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Late yesterday and early this morning we encountered some heavy ice with dry, compacted snow, that even a 8115 tonne ice-breaker was no match for! The good news is that we now seem to be through the worst patch of ice, with only the odd ridge to negotiate, and we expect to reach the polynya (open water) sometime later this morning. Just now, a 'snow sample' was reported on the trawl deck, and immediately our resident sea-ice expert was down there looking over these chunks of snow with glee! As we push through the ice and upend pieces of floes, we see the 'yellow-brown' colour on the under-side of the ice, which represents thick mats of sea-ice algae. So from the micro-to the macroscopic (crabeater seals and emperor penguins), wildlife abounds. Some 'wild' moustaches also abound on board, although a 'moustache support group' has had to be established to encourage some to persevere with the itchiness of it all and keep their 'mo' until the official end of 'Movember'. On that note, to kick off the season, just over $16,500 has been raised for Camp Quality this voyage. A sterling effort by all on board and special thanks must go to our Chief Cook, Mr Brown, for his ongoing commitment in fundraising for this charity. Until tomorrow...
Regards,
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.