Part I: Seals teeth and whales ears - Scott Polar Research Institute ...

Giant petrel colonies were numerous above the steep sea cliffs and I noticed a
large number of white downy youngsters. Some of the parents remained by their
young and vomited their smelly red oil at me, but only because they had no clear run
for takeoff. Many birds of the year were congregated on the seaward side of the
colonies and attempted to fly away at my approach. They lumbered along,
desperately beating wings and crashing into rocks in abortive attempts. Then,
coming to the cliff edge, they found themselves airborne for a few brief seconds,
landing with a crash on the beach or ice, or after a great splash in the water they
paddled furiously out to sea. In such a large bird this behaviour seemed out of place
compared with the tameness of the other species, and I was concerned that they
should be so timid. The smaller snow petrel was much braver and usually stayed at
its nesting hole or retreated a little way inside when disturbed. Cape pigeons were
more wary and flew off on approach. I watched a couple of snowies in a rock cranny,
evidently a nesting site, rubbing bills together, bobbing their heads alternately from
side to side and uttering a trilling note.
This coastline was largely devoid of suitable beaches for elephant seals. At the
headlands there was often a series of islands or rocks stringing out to sea. The
innermost of the series was connected to land by a low-lying shingle beach, forming
a suitable hauling-out area for elephants. Apart from a few stray individuals, all the
elephants I counted were confined to these locations and there were 110 on that
stretch of coast. A band of eight terns flew northeast above me, mostly with the adult
markings of S. hirundinacea, but one was an immature individual with mottled back.
The sunset over the Sandefjord Peaks that day was exquisite, lighting up the
surface of the water by reflection and transforming the west-facing sides of the bergs
to gold. Then the sun sank below a line of dark clouds, which suddenly appeared
from nowhere, and I knew it was time to make tracks for home. Two Weddells were
lying out on the shore of the last bay I visited and I roused one of them. He looked at
me, showed his teeth and leisurely made his way to the water, stopped to drink and
then slipped into and under water. His head reappeared some 20 yards out,
regarding me with a quizzical expression. I made my way back over the col between
Snow Hill and Jane Peak and saw Ralph rowing over in the dory to fetch me as I
came down the last slopes. My feet were getting cold and I was glad to sit down in
the warmth of the hut. The others had been over to Outer Islet where Derek had
taken some bearings on the peaks of Coronation Island with the met. theodolite.
One morning in mid April was still and calm with very little wind and the
temperature had dropped to -8°C. We had breakfast early, did the Obs. and radio
schedule and by 10 o’clock were ready to leave for Confusion Point on the south
coast. The clouds were breaking up and although there was a constant light fall of
snow it looked a day of promise. As my skis required another coat of Stockholm tar I
decided to travel over the ice-sheet on snowshoes. Derek and Ralph brought their
skis along and we walked to the glacier behind Observation Bluff. I was ahead and
had put on my snowshoes when the others came up. Thinking that they would
quickly overtake me on skis I started off and covered the ground with surprising
speed. Snowshoes are not difficult to use; one soon becomes accustomed to the
waddling gait necessary to avoid tripping up, and sliding the shoe forwards,
pressing down on the heel so as not to dig in the toes.
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