The Gang Returns

They have finally returned, signalling onset of summers. The snow petrels, the skuas and the penguins- they are all back. So Antarctica is lively again with life.

We first saw the snow petrels on 10th Oct during the convoy as mentioned in one of my earlier posts. They are now a regular feature here as well as at the shelf. During the last convoy, which was from 15 Oct to 20 Oct 2008, they were seen hovering all over our containers and our vehicles. They were to be found in groups, busy with each other, and diving all over the place.

During the same convoy, we also saw the first of our penguins- the trademark of any trip to Antarctica. You have not seen Antarctica if you haven't seen the penguins. On 18th Oct, I had gone for a walk to the edge of the ice shelf, from where the ocean begins. It was a steep, over hanging ice cliff, with a moat formed on the pack ice along the icy outcrop. I suddenly heard a squawking sound coming from that area. It was surely a bird's call, but I wasn't sure if it was the penguin, the snow petrel or the skua. The sound was coming intermittently. I could not see any bird around. I searched for about 15 minutes, and then the bird calls stopped. I turned back and returned to the Banjara. Sometime later, a few of the convoy team members returned to the Banjara and asked me if I took any photographs of the penguins. "What penguins?" I asked, surprised. "The ones that were following you." came the reply. "What are you talking about?" I asked. "Arre saab, jab aap ice shelf se waapas aa rahe they tab 2 penguins aapke peechhe peechhe aa rahi thi. Aapne dekha nahin?" I initially thought that they were pulling a fast one on me. But then I realised that they were saying the truth. How could I miss the penguins of all the things, that too when they were following me. But the damage had been done. Mariappan had photographed them and ran after them. They got frightened, and ran inland. They ran fast enough to outrun a man. "They must be going to Maitri since their breeding season is about to begin." we thought. They were a pair of Adelie penguins, the most common species of penguins found in our part of Antarctica. Well.. better luck next time... they will soon be swarming at penguin rookeries around Schirmacher.

When we returned to Maitri, we were informed that the skua had also returned on 18th Oct. This was the same skua that was born here last year. We could make that out from its dark brown plume of feathers. He was also the last skua to leave Maitri in April. Its sibling had dies soon after birth. This one has parked itself right outside the station building and basks in the sun all day long. There is no melt water to drink yet. So it is often seen pecking at the snow outside the station. The departure & arrival of the skua is a major event in the Maitri calendar. It was a mixed feeling, since the same old cycle of survival of the fittest will now begin. The food chain is now complete- the skua feeds on both, the snow petrels as well as the penguins. So there's a bloody summer ahead of us.

The 7th convoy was unique in many ways. It was the last convoy of our expedition. The last lot of containers were brought back to the station. It was also the longest, since the cranes at India Bay had to be repaired; the empty containers also had to be arranged in an organised manner in order to prepare for handing over to the next team. The convoy lasted 6 days in all. The weather was mostly sunny but rather windy. There is no period of total darkness now. The sun rises at 2:25am and sets at 7:30pm. This is followed by dusk till about 11:30pm, thereafter, the glow of the sun is visible in the south east. So on our way back, there was sunshine all the way. This was the first time we reached the station is broad daylight. We wore our sunglasses all the way back, unlike the previous convoys, when we struggled to reach the station in total darkness.

At the ice shelf, there used to be a thick layer of snow. But this time there were big patches of blue ice visible. The snow had either melted away or had been blown away with the wind. The snow, wherever present, was extremely hard because of windpacking. The sun's radiation is now so strong that one can feel the heat when it falls on one's face, even though the air temperature is around -18ºC. Vast areas of exposed ice are also visible near Shivling, where there was a uniform blanket of snow just a few days back. I hope there is no excessive ice melt like last year. It might cause problems for the next team during the convoys.

The icebergs presented a very pretty sight this time around. Around 50 icebergs grounded in the fast ice are visible from the ice shelf all along the horizon. The rays of the early morning sun accentuated the contours and the contrasts. It was a very photogenic scene.

The crevasses have started to open up as well, both at the shelf as well as around Maitri. Many a times my foot sank into one of those crevasses covered by a thin layer of snow. Though most of these crevasses are not large enough to swallow a vehicle or a man, they can surely lead to a few broken bones.

The lakes around Maitri too have become very slippery due to the repeated melting and freezing of ice. So we have to watch our step. They are still strong enough to allow a vehicle to pass over them.

We still have to do a joint convoy with the next team to train them.