Maria has managed to call home twice by satellite phone, and has been enjoying herself immensely. Her days have been mostly occupied with sketching walruses and terns, mapping the island, and assisting the scientists. She has seen one polar bear, and carries a signal gun (for noise) as a precaution when out on her own. She mentioned the thrill of lying down close to a walrus and hearing its slow breathing and huge sighs.

As the wind has picked up, ice blowing in from open water has begun freezing the bay around Sand Island. The team will be on the island for a couple more days before moving camp. Hopefully, Maria will have the opportunity to explore more of the mainland by helicopter.

Stay tuned for more news from the field.

–Darin