We woke up
to an overcast and calm day. A day of swings and roundabouts. With minimal
swell and wave heights below 2m, nobody felt seasick on board and everybody was
able to attend to the diverse lecture programme set up by the expedition team.
On the other hand, some photo enthusiasts were more than a bit disappointed as
under these conditions, albatross and other seabirds rarely fly. These birds
need more wind to soar around on the seas. So apart from a couple of Hourglass
dolphins that visited the ship, very few wildlife was spotted today.
The day was
also used for preparations for our landings in Antarctica. A big vacuuming
party was held in the corridors of deck 2 and 3, where everybody carefully
cleaned their jackets, trousers and bags. One of the biggest threats to
Antarctica’s wildlife is introduction of foreign life forms, being it seeds
from plants back home or microorganisms that are attached to soil particles.
With this extra care, we make sure that we keep Antarctica as unspoilt as it is
now.
