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At about 0530 this morning we had our first encounter with the pack
ice, lots of first year ice but not enough to really hinder our progress.
Currently drilling through the pack to what we hope is a large stretch of
some open water. Progress continues to be good and fingers are crossed that
we can make Davis by Friday afternoon. Temperature has dropped below zero
for both air and water so definitely experiencing Antarctic conditions. We
retarded clocks again last night and are currently on UTC+6, meaning one
more hour and we will be aligned with Davis and Mawson time.
Yesterday afternoon, in preparation for our arrival, George, the Voyage
Management Trainee and Voyage Environmental Officer, briefed expeditioners
and crew on their responsibilities to look after the fragile Antarctic
environment. The AAD cherishes its position as a leader in reducing the
impacts of our activities in this pristine part of the planet. Key to this
is all of us doing our bit to ensure this happens. A key measure in the war
against introduced species is the thorough cleaning of equipment and
clothing, especially footwear. It is surprising the amount of seeds and
other potential bio-hazards that lie hidden in people's clothes, camera bags
and on the soles of shoes. The voyage 3 cleaning session was held yesterday
afternoon, with all expeditioners and crew getting the tick off, very
important as no tick no go ashore is the rule. If you want to learn more
about the impact of these 'Aliens' on the Antarctic environment, enter
'Aliens in Antarctica' in the search box and the AAD website
(www.aad.gov.au) to learn all about them.
Turning to the locals instead of the aliens, the pack ice has certainly
brought out the wildlife. This morning shortly after George 'the Whale
Whisperer' arrived on the bridge, two large pods of Humpback whales
appeared. This is two days in a row that cetacean sightings have
corresponded with the appearance of the VMT on the bridge. Both pods stayed
with us for a while, as they obviously enjoyed the abundance of krill
hanging around the ice edge. Bird life has definitely increased, with the
appearance of Cape Petrels and more Shearwaters. We were also buzzed by a
juvenile Giant Petrel and encountered our first Snow Petrel. The first seal
of the voyage, a Crab Eater, was spotted close to the ship, lounging on a
large floe. We didn't seem to bother it and all we got was a slight head
raise as we passed.
We also held our watercraft briefing yesterday afternoon, where Fred, our
Watercraft Coordinator, briefed our operators and ship's crew on the boating
operations from the ship during our Davis visit. The main emphasis was on
conducting a safe operation in an inherently dangerous environment. We have
a cast of seven watercraft operators aboard as well as the boat crews
already at Davis, all of whom are highly experienced in operating in the
Antarctic environment and in and around the Aurora Australis.
Since the icebergs have become a bit more prevalent so to have the cameras
with large lenses. This has increased even more with our foray into the ice
pack this morning. The bridge will be a very busy place for the next couple
of days as the thousands of dollars of new cameras are given a good work
out.
On the culinary front, I have to report that the pinnacle of gastronomic
excellence was passed last night. Yes the Sticky Date Pudding is no longer
at the top. Ken rolled out the homemade Banana and Caramel Self Saucing
Pudding to rapturous applause. It was close but the Jury has decided that
this was the best dessert so far this voyage. The critical volume on the
fruit buns has finally been reached, baking around the 40 mark ensured that
there were actually two left at the end of dinner, amazing! Not bad for a
ship with 60 odd people on it, and shows how good those buns are.
All aboard continue to live the Southern Ocean dream as we draw closer to
our first port call of the voyage.
Regards
Rob, Simon and George.
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.