February 6

We arrived in McMurdo Sound yesterday morning around 2 am. We are about 6 miles from McMurdo Station across a field of fast ice, which is sea ice that is frozen to the land. This sea ice tends to be here year around in most years.

The heavy red line is the ship track.

We will be here for most of a week until we can move to the ice pier at McMurdo station. So, the location maps will not change.  The pier is about 0.2 miles from the station. At that point we will be able to get off the ship and walk to the station. But, not yet.  As you can see from the picture below we are in the sea ice and land is in view.

All science activities stopped yesterday when we got to the fast ice. All of the groups are packing the equipment  that they set up two months ago. No one is complaining because it means that we can go home soon.

So, why are we here? We are waiting for the Italian Antarctic research vessel, Italica. They will offload extra fuel so the Palmer can get back to Punta Arenas, Chile - a two week (more or less) trip. The Italica is supposed to appear some time this morning (it is about 5 am now).

There will be a long discussion between the two ships crews about how to arrange the ships, how to move hoses, how to avoid fuel spills, etc, etc. At some point, the two ships will be placed "starboard side to", which is nautical for "the ships facing opposite direction with the right (starboard) side of the ships next to each other". This might involve a bit of moving around as the Italica is not an ice breaker so the Palmer will help get the Italica in the ice.

I was on the midnight to noon watch. I have started shifting to a "normal" schedule of working during the "day" and sleeping during the "night". It is still light 24 hours so these time are set artificially by the clock and not by any light/dark cues. I had dinner last night for the first time in a while. Dinner is the "fancy" meal with special treats. At least it is not breakfast...

I got up about 4 am and the ship was very quiet. Most of the science party is still asleep. Most of the equipment in the labs has been taken apart and is being packed. The ship is not moving. It is quiet and peaceful--oddly so.

McMurdo Sound is a small embayment (20 to 30 mi wide and about the same long) surrounded by mountains (picture below). Mount Erebus is the most prominent mountain (actually volcano). Most of the mountains have snow fields and glaciers.

The ship is keeping a little forward thrust on the propellers which keeps an area of open water behind the ship. Various people have seen minke whales and orcas surface in the open area. Some skuas have come to visit. Very few penguins have come by.

It is odd to see another ship. The picture below  is the Russian icebreaker which is opening a channel through the sea ice into McMurdo Station for the supply ships. It does this by driving through the ice in parallel lines close together and breaking up the sea ice. The winds may move some of the ice away. Other ice may melt in place.

Russian icebreaker at McMurdo. 

 

 

The photo below is a view towards the northwest across the sea ice that is covered with snow. The mountains in the distance are either the Asgard or Olympus Range (I think). The colors here are subdued being white, blues and grays and sometimes black. There is a distinct lack of reds and greens here. It will be a shock to get to New Zealand (our stop after leaving McMurdo) which is in the height of summer. And, it should be warm, which will be a big change too.

Antarctic mountains.