Both penguins and Crabeater seals do return to the frigid ice, however, to rest and put a few feet of ice between them and their primary predators.
The Weddell Sea is such a unique environment. Except for the five or so ships that have been to this place in the previous 107 years, life continues unchanged, year after year after year. However, that does not mean that the Weddell Sea is unaffected by the rest of the world. As the planet warms slowly, the Polar Regions are warming faster than most areas. Small changes to these fragile environments can have massive, long-lasting consequences to krill abundance, ice coverage, water quality and--ultimately--the ability of animals like penguins, seals, whales and Antarctic birds to survive here. Many governments are cooperating to make the Weddell Sea a protected area, which is a great start. But you don’t need to be here in order to help protect the Weddell Sea. Your individual choices (walking versus driving, recycling versus throwing away, sharing what you have learned about the Weddell Sea with others) contributes to a global effort that makes it possible for places like this to exist.
