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A Small Cork in a Big Ocean

By Mattias Cape · January 7, 2010 · comments No comments yet
ABOARD THE RVIB N. B. PALMER, ON THE SOUTHERN OCEAN-- After leaving Punta Arenas, Chile, on January 4th, 2010, and enjoying the calm waters of the Straits of Magellan and the coast of Argentina on our way to the Weddell Sea we have now reached the dreaded Drake Passage.... {Read More »}


Pack Your Many Bags, We’re Off!

By Mattias Cape · January 4, 2010 · comments No comments yet
PUNTA ARENAS, CHILE-- After leaving the day after Christmas from San Diego, CA, we've finally made it to Punta Arenas, Chile, where our ship the RVIB (Research Vessel Ice Breaker) Nathaniel B. Palmer is waiting for us... {Read More »}


You Can’t Control the Weather

By John Whiteman · November 1, 2009 · comments 3 comments
BARROW, ALASKA-- One afternoon a young adult female polar bear wandered by the ship. She appeared out of the blowing snow and walked past the stern, fairly close to the ship. An hour later she reappeared and approached the ship... {Read More »}


Life on the Ship

By John Whiteman · October 21, 2009 · comments 5 comments
ABOARD THE USCGC POLAR SEA, ON THE BEAUFORT SEA-- For captures, we need calm winds, good visibility, thick continuous ice, and a good bear location. Those factors came together to allow us to recapture an adult female... {Read More »}


Another Recapture, and Big Seas

By John Whiteman · October 11, 2009 · comments 4 comments
ABOARD THE USCGC POLAR SEA, ON THE CHUKCHI SEA– Over the last week we kept the ship in the same general area, in the northern reaches of the Chukchi Sea. Several days of cooler weather allowed the ice to thicken a little, and we had another successful recapture of an adult female with her cub... {Read More »}


Catching Our First Bears, Based on a Tiny Floating City

By John Whiteman · October 6, 2009 · comments 1 comment
ABOARD THE USCGC POLAR SEA, ON THE ARCTIC OCEAN– We have all adjusted quickly to life on a ship, but every once in a while, it is still quite striking to remember that we are on a very small, floating city, in one of the most remote places on earth... {Read More »}


Finally at Sea

By John Whiteman · September 29, 2009 · comments 1 comment
ABOARD THE USCGC POLAR SEA, ON THE BEAUFORT SEA-- After writing the last dispatch, I had a nearly sleepless night in Barrow because I was so worried about all the details involved with getting all the gear and people onto the ship the next day... {Read More »}


Organization, Organization, Organization

By John Whiteman · September 27, 2009 · comments No comments yet
BARROW, ALASKA-- It is 1am mountain time, which my body still seems to be on, but about 11pm here in Barrow. I arrived... {Read More »}


Summer Days Are Over

By John Whiteman · September 24, 2009 · comments No comments yet
LARAMIE, WYOMING-- Shortly after my last posting, I received a phone call on a Tuesday evening from my collaborators who are based in Anchorage, Alaska. One of the bears which we sampled last May had been active near the town of Kaktovik, on the Arctic coast... {Read More »}


Adios Punta Arenas

By Maria Vernet · March 30, 2009 · comments No comments yet
ABOARD THE RVIB N. B. PALMER, ON THE SOUTHERN OCEAN-- Adios Punta Arenas, Chile. Hello Research Vessel and Ice Breaker, Nathaniel B. Palmer. We, the crew, support staff and scientists of the NBP Iceberg Cruise III, left port in Punta Arenas on March 6th to begin our 40-day cruise... {Read More »}

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