"Well."
Xiang Yang was stunned for a long time.
Although Xiang Yang knew that there were many large icebergs in the Weddell Sea, he did not expect that there would be such large icebergs.
Four thousand square kilometers, this is not just a piece of drifting ice. It is also a bit of an exaggeration to say that it is a big island, right
Moreover, if Xiang Yang remembered correctly, the largest iceberg in the world before this was called A-32A, with an area of about 3,880 square kilometers, and was also located in the Weddell Sea.
If these two icebergs collided and the ship happened to pass between them, Xiang Yang couldn't even imagine the consequences.
I'm afraid it will be impossible to get out in a few years.
Gao Chuang fumbled in his pockets for a few times, then turned back to look at Xiang Yang, "I didn't bring any cigarettes, do you have any?"
Xiang Yang quickly reached into his upper pocket. Although he didn't smoke, most of the people he dealt with on the boat did smoke. So in order to socialize, Xiang Yang always had a pack of cigarettes in his pocket, specifically for handing out cigarettes.
He took out a cigarette box and distributed it to Gao Chuang, Chen Qingsheng, Xu Fang, Fang Youqun and others. The cigarette box was empty. Xiang Yang simply didn't want the whole pack of cigarettes anymore and handed the last few cigarettes directly to Fang Youqun.
Fang Youqun quickly accepted it. It was a good cigarette and he usually wouldn't be willing to buy it.
Gao Chuang lit a cigarette, exhaled a puff of smoke, and then coughed violently a few times before finally saying, "Ever since that huge piece of drift ice entered the Weddell Sea, the Weddell Sea has become even more dangerous."
Xiang Yang nodded in agreement. "That's right. Such a large iceberg must not have been a whole when it was falling off. There must be many icebergs that are slightly smaller or much smaller than it. It is indeed not a wise choice to go to the Weddell Sea at this time."
Although Xiang Yang himself is not afraid of drifting ice.
Even if he was really trapped by the ice, Xiang Yang would be able to escape with the power of the mysterious jade shell.
But the other crew members on Xiang Yang's ship were probably in real danger.
"Mr. Gao, do you mean that we will not enter the Weddell Sea?" Chen Qingsheng asked tentatively.
"I'm not afraid. I have bought insurance. It depends on whether you are afraid or not." Gao Chuang joked with a smile.
"Well."
Everyone was stunned by Gao Chuang's words.
After coming to his senses, Chen Qingsheng smiled bitterly and said, "Mr. Gao, you are such a joker."
"Squeak, squeak."
Suddenly, there was a sharp squeaking sound as a sharp object scratched the wall of the ship.
Xiang Yang hurriedly walked to the side of the ship and looked under the side.
I saw a fat animal with half of its body submerged in the sea water, its head and paws floating above the water, and it was scratching the hull hard with one of its big paws.
"Is this also a seal?" Fang Youqun asked doubtfully.
The creature had a broad face, its eyes close together, and the claw that was scratching the boat was strong and black.
Its fur is silvery white and smooth, with distinct black bands forming many saddle marks on its back, roughly in the shape of a harp.
If this mysterious creature is also a seal, then it is much cuter than the leopard seal that Xiang Yang and his friends had seen in the copy before.
"Yes, that's right, this is a harp seal." Xiang Yang nodded.
Most people have never heard of the name of the harp seal.
But in fact, most people have seen what a harp seal looks like.
In the outside world, the word seal actually refers specifically to the harp seal, and the Internet is full of emoticons or avatars of this cute creature.
The harp seal is a fairly hardy marine mammal.
They are mainly distributed in the polar regions from Atlanta north to the Arctic Ocean.
Harp seals prefer to live in the open oceans and coastlines of the polar regions. They generally feed on cod, sweetfish and herring, and sometimes prey on Antarctic krill. They usually migrate in large numbers along the edge of the ice belt in the form of clusters.
Once upon a time, this seal was one of the favorite animals of fishermen traveling to Antarctica because its fur was very valuable, but now the capture of this animal is banned.
Harp seals have long been hunted for their fur and seal oil.
Since 1987, the Marine Mammal Regulations have explicitly prohibited the hunting of harp seal pups, and the seals hunted must be self-sustaining and able to live independently.
Today, the number of this seal is extremely small.
"This seal is so cute. Is it like the leopard seal we saw before? Will it bite people?" Fang Youqun asked.
Xiang Yang rolled his eyes. "Nonsense, this creature is ranked fourth on the list of the world's cutest species. Do you think it's cute?"
"As for whether it bites people or not, I don't know. How about you go down and try it?"
Fang Youqun quickly shook his head like a drum. Are you kidding? This thing’s name contains the word “leopard”. How can it not bite
"Strange."
Fang Youqun looked around and said, "There's no continent nearby. Could it be that this harp seal also lives on floating ice?"
Xiang Yang nodded, "It can survive on floating ice."
Harp seals actually do not have a fixed habitat. They mainly move around in the waters near the coastal ice floes. They swim to the open sea during migration and also go to the Arctic ice floes for breeding, molting, and resting.
Harp seals can travel up to 5,000 kilometres a year, with their migration patterns determined by where they breed and molt.
They breed in the southernmost part of their distribution range in winter and shed their fur near their birthplace in spring.
After molting, harp seals return to the northernmost part of their distribution range to spend the summer.
After the beginning of autumn, harp seals will return to their breeding grounds.
Harp seals only gather in groups during the breeding season and the molting period, and are alone at other times. The seal groups they form do not have a social or hierarchical system. They spend most of their lives at sea and spend less time on land.
Even when they get back on the road, attempts to land are usually made at night.
They only stay on the ice for long periods of time during the breeding and molting seasons.
Of course, even on the ice, the harp seal generally does not sit idle. It will spend several months digging holes on the ice floes to facilitate its entry into the water and breathing.
While Guan Yu was talking to Fang Youqun, the harp seal in the sea also raised its head and looked eagerly at Xiang Yang on the deck. Its cute leopard face looked like a snow-white smiling elf.
At this time Gao Chuang came over and said in surprise: "Oh, it's actually a harp seal."
Xiang Yang saw Gao Chuang looked surprised, so he asked, "Why, Mr. Gao, are harp seals rare in Antarctica?"
"It's rare to see, but it's also common. I haven't seen this kind of guy for several years." Gao Chuang said.