A Lively Ride to the STCZ! (Written on Jan 21, 2014)
A lone Adelie penguin on an iceberg – such a cutie!
Photo credit M. Jenner
Twenty to 25 knots from the NNW with gusts to 30 knots greeted me for my first dark night watch. There have been some funny things about being south – apart from the light ‘nights’, I have noted that we have been off the chart for our BOM weather recordings. Being south of 60, put us off the chart. I quite liked this, felt like we were here but nowhere, simultaneously. Was this all a dream? The nav computer software also “decided” that below 60 S, we did not need the evening palette for the screen, the dimmed screen, so as to not ruin your night-vision. There was one day/night that we could have had changed the screen but we were only given a white screen option. The computer is only as smart as its’ programmer, after all.
Back in the real world, we are “on” the charts and heading north with real darkness at night, it is fun reflecting on the experiences of being south. It was a bouncy ride all morning, as we made our way away from the lows and towards the STCZ. Are the blues at the STCZ now? Do they travel further south in the next month? So many mysteries… The old, ‘the more you know, the more you realise you don’t know’ is in business here.
“That’s it I’ve been to the Antarctic, I have seen a penguin on an iceberg!” This was a comment made as we circled a little berg with a lone Adelie penguin. Discussing our ‘favourite’ experiences, the common themes held by the crew were seeing the icebergs, collecting some iceberg pieces, having a toast with whiskey and iceberg, watching the prolific feeding of the humpbacks in the light ‘night-time’, the relaxed travelling by the whales in the day, gorgeous blue icebergs, pink skies with an endless vista of tabular icebergs, whales between 2 and 3 am in the morning following us and the chance of a lifetime to be there!
The Antarctic
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Terrifyingly intoxicating
Frighteningly beautiful
The Lion of the veld
This is the Antarctic-
Many secrets held
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Hearts and souls beware
It will entrap and snare
Addictive sights
Under southern lights
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Length of travel
Deep mysteries unravel
Long days
Light night haze
Fog, snow, wind and rain
Sludge on the window-pane
Tabular bergs so gorgeous you see
Even ‘Cream Pie’ gave shelter in an Easterly
Dotted bergs on the horizon lay
Among them whales did play!
Imprinted in my soul for good
To take – nothing could
Pinks and gold in a sullen hue
Humpbacks beside a berg so blue!
Rub my eyes
Truth denies?
To believe
Take a photo or 12!
Bergs and whales!
Oh, the tales –
Midsummer bliss
Magic Antarctic kiss
Indescribable ‘glue’
Magic in the air – it’s true
A greater worth than all the parts
Intense cold water is how it starts
Add the nutrients and light
Through the summer night
Forms a mix of pure delight-
An ecosystem in full flight
The ‘glue’ is a magic-ness
That holds all this specialness
An honour to know, visit and see
And to study, scientifically.
(Written by Micheline Jenner)
Noon Observations Jan 21, 2014
Blue water sailing on the transit home.
Photo credit M. Jenner
Lat/Long: 520 42.2 S 1190 40.7 E
Dry Bulb Temp: too rough to collect
Wet Bulb Temp: too rough to collect
SST (Sea Surface Temp): 5.70C
COG (Course Over the Ground): 0110
SOG (Speed Over the Ground): 5.4 knots
Barometer: 989 Hp
Beaufort SS (Sea State): 7-8
WS (Wind Speed): 30-35 knots, gusting to 40 knots
WD (Wind Direction): NW
Swell: NW 4-5 m, 6 m
Wildlife: Soft-plumaged Petrel, Broad-billed Prions, one Black-browed Albatross, Sooty shearwaters, White-headed petrels
WT: MVDOSG – 6.5
Antarctic Fact: More people have summited Mount Everest than have overwintered at the South Pole.
Antarctic Slang: house-mouse – the duty rotated among station members at the US ‘s South Pole and Palmer Stations, of cleaning up common areas.
Another fantastic iceberg – they are all gorgeous and special!
Photo credit M. Jenner
Resty called us to lunch with another funny accent on the all-ship intercom “This is your chef – lunch is served in the main saloon!” We needed no further coaxing and Fasta Pasta Bake (Fleet Pasta with melted cheese) and fresh garden salad enticed and calmed the rumbling tummies!
The waves began to pick up during our afternoon visual observations, and indeed all our looking effort was concentrated from inside the wheelhouse. Four to 5 m waves with the odd 6 m one thrown in for good measure, made for some lovely photos with sunlight brightening the crests. The seabirds were happy, ducking and diving and one albatross soared. For the last 25 years we have been conducting surveys in various places and I never cease to be amazed at the localised nature of distribution of all flora and fauna. Organisms have certain tolerances for locale – we just have to understand these patterns. Why do you live where you live? What are the primary, secondary and tertiary influences? Why do animals live where they live? These are age old questions for biologists and ecologists.
Big, blue waves wash ‘Whale Songs’ foredeck!
Photo credit M. Jenner
While we toss and turn on the waves, Resty worked magic in the galley. There is an extreme art to cooking while it is rough – well done Resty, our tummies appreciate your excellent handiwork. The pots on the stove are secured by steel tubing and also attached to this tube by their handles with twisted wire. Wire holds to oven dishes in place on the cooking racks. He has this high sea stuff sorted! Non-skid rubber mats are our friend everywhere in the galley, in the oven, in the microwave and on the table, keeping hot things in place. At the table we grasp our glasses in one hand and dive in by fork with the other hand… It is busy work this dining in 6 m sideways swell! Soy roasted chicken wings with rice and couscous and the last potatoes and sweet potatoes, as well as yummy fresh salad delighted!
With a bouncy ocean we continue to make our way as fast as possible northward, trying to escape the grip of ‘The Beast” – go Whale Song! I know you can!
Mich
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