Observation tube under the Antarctic sea ice

One more incredibly cool video from research diver, musician, and filmmaker Henry Kaiser. Henry says:

"Since support workers in town cannot make their usual recreational trips out onto the sea ice, the powers-that-be at McMurdo Station installed the OB TUBE within walking distance of town.

Anyone can climb down the ladder and watch us divers at work under the ice. The snow was bulldozed off of the sea ice around the observation tube, creating a very light environment; which seems to have attracted an enormous population of larval and juvenile ice fish that form great clouds around the tube."

Suddenly, I wish I were washing dishes in Antarctica.

Video Link

Maggie Koerth-Baker is the science editor at BoingBoing.net. She writes a monthly column for The New York Times Magazine and is the author of Before the Lights Go Out, a book about electricity, infrastructure, and the future of energy. You can find Maggie on Twitter and Facebook.

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MORE: Antarctica • Henry Kaiser • Jaw-droppingly awesome • life • ocean • Science

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http://twitter.com/mudrummer Patrick Byrne

Thats a gorgeous goby they are playing with around the 1:10 mark…

Hmmm….wonder how much it would cost to chill a saltwater tank to Antarctic temps….

Also fat seal is fat and cute…even if it would maul your face off.

Edit: Holy shit…its the eggs from Alien around the 4:15 mark….
http://twitter.com/michaelsayyes michael b

Wow, what a great opportunity for non-divers to experience what it’s like to be under the ice. Thank god for the mute button on the ‘puter, however.
- EH
  
  Thank god for the mute button on the ‘puter, however
  
  Likely also a Henry Kaiser production. Sounds like him, anyway.
  - http://twitter.com/tobymgraves Toby Graves
    
    It’s Trey Gunn/Henry Kaiser/Morgan Agren
http://noctilucent-studios.blogspot.com/ Noctilucent Studios

I want to go to there.
http://twitter.com/sirkowski Sirkowski

Beautiful, once you put it on mute.
- Isoko
  
  I thought the song was outstanding! A nice change from the go-to ethereal stuff that usually accompanies an undersea montage; I’m gonna check out this band.
  - ocker3
    
    I also liked it, it really made for a unique surreal experience
clockradio

Anyone seen any Shuggoths or Elder Things yet?
Finnagain

Trapped under a billion pounds of sea ice.. Fun!
Finnagain

Can we have another one of these installed on Europa? Please?
LuciferWept

Anyone who enjoyed this footage seriously needs to check out Encounters at the Edge of the World, a superb documentary by Werner Herzog. I was lucky enough to see it on the big screen and cannot recommend it highly enough. Similar footage from the same place…think they call it The Cathedral.

However, that station was not there when they shot the film. I am gonna have nightmares of being inside that thing when – due to some sort of explosion on the surface – it comes unattached and slides into the cold abyss. *shudders*

Also, the music they picked…yikes!
DouglasLucchetti

Wonderful…I was fortunate to have a brief stay in the observation tube back in the 80s…it is an indescribable experience but have to say that Henry’s vids and other antics bring it all back and make me wish I was there again. Cheers
http://artdonovan.typepad.com Art

Vid is great but WTF is with the music?????