Down the Tube

One cool little feature of living at McMurdo in the summer is the "Ob Tube" which is basically a tiny observation tube inserted into the sea ice so you can climb down and view the life under the frozen sea. You can go basically any time you want, and once you climb down, there is a 360 degree, up close view of icy marine life, complete with the serenade of Weddell Seals. Here are some pics of the tube!

Here is what the tube looks like. It's just what it sounds like, a metal tube drilled down into the ice. You have to have the cover on while viewing so the surface light doesn't interfere with your viewing under the ice.

Here's what it's like to crawl down the hole. It wasn't all that scary, it's an easy climb down. But it would be hard for a really big person or someone who is nervous about small spaces. 

View from the bottom of the tube, looking up towards the top. This is about how far down you are. The tube opens up a little at the bottom with 360 degree windows.

Views under the ice! It looks like a storm cloud, huh? The light is very dim so it's hard to see. The small dots you see glowing in the picture are hundreds of tiny fish floating in the water. Weddell Seals sound extremely other-worldly. Check out moo-Antarctica.net for great underwater videos from a similar location as the tube, and recordings of Weddell seal calls.