At Sea
The Scotia Sea gently rocks our sturdy ship, as National Geographic Explorer heads northeast towards the Sub-Antarctic Island of South Georgia. As far as crossings go, this has been an outstanding one. We are sailing on some of the most tumultuous waters in the world, yet the last days have offered following seas perfect for wildlife spotting. Spouting whales and dolphins have been seen the entire way, and we have picked up an escort of Petrels and Prions zipping across the ocean’s surface catching meals on the cresting swells, while Grey-Headed Albatross are happy for the stiff sea breeze that pushes us along.
While we move from one incredible destination to another on this expedition, there is one very obscure place we explore, the underwater world. As Undersea Specialist on National Geographic Explorer, it is my pleasure to bring back pictures from beneath the southern ocean’s surface, using Scuba, Splash Cam, or ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle). In these ocean ecosystems, the underwater niche is just as important as the terrestrial one.
Remotely Operated Vehicles are used commercially to go deeper than divers and to look at some very inhospitable environments, such as oil pipelines. Here in Antarctica they are a non-intrusive way to look at some of the least studied creatures in the world. Traditionally deep-sea exploration and collection of specimens in Antarctica has been done by dredging; essentially dragging a large net along the seabed and examining the specimens that are recovered. However, it is difficult to see how species interact using this method. So over the last three years, several national scientific programs have been using ROVs to help their benthic scientists better understand the benthos in Antarctica. The discoveries that have been made are astounding: no less than four new species of octopus have been found, some living near thermal vents; and areas that have previously been covered by glaciers are now accessible.
Our underwater exploration thus far has been concentrated in Antarctica, where the water temperature ranges between 28 and 32„aF (-2 – 0„aC). We have taken the ROV deeper than 300ft (100m) and seen the strange and unusual: sea spiders feeding on anemones, fat sea stars feeding on detritus, and the unusual find of an octopus—whilst it may look large in the picture it is a mere five inches across.
For now we bid the waters of Antarctica adieu, but our melancholy feelings are being replaced by apprehension, excitement, and wonderment. South Georgia, for many of us the pinnacle of our expedition and a world unto itself, lies ahead.
