We went for a 2.3 mile hike today around Hut Point Loop, and this time I brought my camera with a better optical zoom. The Weddell Seals don't move very quickly when they are on the sea ice in McMurdo Sound... usually they are seen lounging and sleeping on the ice. They slide in and out of the water through cracks and holes in the sea ice that's breaking up in the higher temperatures of the Antarctic summer.
Antarctic skuas are fairly large birds that fly around the McMurdo area when the temperature warms in the summer. Residents of McMurdo are warned not to carry food when skuas are around, as they will steal food straight out of your hand. It's important for environmental impact that the skuas aren't able to scavenge human food, so McMurdo is careful to keep outdoor trash cans securely covered.
