- "They’re taking longer and longer runs," ing penguins to glide without getting wet. If Knower said. "In the lap pool they can go all they went in the water with the down they’d the way down in one breath." come out sopping wet. At the end of January the researchers will But having feathers doesn’t make them measure the level of myoglobin in the pen- adults any more than getting a driver’s guin’s muscle. Molecular biologist Tim license does. The first to dive in the water Welch will also analyze the samples in the was the smallest penguin, Mapachito, Crary Lab to study what controls myoglobin Spanish for little raccoon. He jumped in production, a finding that could someday be Christmas Day. applied to humans who have myoglobin in "It was a totally amazing Christmas," said much lower levels. Knower. "The next day, eight went in." After the sample is taken at the end of the When the young birds first went in the month, the teen penguins will be flown once water they floundered about, splashing weak more to the sea ice edge where they will be wings as they tried to figure out how to released. Six of them will carry hand-sized swim. transmitters glued to their backs. The signal "They still do a lot of dog paddling," from the transmitters will go via satellite to Knower said. an e-mail account at Scripps Institution of The penguins’wings were floppy before Oceanography. they started swimming. Now their wings are Researchers tried tracking teen penguins beginning to firm into flippers. once before. In the month before the batter- "They’re still trying to get their wings in ies died, the penguins went beyond the shape, so sometimes they’ll just stand up Antarctic Circle. This time researchers hope and flap, flap, flap," said Knower. "We call the batteries and the transmitters will last a it calisthenics." full year. The teen penguins also had trouble exit- "It would be really neat to see them go ing the pool. Adult penguins swim fast and through a whole year and change of season," shoot up to 6 feet out of the water before Knower said. landing on their bellies on the ice. The teens Her response is partly scientific and part- weren’t strong enough, and when they did ly maternal, wanting to keep an eye on the manage to pop up, they often misjudged youngsters now that they’ve learned to where the edge was. swim. (cid:2) 8 • The Antarctic Sun January 14, 2001 our Antarctic week 14 14 15 Scott’s Hut Race, "Forgotten Heroes of Galapagos Islands Cold, hard facts the Heroic Age," by slide show by Dave noon, starts at Donald Manahan, Carpenter, Chapel 8:15 p.m., galley 8 p.m., galley Polar Sea • The Polar Seaalternates north and south polar trips with the Polar Star, its sister ship. Between trips, each ship is 16 17 docked in Seattle about 14 months for repairs. • The 13,000-ton ship breaks ice by ramming into it or glid- ing over the top of it, where gravity pulls the ship through Movie “Endless Beach Blanket the ice. The ship’s wide hull rolls the angular ice chunks Summer,” 8 p.m., Birthday Bingo with away from its sides. Coffee House caller Chris Hush, • The propeller blades are 16 feet across and made of 8 p.m., Gallagher’s stainless steel. • The Polar Seais equipped with six electric diesel engines and three gas turbines that power the propellers. The turbines are what Boeing used in its original 747 air- 19 20 20 plane. Each produces 25,000 horsepower and guzzles 1,500 gallons of fuel an hour. • About one-third of the Sea’s 140-person crew works in Much Ado About Beachball Nothing, play, Skirt Party, 8 p.m., some way with the five engine and engine control rooms. volleyball, 8 p.m., 8:30 p.m., gym Scott Base • Unlike a typical boat that moves backward by reversing Gallagher’s its motor propellers, the icebreaker moves backward by changing the pitch of its rudder. • On the way here, 14 flight crew members shuttled scien- tists to points in Antarctica. Since late December, it has worked side-by-side with the National Science www.polar.org/antsun Foundation’s contracted helicopter company, Petroleum Helicopters Inc. The crew will leave in February. Ross Island Chronicles By ChicO NEXT!!! GERONIMO!!! Baby emperor penguin swimm research studi Something tells me it’s going to be a long day. January 14, 2001 The Antarctic Sun • 9 Tourism from page 5 affinity for Antarctica and a large dis- the Ice. That’s an increase from 6,704 Ross Sea visits posable income. The prices of the just seven years earlier, but was proba- 900 Khlebnikov’s latest cruise ranged from bly higher than normal because of "mil- $9,950 to $19,750 per person, not lennium celebrations." This year IAATO 800 including airfare to Hobart, Tasmania. is expecting just over 13,000 tourists. 700 The first of six cruises expected this The majority, by far, go to the penin- summer, the Khlebnikov carried 98 pas- sular region on cruise ships. On this side 600 sengers south from Hobart on Dec. 28, of the continent the most landings are 500 along with a Russian crew of 61 and an made at Terra Nova Bay, followed by expedition staff of 19. After leaving McMurdo Station, then Cape Evans (see 400 Ross Island it headed to the Bay of graph). Accessibility to McMurdo Whales. depends upon sea ice conditions, tour 300 On the eastern side of the Ross Ice ship itineraries and other factors. 200 Shelf, the ship set a record by reaching The face of Antarctic travel has 78 degrees, 37 minutes south latitude in changed over the years, but its allure 100 the area where iceberg B-15 broke off in hasn’t. The continent’s untamed charac- 0 March 2000. From there the Khlebnikov ter and its pristine environment draw will head north to several islands before people from all around the world, a lot Number 93-'94 95-'96 97-'9899-'00 of docking in Bluff, New Zealand. of them driven by the same hunger that tourists Tourism in Antarctica is on the rise. pushed the earliest explorers. Terra Nova Station According to the International "I’ve got to see every country and ter- Association of Antarctica Tour ritory in the world," said Robinson. "The McMurdo Station Operators (IAATO), the 1999-2000 aus- world is so fantastic and there’s so much Cape Evans tral summer brought 14,762 visitors to to learn." (cid:2) Source: IAATO Kids from page 5 Rosemarie, are professional photographers from British In Terra Nova Maria sat down near the emperor penguin Columbia, Canada. They take him all over the world as they chicks and one walked to within a foot of her. work. "Its down was like rabbit fur," she said. Antarctica is the best, and coldest, trip yet, Glenn said. The On the boat the children work on homework, play cards or journal he writes and draws in every day is full of experiences ping pong and complete quizzes and games provided by the few people ever have, from climbing to the top of an iceberg at ship’s crew. The students are taking time away from school for Cape Hallett to going on a treasure hunt for penguin feathers at the adventure, but Pat Keough said his son was staying ahead of Cape Adare. The journal entry for Tuesday at McMurdo Station his class and learning from the experience. Glenn’s travel journal will probably start with waiting outside Scott’s Discovery Hut. is partly a school assignment. "It would be a lot more fun if there was more snow and the ice The other tourists said they don’t mind sharing their vacation were strong so I could go tobogganing," Glenn said, kicking at a with the children, who are all well-behaved. patch of packed snow. "It’s a great experience for them," Neal said. "The only trouble While his parents took pictures, Glenn caught snowflakes in is if you get this addiction too young, it gets to be quite expen- his mouth, examined the preserved seal outside Scott’s Hut and sive." (cid:2) asked questions. "Why’s it look like dirt? Is it fossilized?" Everywhere the tour group went, Glenn drew attention. McMurdo residents turned to watch the short person go by. In the Crary Lab, Hudi Brenman gave Glenn an Erebus crystal. Seconds later, Glenn and the other tourists watched Erebus spew lava and smoke on a screen connected to a camera broadcasting from the volcano. At the Coffee House, Glenn got a patch, pin and stamp in his passport , then stood politely as McMurdo residents took his pho- tograph. Maria and Peter Eriksson, ages 11 and six, had a similar recep- tion. Not only are there no children living in Antarctica, they sel- dom visit. Bente Eriksson had to convince the cruise company to let her bring her children along on the three-week voyage. "The ship policy is they really don’t take children," Eriksson said. "They made an exception because both of the kids are used to boats and it has not been a problem." Maria said her gym teacher in Helsinki, Finland, didn’t believe Seven-year-old Glenn Keough watches Antarctic cod with two other she was really going to Antarctica. Nor does Maria sometimes. tourists in the Crary Lab aquarium. Keough was one of three children "It’s really fun, just incredible," Maria said. "I can’t even think and 91 adults who toured the lab and other McMurdo sites Tuesday. I’m here." Photos by Kristan Hutchison Sabbatini. 10 • The Antarctic Sun January 14, 2001 O P the S NBOARD P S OLAR EA OLAR EA Seattle to McMurdo Station is a bumpy, busy ride By Beth Minneci Sun staff O n the bridge of an icebreaker tearing up ice sheets six feet thick, the ship and its contents rattle repeatedly. But through the panoramic windshield 58 feet above the ice blanket, the sunlight and mountainous scenery somehow soften the ride. It’s almost serene. It’s kind of deceiving. Five decks below, in the windowless, metal engine rooms it is a different world. The ship's vibrations knock the boat around, kicking off equip- ment failures and false alarms. The people here are Photos by Brian Smith and often harried, working with an emergency room Matthew Clark. staff's sense of urgency. "These are probably the hardest working folks here because they never know when something is going to break," said Ensign Chris Burrus, a deck “Most of my friends in the watch officer. Last Sunday, a trip to Marble Point was stalled Coast Guard think I’m crazy for right away when an o-ring on a steering pump going out (to sea) six months.” broke, sending a dozen people clamoring to fix it, and to mop up 25 gallons of oil spewed on the floor. The ship sat in front of McMurdo Station for two - Ensign Heather Paradise, hours with no steering ability. Once the steering was U.S. Coast Guard up, lights and bells in the control room signaled more problems. For the next several hours the ship's engines failed continually. "There's hardly ever a dull moment here," said assistant engineer Lt j.g. Doug Petrussa. Episodes like these are not surprises on the Polar Sea or thePolar Star, the U.S. Coast Guard's ice- breakers designed in the late 1960s specifically to cut ice channels for supply ships supporting the U.S. Antarctic Program. The Polar-class ships also deliver an annual fuel supply to Marble Point, a helicopter fueling station across McMurdo Sound. Breaking ice is what the ships do well. Their blunt hull shape and three turbine jet engines can see next page