The wild wild west

Ted writes:

We’ve been on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula for about a week now, and we’re all very impressed with the scenery and the wild life. These pictures were acquired by the science staff of the LARISSA cruise in the past week.

A brittle star, Ophiuroides victoriae. Photo courtesy David Honig.

This sample of brown seaweed, or Laminaria, is at least 15 feet long. Photo courtesy David Honig.

Whales feed near the Research Vessel Palmer. Photo courtesy Mike McCormick.

Whales swim off the bow of the N.B. Palmer. Photo courtesy Mike McCormick.

A group of whales swim along with the N.B. Palmer. Photo courtesy Mike McCormick.

A whale dives under. Photo courtesy Martin Truffer.

Icebergs wash up next to the coast of the western Antarctic Peninsula. Photo courtesy Eugene Domack.

The Palmer, viewed from a helicopter, enjoys a moment of sunshine. Photo courtesy Eugene Domack.

Two seals haul out on a large iceberg. Photo courtesy Martin Truffer.

A seal cranes his neck to take a look at the research team. Photo courtesy Sun Mi Jeong.

Penguins explore a small iceberg. Photo courtesy Ronald Ross.

Krill are small crustaceans that make up an important part of the ocean food web. Photo courtesy Erin Pettit.

A penguin dives off an iceberg. Photo courtesy Ronald Ross.

A group of chinstrap penguins congregates on a spot of dry land. Photo courtesy Eugene Domack.

An albatross flies over the ocean, with icebergs in the background. Photo courtesy Martin Truffer.

An albatross flies over the open ocean. Photo courtesy Martin Truffer.

Martin Truffer is an associate professor at the University of Alaska Geophysical Institute

Eugene Domack is the Chief Scientist of the Larissa Cruise, a professor at Hamilton College

David Honig is a graduate student in Marine Ecosystems at Duke University

Ronald Ross is a electronics consultant for the LARISSA Glaciology program

Erin Pettit is an assistant professor at the Department of Geosciences, University of Alaska

Sun Mi Jeong is a graduate student at the Korean Institute for Polar Research

Mike McCormick is a professor at Hamilton College