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Can a Penguin find happiness on the ranch? That's a good question.....
Out on the sea ice with Field Safety Operations Boss and Ice Guru, Ted
Dettmar, we learned how to drill into the sea ice to measure its thickness
so that we could know if 'Uncle Buck' could safely cross it. We also learned
that Uncle Buck could cross a track in the sea ice of up to one-third of his
tread length....
After class, we visited Dr. Paul Ponganis' Penguin Ranch. Emperor Penguins
are trapped more than 30 miles away, out on the sea ice edge. Then they are
brought to the ranch, where there are only two diving/breathing holes in the
ice. And no other holes for miles around; thusly none within range of the
penguins' breath-holding capacity. The penguins are equipped with remote
telemetry, including a crittercam video transmitter. This is all in service
of a study investigating the physiological mechanisms that allow penguins to
make deep and long dives. Penguins do not suffer decompression injury during
their dives, and they seem to use quite different mechanisms to accomplish
this, compared with diving mammals, like seals, whales and dolphins.
Ponganis' cutting-edge research is discovering the answers to these
questions.
After their service at the ranch, the penguins are released back to their
home territory on the sea ice edge. I expect it's easier for them to find
happiness there, unless a leopard seals' powerful jaws find them first.....
HK
25 Miles of Sea Ice to Mountains
Uncle Buck & Erebus
Ice Guru- Ted Dettmar
Penguin Ranch
Livestock
Penguin with Critter Cam
Into the Water
Critter Cam
Beneath the Ice
Out of the Water
Dive Buddies
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