Wild Sounds: Voices from Antarctica

Alison Ballance finds out what it takes to live in and do science in Antarctica, in a podcast series recorded on the frozen continent in November 2019.

Wild Sounds is RNZ's new podcast feed dedicated to incredible natural science stories from NZ

A centred image of Hillary Hut in the New Zealand Antarctic station of Scott Base. The hut is named in honour of Sir Edmund Hillary and was a kitset erected in 1957. It was recently repainted in its original colours of yellow and orange. Mountains can be seen in the background and 'Voices from Antarctica' text sits above against blue sky. 'Wild Sounds' text sits at the top.

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Voices from Antarctica 08 | Under the ice

Season 6 / Episode 1
Tiny plants that live on the underside of sea ice form an upside-down garden that feeds krill and is the base of the Antarctic food web.
New episode
Less than one percent of ambient light makes it through the sea ice but it is enough to trigger a bloom of ice algae in spring. Snow on the ice surface creates the darker patches.

Voices from Antarctica 01 | Ice Flight

Season 6 / Episode 1
Alison Ballance dons her extreme cold weather clothing for a trip to Antarctica - but getting to the frozen continent can take time.
A US Airforce C17 Globemaster on the Phoenix airfield near Scott Base and McMurdo Station on the Ross ice shelf.

Voices from Antarctica 02 | Scott Base

Season 6 / Episode 2
Alison Ballance has her first day at New Zealand's Antarctic station, Scott Base, and visits the historic Hillary's Hut.
Hillary Hut was the first building erected at Pram Point in what would become the New Zealand Antarctic station of Scott Base. The hut is named in honour of Sir Edmund Hillary and was a kitset erected in 1957. It was recently repainted in its original colours of yellow and orange.

Voices from Antarctica 03 | Flags to physics

Season 6 / Episode 3
Keeping Scott Base warm and well-lit no matter the weather outside, and a physics experiment that eavesdrops on messages to submarines.
Small flags mark the safe route to walk during a white-out on the sea ice in front of Scott base, Antarctica.

Voices from Antarctica 04 | Best journey in the world

Season 6 / Episode 4
Alison Ballance meets a colony of Emperor penguins and their NIWA researchers, and finds out about making water on the frozen continent.
Emperor penguins at Cape Crozier on Ross Island. The photo was taken in mid November when the chicks were about half-grown.

Voices from Antarctica 05 | Waiting for Emperors

Season 6 / Episode 5
Emperor penguin researchers are waiting for tagged birds to return, and an elderly radar system sheds light on a very windy part of the atmosphere.
Young Emperor penguins that haven't begun breeding are curious wanderers, interested in checking out their environment.

Voices from Antarctica 06 | Seal songs

Season 6 / Episode 6
Alison Ballance eavesdrops on the songs of the world's southern-most mammal, the Weddell seal, and finds out about sea ice.
A Weddell Seal pup and its mother.

Voices from Antarctica 07 | What the ice is saying

Season 6 / Episode 7
Researchers are using hot water to drill through the Ross ice shelf, to discover what has happened to Antarctic ice during previous periods of warm climates.
Research camp - the large tent houses the hot-water drill, used to drill through 600 metres of ice to access the seawater below the Ross ice shelf.

Introducing: Voices from Antarctica

Trailer
Alison Ballance finds out what it takes to live in and do science in Antarctica, in a podcast series recorded on the frozen continent in November 2019.