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

Another day in the middle of May began well with a clear sky and no wind as
Derek and I left for Robin Peak with the theodolite. There was a shower of small ice
crystals glittering in the diffuse sunlight and incomplete haloes round the sun -
parhelia. It was very warm climbing up the Stone Chute but on top a breeze cooled us
as we strode down the slope to Elephant Flats through the snow drifts - drift snow is
always much less annoying when going downhill. I cut across the Flats at the
entrance; the whole surface was bearing quite well and it was not necessary to keep
to the floes. Derek followed in my footsteps very slowly looking as though he
thought the ice was going to swallow him up at any moment; he was heavier than I
of course! There was time to do a seal count on the adjacent beaches before he joined
me.
From there we crossed Pumphouse Lake and into the corrie between Jane Peak
and Robin. A very gentle slope of compacted snow and roughened ice led up to the
col. The views were excellent at first and then low clouds began to obliterate the
tops. Derek couldn't make the final direct slope up to Robin, which at one point was
blue ice (his boots were not gripping well) so he went round and up the rocks to the
west. But I went straight up and towards the top, feeling rather warm with the
exertions and looking at the ground ahead as this was the most comfortable posture
when carrying a load. Suddenly the ground disappeared and I was looking down at
Stygian Cove nearly a thousand feet below. The exposure was awe inspiring, the
drop for the top 500 ft being just about vertical, if not overhanging. There were some
small cornices to which I thought it best to give a wide berth. All was still except for
my breathing.
Down in the bay elephants lay on the thick ice or crawled about leaving a brown
trail of excreta. There were several groups on the beach, showing up distinctly
against the white carpet. From these groups came clouds of steam, snortings and
bellowings. Brief upheavals could be seen, as two animals had a difference of
opinion ending in mutual exhaustion and re-positioning. A crack in the sea ice
extended out to the pack, and in the stillness sounds of further cracks and groans as
the ice took the strain of the tidal movements. We had seen a group of about a
hundred penguins on this ice earlier in the day but now all that remained was their
tracks over the ice. Ralph down below saw them moving east and watched them as
far as Outer Islet.
We set up the theodolite, but the clouds were low and the reference object (Cape
Hansen) was obscured. After a short wait it cleared a little enabling a few bearings to
be taken, but closing in again quite soon. It was minus 23°C up there and our beards,
moustaches, even eyelashes, were white with ice formed by our breath freezing. I
went over to look at the coast around North Point and had a surprisingly good view
from one of the rock buttresses. So far as I could see there were no seal of any species
on this stretch of coast or on floes offshore, but on the beach west of Jane Peak lay six
medium-sized elephants. It was quite likely that these were the sole remaining seals
on the West coast, since on my previous survey there had been very few. I walked
over to the most northerly point of the summit ridge and looked down into
Normanna Strait, then back at the summit. The view of it from there was very
striking, with large snow cornices in the foreground and the very steep peak rising to
a perfect point, where Derek was taking bearings. I rejoined him and after a few
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