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Voyage 1 departed at 0830 yesterday and we had an amazing gentle transition into the open ocean travelling around the bottom of Tasmania. The good conditions continued today and as I type this the ocean is incredibly calm – it is difficult to believe we are sailing the Southern Ocean.
Yesterday the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) was deployed for the first of possibly five tows on our way to the Ice. The CPR looks a little like a metal fish which trails 100m behind the ship for approximately 450nm. Plankton is trapped between two strands of silk on a spool within a cassette and once the CPR is winched back to the ship the samples are preserved and returned to Australia for analysis. Antarctic plankton are expected to be sensitive and vulnerable to climate change so in 1991 the CPR in the Southern Ocean was established by the AAD as a monitoring program on krill and zooplankton.
There were several whale sightings yesterday and a pod of killer whales today gently swimming by the ship. Conditions have been so pleasant that stories of expeditioners sunning themselves on the helideck have been reported.
Today also was the commencement of daily Pilates class. Clocks will be turned back 1 hour tonight.
Cheers Leanne and Mick
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.