Mt Erebus: A Search and Rescue Exercise in Antarctica

Join us near the crater of Mt Erebus, the southern-most active volcano on earth

Part of my job down here in Antarctica is being a member of JASART – The Joint Antarctic Search and Rescue Team, a collaboration between the NZ and US programs. We are on call to respond to things like aircraft crashes, crevasse falls, and missing people. So far I have not been involved in any real incidents (touch wood), however we do get to go on cool training trips. I shot the video below on a trip to Mt Erebus, a 3794m (12448 ft) high active volcano that looms in the background of our bases.

What's it like on the mountain?

The day we were there I would say that the ambient temperature was around -17C (0F). It took 3 helicopter flights to fly us and our gear to Lower Erebus Hut (LEH) at 3400m (11200ft) on the side of the mountain where a 40km/h wind made things rather uncomfortable. The air was noticeably thinner up there and by the end of the day some members of our party were feeling preliminary signs of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Because air pressures are lower near the poles, the effects of altitude are exacerbated. We had flown in directly from sea level and had no altitude acclimation, therefor it was imperative that we kept an eye on each other and the weather. Getting stuck up there without acclimation could spell disaster.

The Ice Fumeroles on Erebus

These are pretty cool. There are several places in my video that show the fumeroles, the most spectacular one being the big phallic shaped one at around the 40 second mark. These fumeroles have systems of ice caves beneath the surface where warm humid micro-climates exist. These are of particular interest to scientists as it is believed that similar environments could be found other planets such as Mars and could harbor life.

Our route from LEH to Fang Glacier camp

We landed at Lower Erebus Hut (LEH) 3402m. This is a permanent camp used by scientists with the US Antarctic Program (USAP) and is home to the Mount Erebus volcano observatory (MEVO). There is standard route marked with bamboo wands between LEH and Fang Glacier Camp that we followed. The route is not particularly steep or dangerous, and can be followed by experienced people on snow mobiles. Fang Glacier Camp where we finished our exercise is situated at about 2800m and is often used as a place for people to acclimatize before moving up to LEH.

Technical Search and Rescue

Search and rescue has many different aspects and facets to it, especially in Antarctica where the terrain can extreme and hostile. On this trip we were practicing our technical rope rescue skills, which we would employ in order to get injured people out of steep and difficult terrain. Similar techniques to the ones we were using have been used several times in Antarctica to recover people/bodies from crevasses. Erebus, although not very steep, was a great training ground for us to practice lowering a stretcher and attendant down a slope. This situation could play out in real life if someone was injured halfway down a steep slope and we were unable to access the slope directly by helicopter. The photo below shows myself training for crevasse extraction in New Zealand.

Shooting Killer Whales for Science in Antarctica

By taking biopsies researchers can study what killer whales have been eating

During the summer of 2014/15 I provided field safety support to a small group of scientists studying killer whales on the edge of sea ice in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. I felt like I was in the middle of a national geographic channel documentary because the wildlife was astounding. The video below has footage I took of penguins, skuas and whales:

The Antarctic ice edge

Antarctic sea ice or pack ice forms during the winter and breaks away during the summer. The ice edge is simply the line to where the ice has currently broken to. This is an extremely dynamic place that can change by small or large amounts daily due to temperature, wind and ocean currents. My main job as field safety was to find safe landing locations for the helicopter, and to minimize risk for the people working directly on the ice edge.

The scientists had 3 main projects: To collect biopsies, to photograph and identify breaching whales, and to record killer whale sounds using a hydrophone. They also successfully got some underwater footage of killer whales using a GoPro on a pole:

Collecting whale biopsies

A biopsy is the examination of tissue removed from a living body. The rifles used to do this are gas powered and shoot a small biopsy dart at the skin of the whale. The dart takes a small skin sample and bounces of the body, allowing the researchers to retrieve the dart with a tether attached to the gun. The disturbance for the killer whale is very minimal and perhaps feels like having an insect bite. Collecting whale biopsies is not particularly easy and requires patience. First you need to wait until some whales come along and swim close enough (within about 30m), and then you have to actually hit your target during the few seconds that it is breaching out of the water. There were plenty of missed shots for sure!

Recording killer whale sounds with a hydrophone

The Antarctic ocean is a noisy place! My video below shows whales breaching between the pack ice with sound recorded onsite with the hydrophone. You will notice there are lots of different and unusual sounds. The background clicking noises are the killer whales echo-locating. Some of the chirping noises may be weddell seals, and there is a distinctive "fog-horn" sounding call that I believe comes from a different type of whale.

Antarctica : A Journey Over and Under the Sea Ice

Join us in Antarctica as we drive across a frozen sea between huge icebergs to set up a diving camp

Why we had "stashed our cargo sleds"

Weather has the final say on how we do things down in Antarctica. We were planning to set off on the trip a couple of days earlier, but there was some particularly bad weather on it's way. We decided to get a start, and rather than enduring the storm in our tents we left the D6 bulldozer with the sleds and headed back to Scott Base in the much faster Hagglund. The image below has not been photoshopped and is representative of the "inside of a ping-pong ball" conditions we had on that day.

What I REALLY actually do in Antarctica

I work for Antarctica New Zealand as a field training instructor. This job does occasionally involve hard physical work such as moving large quantities of snow (as shown in the video), but it is generally characterized by providing training for scientists and providing safety support for their projects in the field. On this trip to Granite Harbour I was sharing the responsibility of assuring safe travel which involved choosing a route across the ice and identifying and measuring the cracks. I DO get to do some (relatively tame) kite skiing and snowmobiling, although the kiting/snowmobiling clips are not of me or even filmed in Antarctica.

Travelling across Antarctic sea ice

The ocean freezes over in McMurdo Sound Antarctica during winter and often breaks out by late summer. We did this trip in early summer (October) when the sea ice was still firm, cold and almost 2 meters thick (thick enough to safely land a Boeing 757 passenger jet). The map below is the shows the route from Scott Base to our destination at Granite Harbour. For some more aerial footage of the surrounding area, check out our page on the McMurdo Dry Valleys.

Cracks in the ice

One of the biggest hazards of driving over sea ice in Antarctica is large cracks caused by ice movement due to weather and ocean activity. The most dangerous of these are spreading cracks that widen and refreeze over time producing a crack with a profile shown in the diagram, that can then be hidden by snow. For the hagglund we can cross an effective crack width (W) of 75cm wide where the ice thickness is less than 70cm (T). The D6 bulldozer can cross a crack of up to 1.2m wide but we need a ice thickness of at least 1m on either side. These values are very conservative to enable a large margin of safety for operating in such an extreme and remote environment.

Camping in Antarctica

To ensure a successful 3 week antarctic diving expedition, life needs to be as comfortable as is reasonable. Divers need to be kept warm, hydrated, fed and well rested. Each team member has their own Scott polar tent complete with double Thermorest, sheepskin mat and -40 degree double sleeping bag system. The living/kitchen tent has a gas powered stove/oven, fireplace, and even AC/DC electricity supplied by the generator. Dive tents have electricity to run the science equipment, and gas heating to help the divers with the cold and also to keep the dive holes from refreezing.

How to pitch a tent on hard ice

During the sped up "setting up the dive camp" video scene I show a clip of drilling and tying a V-thread. This is an incredibly strong anchor that also has many mountaineering and ice climbing applications. It is made by drilling to intersecting holes in the ice to make a V shape that is then threaded with rope.

Making a dive hole

The most difficult aspect of making a dive hole in Antarctica is the fact that the ice is so thick (up to 2m). The first layers of ice can be cut through with a chainsaw, but eventually you need to puncture through to the water below and then have to somehow remove the ice at the bottom of the hole which is now completely submerged. To melt this ice into blocks we use a pump to suck sea water out of the hole, heat it up and then direct it back into the hole using metal tubing. In the time-lapse clip on the video you will see the tubing is first a square shape and then just a single bar. This arrangement melts the ice into blocks that float to the surface and can be removed.

SCUBA diving in Antarctica

SCUBA diving in such an extreme environment obviously has it's challenges. Firstly the water is a chilly -1.8 degrees C (28.8 F) which takes it's toll on the body and requires adequate systems and equipment to prevent hypothermia. Secondly the only place you can exit the water is the 2m square hole in the ice where you entered. This means that tethering divers with ropes, using good communication and having self sufficient rescue plans are vital to a safe and successful diving operation. All of the diving footage on the video is used with permission from Peter Marriot and NIWA. To see more of this footage and explanations of the science check out NIWA's videos Thin Ice and Ice Divers.

Antarctic science and global warming

Antarctica is the last region on earth to be discovered by humans. While being the coldest, driest and windiest continent it is also home to 61% of all the worlds fresh water locked up in it's ice cap. If it were to all melt this would represent a 58m rise in global sea levels. At least 30 different countries operate research stations on the continent and do so under guidance of the Antarctic Treaty. They study many things, but some of the most important studies relate to how global warming will affect both the ecosystem there, and the rate of ice loss and melting which will affect the entire planet. I support scientists by helping them directly in the field, but I also support them by sharing my images and experiences with you so that it may help you to appreciate what people are doing down in Antarctica and it's importance on a global scale.

Seal rides a whale - caught on video

The webpage dedicated to our famous viral video

Filmed in 2015 during a whale watching tour on the Baja Peninsula of Mexico.

Meet the seal that rode the whale

Here is where I come clean: the seal is not a seal at all, but actually a sea lion. The video below shows how cute and tiny this guy is! You can also see in the video that he seems quite tired. We can speculate that by riding the whale he was just trying to take a rest.

What kind of whales are these?

This was a gray whale. These marine mammals migrate between Alaska and the lagoons of Mexico where they breed and nurse their young. Check out the video of our whale watching tour below which shows the whales coming right up along side our boat and letting us touch them. These whales are completely wild! It was one of the most amazing experience of our lives.

Where can I go to touch whales in the wild?

During the months of December to April the whales are nursing and breading in the lagoons of Baja California, Mexico. The map below shows the three main places to see them: Laguna Ojo de Liebre, San Ignacio and Magdalena. Whale watching tours are incredibly easy to arrange, last about half a day and for one of the most amazing things you will EVER do, it's a bargain at only $50US per person.

A seal riding a whale wasn't the only crazy thing that happened on the tour was it?

No! My wife was almost slapped in the face by a whale and we saw a huge whale penis! Both of these events have their own dedicated pages which you can find in the sidebar.

Using an Iceberg as a Stand Up Paddle Board

Grab an oar, jump on an iceberg and go for paddle board!

The Perito Moreno Glacier in Patagonian Argentina is our amazing backdrop to the new extreme sport of stand up iceberg paddling! Find more photos and videos below:

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How fast can you paddle an iceberg?

Not very fast! One thing to remember is that 90% of an icebergs mass is below water. To support an 80kg person with a body weight of ice as free-board, you are talking about an iceberg weighing approximately 1.5 metric tons. To move an object that massive through the water would require some serious power, and I found that my little paddle was next to useless. I was much more at the mercy of the wind and the water currents.

Is it dangerous to stand on icebergs?

These very very small icebergs. Yes I risk going for a swim, but I am accustomed to swimming in cold water and was not very far away from the shore. I have worked on glaciers all over the world and I am always thinking of fun things to do. This next video shows my first expedition jumping on icebergs when a whole bunch of drifted near the shore:

I did fall into the water!

Yeah, I sure did! The piece I landed on was thin and broke off when I landed on it. Fortunately I was able to hang onto the 'berg and scramble up. After having fun on this adventure I came up with the idea of making a "rema-tempano" which means "iceberg rower" in english.

Any plans for more iceberg fun?

I don't work on glaciers any more, but I would love to go back and film some similar adventures in HD. Check out some of my blog posts on Antarctica or check out our amazing ultimate whale video below (that is filmed in HD) that includes clips such as a seal riding a whale:

An Antarctic Oasis - The McMurdo Dry Valleys

The McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica are one of the worlds most extreme deserts and are said to have an environment closer to that of the planet Mars than any other place on earth. With a rocky and barren landscape battered by extreme katabatic winds, the dry valleys provide an interesting if not hostile backdrop for many science projects over the antarctic summer.

Glaciers and Rock

I have been lucky enough to visit the dry valleys on 3 occasions where I have captured images of the valleys during different conditions. The photo above shows the contrast between a teardrop shaped glacier and the dry rocky ground. My video below shows spectacular helicopter footage of the Dry Valleys during a rare moment when there is "lots" of snow on the ground, and the glaciers are less distinguishable:

Antartic Dry Valleys by Helicoper

This video was shot while conducting maintenance on Antarctica New Zealand's three radio repeater sites. These sites are used to relay radio communications between science teams operating in the Dry Valleys and the Antarctica New Zealand base on Ross Island. Because it was early in the summer season the temperatures were rather cold with wind chills at Mt Mule getting below -40C (also -40F)

Map of the Dry Valleys

A satellite view of the McMurdo Dry valleys, the McMurdo Sound and Ross Island along with the route of the helicopter and locations of the radio repeater sites. It is worth zooming in to the Dry Valleys and exploring the martian-like landscape.

Me sitting on a rock at the JJ Thomson site (start of the video) with the glaciers coming down into Taylor valley in the background.

Mummified weddell seals

This photo shows one of the famous mummified weddell seals of the Dry Valleys. There are apparently hundreds of specimens that have crawled up to 41 miles inland and to elevations up to 5,900 feet above see level. Why these seals have wandered so far from the ocean has remained a mystery.

Penguins of Antarctica

Spectacular images and videos of Antarctic animals.

How do Penguins Mate?

Penguins are birds, and therefore it makes sense that their physiology and mating habits will be similar to other birds. "Oh good," you may think , "now I can finally use all my knowledge of bird sex and apply it penguins!"
Now now, let's not get ahead of ourselves... lets start off with this controversial video i made with footage of adelie penguins mating in Antarctica.

Do Penguins Mate for Life?

The short answer is no. Like 90% of all bird species, many species of penguins are serially monogamous which means that they are with one partner, but wont necessarily stay with the same partner over multiple breeding seasons. Some species of penguins such as the Adelie Penguins shown in the video are generally monogamous and will stay with the same partner over multiple seasons. Saying that penguins "mate for life" can be misleading because when a partner dies, they will usually be replaced by another. The greatest advantage of being monogamous over multiple breeding seasons is that instead of expending time and energy trying to attract a mate, it can be put towards reproduction. Further down the page I have endeavored to create a table stating the degree of monogamy of different species of penguins.

Do penguins make nests?

Many species of penguin make nests by starting with hollows in the ground that they fortify with rocks, mud, sticks or grass. Some penguins burrow into the ground or use caves, crevices or holes to next. Penguins that don't make nests such as the emperor penguins of Antarctica have their eggs sit on the their feet and keep them warm special brooding pouches.

What mating rituals do penguins have?

Penguins have a variety of mating rituals that vary between species. They call, bow and wave their flippers and preen one another. Here is an example of a mating ritual by emperor penguins from Wikipedia- "A lone male gives an ecstatic display, where it stands still and places its head on its chest before inhaling and giving a courtship call for 1–2 seconds; it then moves around the colony and repeats the call. A male and female then stand face to face, with one extending its head and neck up and the other mirroring it; they both hold this posture for several minutes. Once in pairs, couples waddle around the colony together, with the female usually following the male. Before copulation, one bird bows deeply to its mate, its bill pointed close to the ground, and its mate then does the same."

How do penguins have sex?

Everything you heard in the video is true, penguins do not have penises. Both sexes have orifaces called cloacas that are used both for reproduction and for waste. The female lies on her stomach while the male climbs onto her back. The female lifts her tail allowing their cloacas to touch and sperm to be transfered. This process does not take long, often lasting about 10 seconds.

Table of different penguin species breeding habits

 

Penguin Species	Breeding Terrain	Nest	Pairing
King penguin,  Aptenodytes patagonicus	Rocky Shore	Nest of Stones	Serially monogamous (29% fidelity)
Emperor penguin, Aptenodytes forsteri	Ice and snow	No nest	Serially monogamous (15% fidelity)
Adélie penguin, Pygoscelis adeliae	Ice free polar coast	Nest of Stones	Monogamous
Chinstrap penguin, Pygoscelis antarctica	Rocky Slopes	Nest of Stones	?
Gentoo penguin, Pygoscelis papua	Ice free	Nest of Stones	?
Little blue penguin, Eudyptula minor	Temperate Shoreline	Burrows, caves, crevices, logs, etc.	Serially monogamous
White-flippered penguin, Eudyptula albosignata (provisional)	Temperate Coast	Burrows, dunes, vegetacion	?
Magellanic penguin, Spheniscus magellanicus	Temperate coast	Burrows, bushes	Monogamous
Humboldt penguin, Spheniscus humboldti	Temperate/ Tropical coast	Burrows, caves, cracks	?
Galapagos penguin, Spheniscus mendiculus	Tropical coast	nests	monogamous
African penguin, Spheniscus demersus	Temperate coast	Burrows in guano or sand	monogamous
Yellow-eyed penguin, Megadyptes antipodes	Temperate coast	Burrows, vegetacion	monogamous
Fiordland penguin, Eudyptes pachyrynchus	Temperate forest	?	?
Snares penguin, Eudyptes robustus	Temperate island coast	Holes lined with vegetation, pebbles, mud	Possibly monogamous
Erect-crested penguin, Eudyptes sclateri	Rocky terrain	?	?
Western rockhopper penguin, Eudyptes chrysocome	Rocky terrain	?	?
Eastern rockhopper penguin, Eudyptes filholi	Rocky terrain	?	?
Northern rockhopper penguin, Eudyptes moseleyi	Rocky terrain	?	?
Macaroni penguin, Eudyptes chrysolophus	Sub Antarctic coast	Shallow scrape in the ground lined with items	Monogamous (75% fidelity)
Royal penguin, Eudyptes schlegeli (disputed)	Beaches, vegetated slopes	Shallow scrape in the ground	?

 

 

A question mark means that I am yet to find the information. Please check out some of our other pages - recommended next is "How do Penguins Stand Up":

How do Penguins Stand Up?

Penguins have long bodies and short stumpy legs. How do they get back up after falling over?

How do Penguins Stand Up When they Fall Over?

Most people have seen clips of penguins sliding along on their bellies. Maybe you have also seen "penguin fails" on YouTube where penguins fall or slip over. My short video below shows how penguins can get back up on there feet after falling or lying down.

An explanation of what the penguin is doing:

First the penguin is pushing it's feet as far forward as possible underneath it's belly. Then the penguin plants both it's flippers and it's beak against the snow and pushes itself up using it's strength (penguins have strong flippers for swimming), and the flexibility of it's neck (they are birds after all).

Do Penguins Have Knees?

It is easy to think that penguins don't have knees because they walk with such a waddle. However you may have noticed how far forward the penguin can put it's legs when it stands up - conclusive evidence that they do have knees! The penguins knees are just hidden by all of their feathers.

Penguin fails

The video below is not from our channel, but contains some amusing examples of the "penguin fails" that I mentioned above. If you watch carefully you can see other examples of how penguins stand up. Notice that some species of penguins are much more agile than others! The species that we used for our demonstration is the emperor penguin - the largest of all penguins!

How do Penguins Mate?

Catch a sneak peek at how the birds do it

Penguins in Antarctica

Of 17 species of penguins found in the world, only 6 are found in Antarctica. Of those 6 species, only 2 are found as far south as the McMurdo Sound where Scott Base and McMurdo Station are located: The adelie penguin and the Emperor Penguin.

Adelie Penguins

Penguins are the most anthropomorphic of all birds - and Adelies in my opinion are cutest and most comical of penguins! They are relatively small penguins averaging 70cm (27.5in) high and weighing 5kg (11pounds). These penguins are quite curious and will come right up beside you to see what you are doing. My video below was filmed at the edge of the sea ice while I was with scientists studying killer whales.

Emperor Penguins

Emperor penguins are the largest and most "majestic" of penguins. They average 1.15 meters (44in) and 30kg (66pounds) in weight. The emperor penguins are currently listed as near threatened by the IUCN, and is currently under consideration for inclusion under the US Endangered Species Act. The main risks of to this species is declining food availability due to the effects of climate change and industrial fisheries.

I recorded the video below while out on the Antarctic sea ice in McMurdo Sound. In the first frame you can see Mt Erebus in the background. In the second frame you have the Trans-Antarctic Mountain Range which includes Mt Discovery. The third frame shows the Barne Glacier, and in the last you can see the Ross Island Peninsula with Tent Island to the right.

This Page is still under construction. For more videos and information on penguins please visit the links below. Thank you!

How do Penguins Stand Up?

Penguins have long bodies and short stumpy legs. How do they get back up after falling over?

How do Penguins Mate?

Catch a sneak peek at how the birds do it

Ultimate Whale Watching Video

What kind of Whale Watching Tour Was This?

The coolest one ever! We are very well traveled, and even without the highlights (such as the seal jumping onto a whale) it was still without a doubt one of the most amazing experiences of our lives. On most whale watching tours in other locations you are on large boats and generally only see them from a large distance. On these tours you were in a very small boat which at times was being jostled around by the whales! It is like the difference between watching someone baking a cake, and actually eating it.

How can I experience such an awesome tour?

Go to the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico during the months of December to April. Being able to touch the whales is almost guaranteed! For some more video footage and info on the whales please check out our page Touching Whales in the Wild.

Touching Whales in the Wild

Have these Whales Been Trained?

These whales are completely wild and have not been trained. You could say that over the years they have been habituated to interacting with tourist boats as the whales are intelligent, curious and like to scratch their bellies on the undersides of the tour boats.

What type of whales are these?

These are gray whales that will spend about 4-6 months of each year migrating between Alaska and Mexico. This is a 16,000-22,000 km (9,900-13,700 mi) round trip which is believed to be the longest annual migration of any mammal. They are baleen whales, can grow to being longer than a school bus (49ft) and about as heavy as 2 school buses (36 tonnes).

Swimming with Whale Sharks in Mexico

Are Whale Sharks Whales or Sharks?

Whale sharks are the largest fish species in the world, and therefor are sharks. They grow to lengths up to 12m (40ft) and can weigh over 21 metric tons.

Are Whale Sharks Dangerous?

Whale sharks are docile filter feeding animals and do not pose any significant threats to humans. Our video we named "No Jaws" because we thought that whale sharks lack teeth (and of course its a parody to the movie Jaws), but it turns out they have about 300 rows of tiny teeth in their mouths which can be up to 5ft across.

Where And When Can I Swim With Whale Sharks?

Whale Sharks are found in tropical waters all over the world. You can do tours in the Americas, Asia, Australia and Africa, and the season to see them depends on where you are. We did our tour in La Paz, Mexico where the season runs from November-April. Even in just a different part of Mexico the season can be different, for example in Isla Mujeres their season runs from June-November.