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Seal Kills Snorkeling Scientist in Antarctica

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medea

medea

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Aug 4, 2002
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Madison, Wi
A marine biologist at the British Antarctic Survey has been killed by a seal, the first death of a BAS scientist on the icebound continent in 21 years, the organization said on Wednesday.
It said 28-year-old Kirsty Margot Brown was snorkeling near the BAS base at Rothera on the Antarctic Peninsular on Tuesday as part of her research into the effects of icebergs on inshore marine life when the leopard seal attacked and dragged her down.
Scientists accompanying her eventually managed to pull her from the water, but all attempts to revive her failed.
"This is tragic and shocking. Kirsty was a vibrant, dynamic individual committed to her science and with a promising scientific career ahead of her," BAS director Chris Rapley said in a statement, adding that her family in West Sussex, England had been told.
The BAS, which is based at Cambridge, north east of London, said Brown was an experienced cold seas diver who joined the organization on a 30-month contract in 2002.
It said that while leopard seals were inquisitive, it was rare for them to attack humans.

http://channels.netscape.com/ns/new...PLS&idq=/ff/story/0002/20030723/102021350.htm
 
Whoa. That's pretty freaky. I wonder what she did to make the seal mad, or if the seal just went off. Maybe the purple polar bear can eat that mean old seal for dinner!
 
Originally posted by Capt Underpants
Whoa. That's pretty freaky. I wonder what she did to make the seal mad, or if the seal just went off. Maybe the purple polar bear can eat that mean old seal for dinner!
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Probably wouldn't have to do much. leopard seals are large and predatory. Seals look cute but a number of them could seriously hurt people.
 
Originally posted by strider42
Probably wouldn't have to do much. leopard seals are large and predatory. Seals look cute but a number of them could seriously hurt people.
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like koalas, from what i understand those cute cuddly bastards will tear your throat open if you give 'em half a chance... but then i don't know that much about em, perhaps someone like mac15 would know a little better :)

pnw
 
thats horrible. that had ot be a terrifying way to die. though it sounds like she was just pulled under the surface by the seal and kept there till she drowned, not mauled by the thing. Which in my mind begs the question....where was her emergency tank? i was always trained that even when snorkeling in the ocean you are always to keep a small emergency air tank with you, just like when scuba diving. wonder if she had one and couldnt get it or she ignored usual safety measures (common when you get so used to your routine).

a tragedy all the same.
 
lol, when i first saw the title of this thread, i thought it was referring to that singer named Seal. i don't know why, but it's probably because it's late and i'm exhausted.
 
they should carry little trank or harpoon guns with them. with all those polar bears and stuff out there, id make sure i would have something.

iJon
 
Originally posted by iJon
they should carry little trank or harpoon guns with them. with all those polar bears and stuff out there, id make sure i would have something.
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Ah, no polar bears in the antarctic - sea lions are on top end of the food chain. The only things eating them are the Orcas....

Its a strange place, I would love to go there and almost went when I was in school - but I decided not to delay my graduation a year. :D

D
 
Originally posted by Mr. Anderson
Ah, no polar bears in the antarctic - sea lions are on top end of the food chain. The only things eating them are the Orcas....

Its a strange place, I would love to go there and almost went when I was in school - but I decided not to delay my graduation a year. :D

D
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ah ok, i didnt know, i just assumed all that snow and creatures and that guy being the few out there. i know i would want something. it would be an adventure to go there, i wonder how much to you have to pay for someone to take you there.

iJon
 
Originally posted by Mr. Anderson
Ah, no polar bears in the antarctic - sea lions are on top end of the food chain. The only things eating them are the Orcas....

Its a strange place, I would love to go there and almost went when I was in school - but I decided not to delay my graduation a year. :D

D
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do you remember how much it would have cost? and how you would have gotten down there?
 
It was going to be with NASA and the base down their - I would have been doing some icesheet/glacier surveying and geophysics research.

Cost? Free and I'd have been there 3 months ;)

D
 
Originally posted by Mr. Anderson
It was going to be with NASA and the base down their - I would have been doing some icesheet/glacier surveying and geophysics research.

Cost? Free and I'd have been there 3 months ;)

D
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that
's really cool. 3 months? that would be the adventure of a lifetime. i would have gone, especially if it's free.
 
I had just spent the summer on the icesheet in Greenland and would have had to withdraw from classes in order to go from November to January. It would have been cool, but by staying in school I graduated in March. Believe me, it was a tough call, but it wasn't something that was in my field of expertise, so I really didn't have much choice. :(

There are some regrets, but you know, if I had gone, I probably wouldn't be doing what I'm doing now. What ifs are always intriguing ;)

D
 
Originally posted by Mr. Anderson
I had just spent the summer on the icesheet in Greenland and would have had to withdraw from classes in order to go from November to January. It would have been cool, but by staying in school I graduated in March. Believe me, it was a tough call, but it wasn't something that was in my field of expertise, so I really didn't have much choice. :(

There are some regrets, but you know, if I had gone, I probably wouldn't be doing what I'm doing now. What ifs are always intriguing ;)

D
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well, now i see why you didn't go. i could have gone to italy for a summer, but money was part of the issue, and this was of course after 9/11, so my mom didn't want me going. i would have just ben a tourist, but i still would have loved to go.
 
No, different seals, the one that killed her was a leopard seal, the one they saw earlier was a fur seal...

But humans are relatively new to the wildlife down there. In most cases you can walk up to some, penguins for instance.

D
 
Originally posted by Mr. Anderson
No, different seals, the one that killed her was a leopard seal, the one they saw earlier was a fur seal...

But humans are relatively new to the wildlife down there. In most cases you can walk up to some, penguins for instance.

D
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Let's hope that never changes, the humans being unknown to most wildlife there that is.
 
It's a life that has gone, and doing for science to get a better understanding of, is it the environment, but I still can't side.

I've never really thought a Seal to be that dangerous before and I s'pose I'll treat them with respect.

[edit]I was tired last night so understand why it wouldn't really make sense.
 
I never said anything about being tame seals and penquins - its just that they don't perceive humans as threats - that's totally different.

And what's with the attempt at philosophy?;) I think I understand what you're getting at - but its sort of like quantum physics and Schrodingers Cat in a box experiment...

D
 
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