DAY 19 | The Observation Tube
Going Under Without Getting Wet
We arrive just as they begin drilling the hole through the sea ice. It only takes them a few minutes to complete it. I film it freehand then hurry to set up the tripod for a time lapse on Limpet (the nickname for my iPhone). The three short clips below capture the process: before, during & after. Every dive hole is created this way, the drill enable us to make the connection between the above-water and below-water worlds of Antarctica.
The Observation Tube (called Ob Tube locally) was being used for penguin behavior studies when I was here in 1992. Now, it is gives the McMurdo community direct access to nature and science happening under the ice. It will be open in a few days, it has to freeze into the hole, first. Hoping I can do some sketches while on SCUBA of people in the tube, and also capture what it’s like gazing from inside the tube looking out.
The Reedrill creates a hole about 4 feet (1.22 meters) in diameter. Mel, the drill operator, spins down through a bit of ice, then pulls the drill bit out of the hole, and spins the ice off every 30-60 seconds or so.
There is a whole team of McMurdo volunteers that shows up to share their time and expertise to install the Ob Tube. I was excited to learn this season no science groups were using it, so the installation is to boost morale and welfare for the McMurdo community. I cannot think of a better way to visit the undersea world of Antarctica without getting wet!