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Pre-resupply briefings and planning sessions continued aboard the Aurora. Topics ranged from refuelling operations, to procedures on how to disembark the vessel via a ladder into waiting inflatable rubber boats (IRBs) and the over-water transfer of expeditioners to station.
This afternoon the ship arrived on the coordinates which we had every reason to believe a whale mooring lay waiting for a call up. This acoustic device, tethered to its mooring on the ocean's floor since its deployment during last year's V2, is the 'flagship of the Southern Ocean Research Partnership – an international Whaling Commission endorsed collaborative program' intending to survey the Antarctic Blue Whale population and 'gain an insight into their recovery and ecology'.
Our communications officer, coordinating with bridge crew, sent a series of sonar 'pings' into the depths and from 2,500 odd metres below the surface the mooring was detected and its position triangulated. Confident it was within range of the keen eyes of volunteers on the bridge and outer decks of the vessel, the whale mooring was sent its marching orders. Detaching from its mooring it began its ascent to the surface and around 30 minutes later surfaced some distance from the portside of the bow, bright yellow against the whitewash and dark grey seas. The ship's crew deftly manoeuvred the ship to retrieve the device via grappling hook and winch onto the trawl deck. Once aboard and secured, they swiftly deployed its successor, marking its coordinates for a rendezvous one way or another, this time next year.
Our second voyage objective completed with thanks to all involved, we now look forward to entering the sea ice later tonight, and to arriving on station sometime tomorrow.
Regards,
James, Anthea & Gemma.
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.