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A Whale Rises

February 28, 2013

On a 2012 research cruise in Antarctica, WHOI postdoctoral scientist Peter Kimball helped use the robotic vehicle Jaguar to map the underside of the ice. But the trip was memorable for more than just their success in a harsh environment: “We were stuck in heavy pack ice for nearly two weeks,” recalls Kimball. “We couldn’t see any open water around the ship, and the ice was just too thick for the ship to break. While we were stuck, this magnificent minke whale broke through a few centimeters of ice in a small lead and was breathing at the hole, right near our ship, for an entire day.”(Photo by Peter Kimball, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)