3 minutes a day

Hungry Leopard Seal, frightened fur seal.

A decent sunset.

It is getting darker now. The sun sets 3 minutes earlier everyday. It is much more noticable than I thought it would be. The weather is also changing. Although it has been calmer in the last two weeks, we have had snow every night for the past week or so. No accumulation yet, but many morning snowball fights and hot tubs in the falling snow (which is awesome). The krill are abundant, times are good. It is definately the end of the season though. In order to spice up our daily routine, Sam and I are trying various additions to the boat: travel guides, we put the antenna up the other day to change the landscape (?!?), and speakers. I think fur seals really like Steve Miller, a couple came to check us out during Jet Airliner. But left us shortly after the Darkness came on. We must have rocked their socks off...

A new group arrived last week, they study chemical defenses in sponges and algae. Seaweed and stuff. They collect their samples by scuba diving, and I'll get the chance to dive tend. Ever closer to diving in Antarctica, but not quite there. The biggest issue with diving around here is the Leopard seals. These guys have this underwater microphone that plays a siren when turned on. This is an upgrade from the old Leopard Seal Warning Device (a scuba tank and a hammer). Untested, this could prove to be an interesting experiment. Seems almost like a Far Side cartoon "Unaware that their new siren imitated the Leopard Seal mating call, the divers unknowingly swam right into the seals den." Or something. I can see their chubby faces and wide eyes as a herd of randy, drooling seals charges them.... In all seriousness, the dive tending position should offer a welcome break in the daily schedule.