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Yesterday afternoon was sunny and the pack ice was reasonably open. The place to be was at the bow as we crunched over the floes reaching speeds of up to twelve knots. From there the sound of the ice hitting the bow and sliding underneath the ship is surprisingly tinny, like a corrugated iron tank being dragged off the back of a truck. During a slower period some lucky folk saw a whale surface very close to the ship and dive underneath the bow. Avid photographers waited up to catch the changing colours of the sky as the sun dips towards the horizon. By this morning we had reached a section of larger floes, many being several hundred meters across and our speeds reduced significantly. We have passed into a slightly more open area now but the satellite pictures still show a barrier of more compact ice between us and the open water off Davis station. The scrubbing and vacuuming of the Davis and Zhongshan personal equipment is complete and today the Deputy Voyage Leader ran rehearsals of the procedure for marshalling and loading people into helicopters. Yesterday we enjoyed a fascinating presentation and video about the Japanese Antarctic programme, delivered by a Japanese geologist we have onboard. The Japanese programme is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. Another lesser known fact is that you can fit forty three expeditioners into a three berth cabin if you have enough time on your hands.
Map
A map showing Australia and Antarctica. The map shows the journey of one voyage that has occured in the season, with each route highlighted in a distinct colour.