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Video

UCSC biologist Terrie Williams tells a story of adventure and discovery in Antarctica in her new book, The Hunter's Breath

In six trips to Antarctica, UC Santa Cruz biologist Terrie Williams endured brutal conditions on the coldest, driest, windiest continent on Earth in order to learn the secrets of the mysterious Weddell seals, the only wild mammals capable of surviving Antarctic winters.

In her new book, The Hunter's Breath, Williams interweaves two amazing stories from those expeditions: One is the story of the seals and their remarkable adaptations to life on and beneath the Antarctic sea ice, while the other is a human story of adventure and discovery in one of the most punishing environments on Earth.

The researchers used an array of high-tech equipment to gain access to the hidden life of the seals beneath the ice. A compact instrument package, including a small video camera mounted harmlessly on the backs of the seals, revealed scenes never before witnessed by humans and provided the first physiological measurements from actively hunting seals.

Video by Bill Hagey, Pisces Design (San Diego)

Related Links:

Press Release
High-resolution images of seals and researchers in Antarctica