A great day for the team today, with lots of sun and picture-perfect weather. After an early breakfast at the Union Glacier basecamp half the team embarked on a special trip to a rarely visited emperor penguin colony. The charter flight took approximately 3.5 hours and offered some spectacular views of the Antarctic ice. The plane landed roughly a mile from the colony to minimize any impact of the visit on the colony. Amidst thousands of chicks and adult penguins the team spent time taking photos, video, hiking and immersing themselves in the sights and sounds of the colony.
Back at Union Glacier basecamp the rest of the team went skiing in the vicinity of the camp. It's a beautiful setting with rugged mountains rising from the snow to create a valley that helps protects the camp from Antarctia's infamous wind. In the evening the team was treated to a special showing of Amundsen's movie footage from his expedition, thanks to the Norwegian Polar Institute, followed by episode one of Frozen Planet, a phenomenal documentary about the Earth's cryosphere.
Tomorrow, weather permitting, the team will fly South. Our finger's are crossed that the weather holds! Check back again tomorrow for another update from the team!
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| The chicks were "18 inches of fluff" |
Back at Union Glacier basecamp the rest of the team went skiing in the vicinity of the camp. It's a beautiful setting with rugged mountains rising from the snow to create a valley that helps protects the camp from Antarctia's infamous wind. In the evening the team was treated to a special showing of Amundsen's movie footage from his expedition, thanks to the Norwegian Polar Institute, followed by episode one of Frozen Planet, a phenomenal documentary about the Earth's cryosphere.
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| Soaking up the sun. During the austral summer Antarctica receives more solar radiation than the equator. |
Tomorrow, weather permitting, the team will fly South. Our finger's are crossed that the weather holds! Check back again tomorrow for another update from the team!
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