Observation Tube

Oh Antarctica, what a crazy place this is! I have today off and Aaron didn't start work until noon today so we took a little trip out to the Observation Tube off the shore of McMurdo Station. Imagine an enormous test tube lodged in the ice and suspended above the ocean floor. It was so dang cool! We each climbed down into the tube and then were able to sit back to back at the bottom of the tube and look out into the ocean. The bottom of the tube is like a hexagon with huge panes of glass on each side. We were looking at all the tiny fish when all of a sudden, a seal swam by! It was so beautiful to see a Weddell Seal in it's element, diving and gliding through the icy water. It was surprisingly warm down in the tube so we hung out for a long time watching the fish and looking out into the illuminated water. The sun is able to shine through the 12 thick ice and illuminate the water beneath. The ocean floor looks like a maze of life. There are sponges, crustaceans, all kinds of spikey things, and a zillion different lifeforms that I've never seen before. It's a new world down there. Pristine and quiet. Intimidating and yet I found myself feeling very welcomed there.

The ice looks like feathers from beneath the water. The crystalization of the ice is so beautiful! Like perfectly flat and wide feathers all connected at their base to the underside of the ice. The pale blue streams of sunlight sink through the water to illuminate the ocean floor below.  

There were tiny silver fish, jelly fish the size of your pinkie finger and in a frenzy or activity, a second seal appeared out of the shadows. The fish darted into the darkness in unison. The Weddell seal gracefully glided by the tube and wiggled up into an ice hole that was cut near the tube. the dark cylinder of ice engulfed the seal as it swam to the surface for air. Weddell seals can hold their breath for up to 45 minutes and this one looked like he/she new exactly where to get a good gulp of air. A few minutes later, the seal reappeared in the water and flew through the water like bird on an warm air current. They move with such ease; they're fascinating to watch. It was a blessing to be a part of their world for a little bit and to see the ecosystem that they are such an intricate part of.