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After a day of rest due to poor weather yesterday we had hoped to get the helicopters away early today, however it was not to be. The weather by all accounts at Mawson was good, however at the ship was cloud was too low and the surface and horizon definition too poor to allow us to commence operations. The only things that would be flying this morning were the snow and Antarctic cape petrels that continued to circle the ship.
At lunch time the conditions were reassessed and seemed to be improving. By early afternoon the call was made to remove the helicopters from their hangers and prepare them for a single cargo flight to Mawson. The ship progressed forward slowly and steadily through the 1st year pack ice. As it progressed the deck crew prepared a load of cargo containing a mixture of fresh and dry food goods for station. Around 15:30 the helicopters departed the ship for station. The snow and Antarctic cape petrels had been joined by a Southern Giant Petrel in the afternoon. The snow petrels appeared to be skirting close to the water at the stern of the ship where the water was being churned up by the thrusters. Perhaps this action was bringing tasty morsels of food in the form of krill to the surface of the water, which the birds were feeding upon.
We have now moved approximately 22 MT of cargo to Mawson. The remaining critical cargo on board, is the frozen, fresh and dry food stocks. Tomorrow the weather is looking good for a final round of sorties, we have our fingers crossed.
REGARDS: Andy, Jenn and Lauren
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.