The Seals
If I had to choose a totem animal, it’d be a Weddell Seal, Leptonychotes weddellii. Some that like to poke fun, say I look like one too. I’m honored, actually. They’re badass. In fact, it was in the moment I watched a Weddell Seal glide past me and vocalize, that I had the epiphany that it’s vital I share the animal stories of Antarctica with the rest of the world. Below are some of the seals I’ve sketched, drawn and painted.
In the language of my ancestors (Old Norse), this is my FYLGJA [pronounced FILG-ya]. My spirit animal follower.
33 PAGES
of UNDERWATER drawings
47 HOURS
exploring under the ice
88 scuba dives
in subZero Seawater
EXPEDITION JOURNAL | WEEK ONE
3 Days to Go | From Tropical Seas to Polar Waters . . .
No Ordinary Plane | There’s a Helicopter INSIDE . . .
Terra Incognita! | The air was crisp and cold, I was grinning. I waved at Mt. Erebus (visible behind me). Antarctica greeted me with…
Draw Something. Anything. | I sat down, unsure of what to put on the first page of the sketchbook intended for above-water art. I made a drip mark—just to get over the…
A Blizzard of Classes | The first week on the Ice is like going to Summer School, it included…
But, it Never Snows in Antarctica | The coldest, driest, highest continent on the planet is not supposed to get much snow. It’s a desert, but…
Learn All About Field Safety | Sketchnoting our Field Safety Class ended up being a hit with everyone that worked at SSC, prints of the Survival Bag contents were springing up everywhere! It was so fun to see
Get a GPS! | It was a really cold day to do outdoor training (10°F) by learning how to follow a route with way points…
My Hiking Boots Suck | It’s the last official sunset of the season. After tonight it will be 24 hours of sun for…