Wait a minute—seals? penguins? at the South Pole? Well, you’re right to wonder, because the climate at the South Pole, in central Antarctica, is too harsh for survival even for animals adapted to lower temperatures. But winterovers deserve a break from Pole life when possible, and IceCube winterover Martin made it to McMurdo station last week for a few days of R&R, where he was able to capture penguins, seals, and a skua—all in the same shot. That’s Martin below, raising his hand in a peace sign (or the number two?) just before heading out to McMurdo. In the following image is IceCube winterover James at the South Pole Telescope, where he got a tour from a former IceCuber now on duty there. Some other IceCube members who arrived at the Pole last week got to spend some time shoveling snow, digging for ARA test holes—that’s a lot of snow to dig through for a place with almost no annual precipitation.
