Ethan Dick's Photo: '96

ICE DIVING

Dive Photos Posted: 26 OCT'97

1. Above the sea ice:

Huts are warm, and a warm diver is a happy diver. Two islands jut through the ice in the background, the remnants of an old volcanic caldera rim.

The dive spryte. A real misnomer because non of them go faster than 10 mph. But certainly a great vehicle for cruising the ice sheet.

On a nice day... the divers go out to clear the safety holes before diving because we don't want the dive tenders to think we are too lazy.

On a bad day... the divers let the tenders go outside and clear the safety holes because we really don't care what the tenders think. This is Little Razorback Island; dive hut at left, tenders working on a safety hole are the red specks in the blowing snow.

Grounded IceBerg! A dive hut was located near an iceberg to view the disturbance effects on the animal life from a huge piece of ice plowing through the neighborhood. The top of the berg is ~35 feet above sea level.

2. Below the sea ice:

A large vase sponge was found on one dive at Arrival Heights at 125 fsw. The sponge was 3 feet in diameter and had the funny shape of a large baseball mit. There's a lot of speculation about just how old some of these large sponges could possibly be, with some estimates ranging into the hundreds of years. But in truth, there is no known scientific way to accurately assess the ages of many marine invertebrates, and so any estimates are simply just guesses.

At the ice berg, Rob Robbins is looking over the numerous species of animals inhabiting the bottom that are potentially in the path of the ice berg. The bottom of the berg is grounded at 90 fsw and presents a solid ice wall with a rough, bumpy surface. Diving along the berg was a lot like mountain climbing, except going down instead of up.

A small furrow in the sediment at the bottom of the berg allowed access underneath with about 8 feet of clearance. Rob Robbins is at left. At right ia a shot looking out from under the berg showing the large sponge and invertebrate community that is impacted by the plowing berg. The blue wedge is the open water between the berg and bottom.

Different large sponges at the berg site.

A small fish (Trematomous bernachii) is at right. At this time of the year, male 'bernachs' guard nests of eggs deposited in cracks and crannies.

Previous Postings.......

Ice Diving '96

Cinder Cones AUG '97

Cape Evans OCT '97

Back to Index Page

	Huts are warm, and a warm diver is a happy diver. Two islands jut through the ice in the background, the remnants of an old volcanic caldera rim.
	The dive spryte. A real misnomer because non of them go faster than 10 mph. But certainly a great vehicle for cruising the ice sheet.
	On a nice day... the divers go out to clear the safety holes before diving because we don't want the dive tenders to think we are too lazy.
	On a bad day... the divers let the tenders go outside and clear the safety holes because we really don't care what the tenders think. This is Little Razorback Island; dive hut at left, tenders working on a safety hole are the red specks in the blowing snow.
	Grounded IceBerg! A dive hut was located near an iceberg to view the disturbance effects on the animal life from a huge piece of ice plowing through the neighborhood. The top of the berg is ~35 feet above sea level.


A large vase sponge was found on one dive at Arrival Heights at 125 fsw. The sponge was 3 feet in diameter and had the funny shape of a large baseball mit. There's a lot of speculation about just how old some of these large sponges could possibly be, with some estimates ranging into the hundreds of years. But in truth, there is no known scientific way to accurately assess the ages of many marine invertebrates, and so any estimates are simply just guesses.


At the ice berg, Rob Robbins is looking over the numerous species of animals inhabiting the bottom that are potentially in the path of the ice berg. The bottom of the berg is grounded at 90 fsw and presents a solid ice wall with a rough, bumpy surface. Diving along the berg was a lot like mountain climbing, except going down instead of up.


A small furrow in the sediment at the bottom of the berg allowed access underneath with about 8 feet of clearance. Rob Robbins is at left. At right ia a shot looking out from under the berg showing the large sponge and invertebrate community that is impacted by the plowing berg. The blue wedge is the open water between the berg and bottom.

	Ice Diving '96
	Cinder Cones AUG '97
	Cape Evans OCT '97
	Back to Index Page