Ah, penguins! Who doesn’t love them? Both of IceCube’s winterovers got to view and photograph penguins recently, but not at the South Pole—no animals can survive the extreme cold temperatures of the Pole. However, a variety of wildlife can be found along Antarctica’s coast, especially in the summer months. And Yuya and John separately had a few days of R&R recently at McMurdo Station, which is on the coast, before settling in for the isolation of a South Pole winter. John’s trip started only after his initial flight to McMurdo boomeranged back to the Pole, but he eventually got his trip in. They both spotted skuas, seals, and other animals in addition to penguins. And Yuya watched a US Coast Guard ice breaker at work.
At the Pole, things continued as usual. The South Pole Traverse was still around, with an open house and ICL tours. IceCube personnel thinned out a bit as there were several departures last week. Winter is approaching. Hold onto your hats (or your planet)!
