 Herbert Ponting, the photographer of the expedition, recalled in his book "The Great White South" that Pennell was "the most energetic man I have ever known...when Pennell was not occupied with navigating problems, he was either on watch, or conning from the crow's-nest, or else out on the yard-arms helping the seaman set or shorten sail, or otherwise assisting in the handling of the ship.He was a 'whale for work' ".Pennell married Katie Hodson, the sister of his friend from naval college, in 15 April 1915 during his shore leave.