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Operational Summary:
* Vessel is in position offshore from Mawson station awaiting blizzard conditions to abate.
The Aurora Australis remained amidst the dense ice floes around 10-15 nautical miles offshore from Mawson station today, while strong winds associated with a low pressure system crossing the area delivered blizzard conditions to the Mawson region.
Aboard the vessel, the newly arrived expeditioners from station familiarised (or 're-familiarised') themselves with shipboard life and made the most of a little down time after a busy resupply period on station. The Aurora's crew continued working seagoing shifts as per normal, and the Antarctic Division's voyage management team worked with the vessel's Master and Chief Mate to schedule the remaining elements of Mawson's resupply and the subsequent transit to Davis station.
The Davis station team have also been closely monitoring the vessel's movements and progress with the resupply, eagerly awaiting the Aurora's return to their station to complete a few essential cargo transfers in support of personnel and operations remaining behind for the winter, and to retrieve the summer expeditioners, cargo bound for Australia and two helicopters. All station resupply arrangements take careful planning and coordination between the Antarctic Division's station-based and vessel-based personnel in cooperation with the Aurora's Master and crew, to ensure that activities are carried out in a logical sequence accounting for weather, the individual capabilities of watercraft or aviation assets (e.g. how much cargo by volume and weight each can carry) and the close management of personnel fatigue.
So with one eye on the completion of resupply cargo operations and final personnel transfers at Mawson, the team aboard are also looking ahead to timeframes, key activities and challenges we'll face upon arrival at Davis station – before our final transit back to Hobart.
All of these activities are undertaken within the relative comfort of the Aurora's living and working spaces – while weather conditions outside remain strong. Mawson Station are experiencing average wind speeds approaching 50 knots, but further off the coast the Aurora's only enduring a more moderate 30 knots. Once again, watching large groups of Adelie penguins and crab-eater seals on nearby ice floes, or the giant petrels, skuas and snow petrels regularly flying past the vessel seemingly unperturbed by conditions that are intolerable for humans, it's hard not to marvel at the resilience of smaller animals surviving in the Antarctic environment.
Yesterday proved that some larger animals also remain in the vicinity of Mawson station however, yet to join their fellow travellers who are beginning to begin their long journey Northwards across the Southern Ocean as colder conditions begin to return to the Antarctic. A small pod of Orca approached and swam beneath two of the Aurora's watercraft operators just outside the entrance to Horseshoe Harbour as the boat was busy pushing ice floes away from the operational zone. These large, intelligent dolphins join leopard seals as apex predators within the icy Antarctic waters, and have developed a range of techniques for locating and catching their prey. One of these techniques is known as 'spy-hopping', when the Orca will lift their heads out of the water to enable them to view what's above the surface – including seals or penguins which might be laying on ice floes. The watercraft team were thrilled to see such large marine mammals up close, but were likely also thankful that the Orca obviously determined that the two figures in bright red suits weren't worthy of a closer inspection.
Regards,
Mark and Fred
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.