Sometimes life at sea can seem pretty miserable, working strange hours and being away from home for so long, (I have now been at sea for about 5 months). Then something magical happens and you remember how special it is to come to sea and what a privilege it is to be able to visit these environments. Yesterday, as I prepared to sample a call went out that an Ice Bear had been spotted off the port side. We all rushed outside with our cameras at the ready and were not disappointed as about 40 meters from the ship a furry white head bobbed above the water. The curiosity shown by myself and the others onboard was not one way as our aquatic visitor seemed as curious about us and swam closer, stretching his neck to get a better view. It was a really amazing moment in my life and I am always blown away to see such majestic creatures in their own environments. However, this tale should come with a cautionary note. During our time in Amundsen Gulf we have seen the ice disappear much quicker than history dictates it should, adding to the body of evidence that global change is a real phenomenon. Reduced ice cover is threatening the existence of such creatures as ice is key to their survival. So, if you were a doubter, and shockingly I still meet them, global change is real (I’ve seen the effects with my own eyes) and there are no more excuses for us not to do something about it!

Of course every ship is different but there is something special about Amundsen that makes her unique among all the ships I have ever sailed on. Now Mum don’t panic, but Amundsen has a big hole in her hull! It’s ok we’re not sinking. No, this is a marine architectural feature called very romantically the ‘Moon Pool’. To me this conjures up romantic images of a place where young, smartly dressed sailors might take their doe eye scientist girlfriends in the evenings for a smooch but actually it’s not quite so attractive.

The Moon Pool is a 3 meter by 3 meter square hole through which instruments can be deployed even when the ship is completely frozen into the ice making sampling possible under any conditions. Of course in the freezing waters of the Arctic keeping ‘the pool’ itself free of ice can pose some engineering challenges and so a system whereby hot water from the Sea Chest (engine) is pumped in, is employed, to keep everything fluid. It has to be said the pool is a little bit smelly and looks kind of industrial. However, I have been told that on previous expeditions it has become the residence of a couple of Sea Lions making it a good place to come to relive some scientific stress. So hey, maybe it is a bit romantic after all?!

Op weg naar de Amundsen 

Now I begin the next stage of this adventure as I travel from the tip of Chile to the Amundsen Gulf in the Canadian Arctic. The ship I leave behind is the Polarstern and I miss her and the scientists and crew of ANTXXIV/3 terribly. The tragic events of that cruise will forever be etched into my memory and I will never forget those friends we lost. On all cruises strong bonds are formed between shipmates but more so in particular when hard times are endured and without doubt these were the hardest times I ever faced at sea. Needless to say it seems strange to be without those people who have become so familiar to me and almost like a second family. My trip from Antarctica to the Arctic took many days and nights as shown on the movie. Lucky I had a few days break in Quebec to visit the University of Laval, with whom we are collaborating on this expedition. The final stage made it all seem worthwhile though, as we flew in over the sea ice and landed next to my new icy home aboard the Canadian Cost Guard Ship ‘Amundsen’. I will spend 12 weeks on this vessel investigating the viruses and their interactions with the microbial populations which develop as the ice melts throughout the spring.

By the time I leave again, the ice that is currently surrounding us will have completely disappeared and we will be floating in a more typical seascape. Over the coming 3 months I will keep you updated as to how the science and life in general is going onboard Amundsen.

Today is the 10th of february and we are currently tied up in Cape Town. Fantastic, opportunities for shore leave, stunning views of Table Mountain which dominates the sky line and of course South Africa’s beautiful sunny weather. However, the catch is this we were supposed to leave 3 days ago!

And the cause of our delayed departure? High winds, with gusts equating to storm force 10, pretty rough stuff. Now you might be thinking that it seems R.V. Polarstern isn’t quite that tough and should we be sailing into the Southern Ocean upon such a delicate vessel? But do not fear, Polarstern can ride out the worst storms, in fact the problem is that some of the science gear needed has been stuck in a container onboard another ship unable to get into port due to the inclement conditions.

Today, however, brings good news as after the container ship’s redirection to Port Elizabeth and a short train ride the missing equipment is finally set to arrive, meaning we will leave shortly. Strangely I have never felt quite so confined on a ship as I do right now and I am very keen to leave port and be back out riding the massive swells of the Southern Ocean.

Claire

We’ve packed our seasickness pills and warm socks and in just few weeks time we will meet the German ship Polarstern in Cape Town and set sail for Antarctica. This cruise will take us to the German Research Station Neumayer where finally I will realize my ambition and visit that continent of Earth that I’ve only ever seen in news reports. Along the way we will be fishing for viruses and I’m really excited to find out what they are up to in these icy waters. Ten weeks later, we will land at the tip of South America from where I will continue my journey in search of more snow and ice. This time I’ll swap Penguins for Polar Bears and travel north to the frozen waters of the Arctic and the Canadian Coast Guard Ice Breaker Amundsen. Onboard which I’ll spend three months studying the viruses infecting the microbes which multiply in the water column as the ice retreats during the spring and summer. Am I nervous? Hmm, six months at sea….. Maybe a little. Am I excited? YES, more icy adventures!

Zo gewoon als het voor Claire is om op een onderzoekscruise te gaan (twee opeenvolgende cruises buiten beschouwing gelaten), zo ongewoon het is voor mij (Erwin Frijling, red.). Waar ik nog nooit langer dan een dag op zee heb doorgebracht gaan wij straks drie maanden ronddobberen op enkele ruwe zeeën. De echte spanning is er nog niet, maar gaat nog wel komen. De grootste angst die ik heb is dat de apparatuur kapot gaat waarvoor ik ben meegevraagd, de bediening van de ‘algenteller’ (flow cytometer), gelukkig heb ik er alle vertrouwen in dat ook deze - net zoals de crew - weer heelhuids huiswaarts zal keren.

Onvoorbereid naar Antarctica kan natuurlijk niet. Naast de werkvoorbereidingen en het bestuderen van relevante artikelen ben ik bezig met het doorspitten van de Loneley Planet om wat meer te weten te komen over wat ons te wachten staat en dat is een hele boel!

Antarctica here we come!

Ny Alesund is een erg afgelegen plaatsje en dus zou het vreselijk onhandig zijn als je je tube tandpasta of je snoepvoorraad vergeten bent. Gelukkig voor ons wetenschappers, en ook voor de duizenden toeristen die ieder jaar langskomen, is er de ‘Svalbard Butiken’, de Winkel. De openingsuren zijn niet zo ruim als die van een gewone supermarkt – twee keer per week is hij een uur open – maar hij heeft wel een goed assortiment van de kleine dingen die het leven prettiger maken. Onder de populairste aankopen zijn ansichtkaarten, snoep en alcohol. Maar goed, het spijt me, ik moet nu gaan, want mijn chocola is bijna op en de winkel gaat over vijf minuten dicht!

Enter any building in Ny Alesund and the first thing will find is racks and racks of shoes and slippers. You would be considered very rude if you ventured any further inside without removing your own outdoor shoes! This is because in Ny Alesund there are no concrete pavements to walk upon and in winter you will be tracking through snow whereas in spring and summer there are dirt tracks. Of course during the melt season, which is happening right now, this problem gets even worse with all shoes becoming instantly coated in a layer of mud the moment you step outside. However, when working in my cold, wet little room I really miss my fleece-lined boots!

Het Marine lab in Ny-Alesund bevindt zich aan de rand van het dorp aan de rand van het fjord. Sinds onze aankomst, nu twee weken geleden, liggen de restanten van een rendier aan de vloedlijn. Door onze ramen zien we meeuwen het karkas schoon eten. Een paar dagen terug verscheen er ook een poolvosje bij de restanten van het rendier.

Schieten

De spullen uit de kisten zullen we opstellen in een van de laboratoriums en in een 2 graden Celcius klimaat kamer. De klimaatkamer is klein, 2 x 2 meter en heeft geen ramen. Voor onze experimenten halen we water uit het nabijgelegen fjord.Om de organismen in het natuurlijke zeewater zo min mogelijk te verstoren werken we bij temperauren die overeenkomen met de temparatuur van het fjord. In deze kleine klimaatkamer zullen we de komende weken veel te vinden zijn.

Gisteravond hebben we een herhalingsles schieten gehad. Op Spitsbergen komen ongeveer evenveel mensen als ijsberen voor. IJsberen kunnen agressief zijn.Om in geval van nood anderen en jezelf te kunnen redden leren we om te gaan met een geweer. In februari hebben we een cursus gehad bij onze gastorganisatie, het AWI, in Bremerhaven en gisteren kregen we de benodigde herhalingscursus.

De schietbaan ligt hier op ongeveer een kilometer buiten het dorp. Op sneeuwscooters zijn we daar heen gegaan. Voor ons was het de eerste keer dat we op een sneeuwscooter zaten. Ze maken veel lawaai en stinken, maar zijn de handigste manier om je in de sneeuw te verplaatsen.Bij de schietbaan was het een enorme herrie. Twee mannen van de onderzoeks basis probeerden met grof geweld met behulp van een boorinstallatie houten palen in de bevroren grond te krijgen. Het schieten deed zeer. De geweren zijn van een zwaar kaliber en hebben een zware terugslag. De komende week zullen we aan onze schouder kunnen voelen dat we geschoten hebben.