A Southern Christmas 2001 - Day 6

 If you are reading this for the first time and haven't been following from the beginning - please DON'T! 

Kindly go back (HERE) and read my introduction and journal entry for Day 1 and hopefully we'll see you here soon.

Our days were getting busier - but we were getting closer to our destination and were about to enter the sea ice.  Read on...

Friday 21st December 2001

At sea (63 Deg S, 113 Deg E)

Tomorrow is the official longest day of the year and will be Aurora’s Christmas Day. We will be arriving and setting to work at Casey on the 25^th, so it has been agreed that this year, Santa will make a special early trip to our little part of the world. If tomorrow is anything like as long and eventful and enjoyable as today has been, then we’re in for a treat.

Most of us retired early last night – the ship was taking quite a beating and so were we. We had been experiencing severe gale conditions most of the day and many folk retired to their dongas to ride out the poor conditions.

At around 0200, the sea started to get calmer and by 0230 we were in a sea that was nothing more than a gentle swell. We were approaching the sea ice and by 4 am we were in the thick of it. What a spectacular sight. All day we have made our way through ice which at various times covers from ten to fifty per cent of the sea. It’s difficult to do justice to the scenery by simply writing about it. I’m sure much better poets and literary artists than me have tried and failed.

It is like being on another planet. We have all seen before, on countless documentaries the shapes and the shades of white and blue, but to see it for myself is like nothing I have experienced before. Little wonder that people keep coming back.

At one stage during the day, from horizon to horizon I was able to see majestic shapes of giant icebergs, looking for all the world like mountains, ocean liners, and city skyscrapers. Occasionally a small group of seals would stare at us from their ice floes as we passed and from time to time, we saw the odd minke whale.

Later in the morning we participated in a lifeboat drill which required all members of crew and expeditioners to muster on the helideck in full survival gear, complete with lifejackets. The drill went without a hitch with expeditioners responding immediately to the seven short and one long blast from the ship's siren over the intercom system. 

A couple of hours later, Yann and I sat in our cabin reviewing our video shoot of the drill. Our cabin door was open and we may have had the volume on the playback just a little too loud. It was a little embarrassing when two or three irate expeditioners, in full survival gear, complete with lifejackets arrived at our door having responded to what they thought was a second drill. Somehow I don't think we'll be allowed to forget this!

Following the safety drill, we carried out our krill trawl. Angela and a team from AAD are here to collect live krill samples (hopefully a few thousand) and carry out studies which will help us further understand these remarkable little creatures. Krill is like a tiny shrimp, as big as your little finger and abundant in the Southern Ocean. They are the main feedstock of most of the Antarctic animals including whales, seals, penguins, birds and fish, yet little is known about them. Many of us gathered to observe the activity on the Trawl Deck as Angela and her team, under the guidance of the Chief Mate, lowered a huge net which Aurora slowly trawled for about 15 minutes. We did this twice, but today’s catch recovered a few jellyfish, some squid and a several tiny fish and worms, but sadly only two krill. We will try again at Casey if time and weather permits.

The highlight of the day’s activities occurred later in the afternoon, just before dinner. To a fanfare of blaring conch horns and drums, King Neptune with his Queen and entourage entered the house  – and what an entourage it was. With a team of fearsome enforcers looking variously like Incredible Hulk, Angry Anderson and Zaphod Beeblebrox (complete with two heads), Neptune and his stunning Queen made their way into the E Deck Mess. Here Voyage Leader, Greg humbly beseeched His Majesty to make welcome those first-time travellers who had entered his Antarctic Domain. There were about 15 or 20 of us, including officers, crew and expeditioners who were venturing for the first time – or in the case of the second mate, had been getting away with coming down here for years without ever once getting caught.

My French colleague, Yann was singled out,  being held accountable for a long list of Gallic transgressions ranging from the Moruroa Atoll and the Rainbow Warrior incidents to the Davis Cup. Yann was sprayed with water pistols (filled with gin) and painted with Vegemite. He humbly apologised on behalf of the entire French Nation and was eventually admitted to the Frozen Domain after kissing the feet of the beautiful Queen and her fearsome King. Bad as this might have been, I believe the worst treatment was saved for the little grey-haired guy from the waste company who somehow managed to carry the responsibility for 100 years of human activity in the Antarctic Region. Since I was the last to be seen by His Awfulness, it seemed they had nothing else to do with the rest of the ice in the bin they had but to put it all down the front and back of my shirt. I think it will be a week before I manage to get all the Vegemite out of my hair.

The ceremony concluded with a sumptuous barbecue on the Trawl Deck attended by all expeditioners, officers and crew who weren’t on watch. There really was no better place to be on the planet.

Tomorrow is Christmas Day...