Fifty Shades of White

So, I think it's fairly likely the next few blog entries will involve lots of pictures of ice and not much else, but really, who doesn't like icebergs?!  After leaving Stanley we met some fairly exciting weather, and for the first time in the 6ish months I've spent on this ship I actually had to hold on tightly to my mattress to stop myself sliding off the bed.  This particular roll resulted in various boxes, lamps and buckets coming lose in the surgery which then started to crash around in a most distracting manner (my cabin is next to the surgery so it's hard to ignore the noises).  I made the mistake of getting out of bed in bare feet just as the ship rolled again, and found myself sliding quite fast across the cabin and face first into the shut door with some force.  A real delight at 2am.  Unfortunately this meant we had to head in entirely the wrong direction for a while as the waves were being particularly troublesome - less than ideal as we were already several days behind schedule after some difficulties with cargo loading in Stanley.  However, it only lasted a couple of days and settled just in time for Christmas Day.  If it hadn't then I suspect we'd actually have had to delay Christmas as there is just no way the chefs could have prepared anything resembling a Christmas dinner in those conditions.  As it was we had a lovely meal, I spent a very pleasant couple of hours chatting in the crew bar and then some more in the officer's bar attempting to assist with a ridiculously tricky jigsaw which had far, far too many beige pieces for my liking.  Rock and roll it was not, but still very pleasant!  Soon after that we reached the ice.

Heading into the ice just off Signy

Chinstrap penguins porpoising next to the ship

One of the many good things about sea ice is that it ensures the sea beneath it is virtually flat calm.  I have tried using my turbo trainer in slightly bumpy conditions and it's just not a pleasant experience.  I think the fact I'm clipped into the bike as the ship's rolling around makes it feel like a particularly bad idea, and when I started wondering if I should attach the bike to the ship I figured it was probably time to go inside.  However, since we've been in the ice I've been on the bike every day (twice on one day as it was just so beautiful), and in terms of exercise options on a ship not much much can beat cycling along in the sun, watching the ice float by, with penguins porpoising, seals lounging and snow petrels wheeling about!

The view from my verandah taken while cycling

The first proper day in the ice ended with the most spectacular sunset I have ever seen out here (and that really says quite a lot).  The presence of a particularly large and imposing iceberg in just the right position definitely helped add drama to the scene, and the fact it could all be enjoyed from a comfortable seat on my verandah with a glass of wine and some dark chocolate made for a near perfect evening.  Just when it seemed it really couldn't get any better and the sun was about to disappear, the ship squeezed between two large icebergs and nearly everyone on board could be found on the aft deck trying to capture the scene with a large array of photographic apparatus.  I will admit there are times when I find life at sea more than a little tedious, but experiences like this do somewhat make up for the days spent staring at water!

Taken from my verandah - not a bad life!

Really quite close!

Against all odds the humber and cargo tender managed to find a way through the ice to drop off and pick up people at Signy, and then drop off the field party on Southern Powell Island.  I have to be honest and say I was rather hoping they wouldn't be able to drop off the latter party as I'm really not sure I like the sound of what they're going to do to the penguins there, but apparently it's all in the name of science.....

On the plus side, the weather at Southern Powell was highly conducive to getting atmospheric shots of icebergs, and of course I really don't have enough photographs of icebergs already! 

Shops, cars and baby birds

Back to civilization and the bright lights of Stanley!  Shops, restaurants, cars, roads, new people, WiFi etc.  To be honest I was far less excited by all this than I expected to be.  However, I did have the use of a car which definitely was exciting, and it seems I haven't entirely forgotten how to drive and managed not to crash, so that was good.  I did forget that in normal life things have to be paid for at time of purchase (as in you can't just tick a sheet and have it deducted from your wages at a later date), and for this a wallet is usually required.  The first trip into town was less successful than it could have been thanks to the complete lack of any means of payment, but the second attempt went better and included the most amazing Eggs Benedict I've ever tasted.  I may not have missed shopping much, but I have missed going out for lunch.  Even if it's by myself and I feel like everyone is looking at me like I'm just a bit weird!  Surprisingly shopping was a minimal affair - mince pies, nice apple juice, some incredibly expensive nectarines, a t-shirt and a facemask (!) and it was all over for at least another month.  There are far better things to do in the Falklands than go shopping!

Sunrise at FIPASS

Lady Elizabeth at low tide

Magellanic penguins at Gypsy Cove

Incredibly (this being the Falklands and all), the weather was amazing for nearly the entire time we were alongside.  This meant there were plenty of opportunities to go running (I have REALLY missed running) and to sit in the sun watching the world go by.  I haven't been able to sit outside wearing just a t-shirt for quite some time now and it felt really quite wonderful to be outside feeling that warm.  I took many trips to see the penguins - running, walking with a massive camera (lots of baby birds to photograph), in a car for a quick penguin fix and with wine and a kindle on an evening stroll.  On a sunny day the Falklands really is one of the most beautiful places in the world so this blog mainly consists of lots of pictures.  I particularly like the fact birds in the Falklands don't really move much when approached by someone wielding a huge camera.  This kind of wildlife photography is ideally suited to my limited supply of patience!

Gypsy Cove

Magellanic penguins at Yorke Bay

One of my favourite places in the Falklands - no idea what it's called but the dunes are stunning

Falkland steamer duck chicks

Black-crowned night heron fishing

Small bird - probably a Falkland thrush

Upland geese

Black-crowned night heron chicks

Rock shags

The beautiful sunsets in these parts don't get any less impressive with time spent here, and we were treated to some stunning evening skies while alongside.  I've also found another use for the verandah outside my surgery and have taken to sitting out there wrapped up in many layers whenever the sun is setting on the right side of the ship. Slightly worryingly this does remind me of a scene in the film 'Shirley Valentine' where Pauline Collins is sat on a beach on her own talking to a rock.  I suspect if I find myself talking to the life raft which sits in front of the verandah at any point over the next 4 months it will probably mean it's time to get on the next flight home.

Sunset over Stanley

Enjoying the evening sun on the verandah

The final day in the Falklands was spent at Mare Harbour (military port) to take on fuel before starting the long journey south.  This meant there was time for a final run and a trip to Bertha's beach.  By this time the weather had deteriorated somewhat and the winds were up to about 25 knots heading out to sea.  The run to Bertha's beach is fairly exposed and the beach itself is covered in soft white sand.  With hindsight it would probably have been better to wear full length trousers as my bare legs got decidedly sandblasted on both the way out and back.  However, all minor discomfort was well worth it as the beach is home to Gentoo penguin colonies, and at this time of year that means fluffy and adorable chicks.  I left South Georgia about a week before the chicks were born which was more than a little disappointing, so to have the chance to see them here was an unexpected and much appreciated treat.  Running with my camera isn't a particularly enjoyable experience so photos had to be borrowed on this occasion.

Gentoo penguins and fluffy chicks with big bottoms (photo H. Venebales)

Braving the sand blasting ( (photo H. Venebales)

A life at sea

Once the work at Bird Island and Signy had been completed the science work could start in earnest.  The work being done by this group mainly involved floating around in open water fishing for krill and other small creatures, but occasionally we did have to go near land.  Rather fortuitously the calibration of some of the kit we carry (an echo sounder I think) always takes place in Stromness Bay, which is a spectacularly beautiful place place to visit.  Despite their rather gruesome past, the whaling stations are impressive places and, even when seen from a distance, the scale of the operation is all too apparent.  After that we had a short unscheduled trip back to KEP to drop off Hugh who had  finished stamping the 12500 British Antarctic Territory First Day Covers in record time and was keen to get back to South Georgia to stamp things there and (I suspect far more importantly) to go running.  Ella came aboard for tea which was unexpected and wonderful, and I got to wave goodbye to KEP for probably the last time.

Leith whaling station

Stromness whaling station

Stromness whaling station in a state of ongoing decay

Almost certainly my last sighting of KEP

So, what do you do when stuck on a ship that's floating around in the Southern Ocean doing science work if you're not a scientist and you're not really part of the ship's crew?  Quite honestly, on some days, not a whole lot!  Trying to find motivation to fill the day with useful, worthwhile, challenging and interesting pursuits can be tricky when no one is actually watching what you're doing and, in all probably, you wouldn't be missed if you chose to just spend a few days in bed.  However, time does pass somewhat quicker if you're doing things, and it's actually not that easy to laze around in bed while everyone around you is working.  Admittedly a fair bit of my time is spent taking pictures, either of the crew and scientists (I'll probably cover this on another occasion) or wildlife when I'm feeling unusually patient.  As always around these parts there have been plenty of albatrosses accompanying the ship, so I've even managed a couple of non-blurred pictures of them this time.   I have, however, entirely failed to get any of my own pictures of whales, but Humpbacks have been around en masse, and one of the best things seen so far was a pod of Pilot whales playing in the waves at the bow of the ship during a particularly bumpy patch (sadly no pictures at all, so you will just have to believe me when I say it was awesome!)

Wandering albatross and Giant Petrels

Wandering albatross

Humpback whale (photo Simon Wright)

In fact, there is always stuff to be done if you're willing to do pretty much anything.  So far I've put up new lifejacket signs on the back of cabin doors, checked cargo lists, checked the immersion suits and lifejackets are in reasonable working order, made more signs for the engine room, helped Hugh bundle up 12500 First Day Covers and taken daily water samples for a scientist based in Plymouth.  I have absolutely no idea what the samples are for, but I have to fill a jar with sea water, empty a bit of it out, put some mercuric chloride in to kill things and then tape it up.  It's not exactly an arduous task, it's once a day and takes about 10 minutes, yet I still manage to forget to do it on occasion.  Or sometimes I remember just as I'm going to bed and then have a heated argument with myself about whether I should just forget about it that day or whether I should get dressed all over again and go scuttling down to the lab.  I think it's fair to say I probably wouldn't make a great scientist!  I have done some actual doctoring and I am keeping my fingers crossed it was the first and last time I will hear 'can the doctor please report to the duty mess immediately' piped over the ship's tanoy system.  Not great for the heart rate.  It was at this point I came to realise storing my bike and a large box of personal kit in the tiny surgery probably wasn't the best idea.  Anyway, all's well that ends well and the patient is doing fine, my bike is now stored in my cabin and the box in a luggage locker which is probably far more appropriate.

Probably one of the hardest things about being at sea is the fact that options for exercising are just so much less inspiring than they are on land - oh how I miss the running!  As probably mentioned before, the gym on here is a tiny room with no windows, a rowing machine, a cross trainer and some weights.  I've tried rowing a couple of times, but can already tell I won't stick at it for long.  Sunny and calm days are a rare treat as I can take my bike out onto the verandah (some might call it a rusty and peeling bit of deck that just happens to be outside my surgery door, but they would be wrong) and get a bit of fresh air.  I might not actually go anywhere, but when you have the birds circling overhead and whales blowing water on the horizon it's not exactly a terrible option.  The alternative are some exercise DVDs given to me by a friend.  Initially I was highly dubious about them as the thought of an incredibly enthusiastic and half naked American shouting at me for an hour a day was less than appealing.  However, they're actually growing on me now and I reckon they may keep me interested for a bit longer than the rowing will as at least they're varied.  The only problem with this is that there is absolutely no completely quiet place on the ship in which to do the exercises, and every now and again a random person will walk in on me in one of the cargo holds doing some bizarre punching and lunging combination while trying to balance as the ship rocks, with the crazy American shouting something about sweat being good or telling me not to quit as I have to 'earn that Tap Out body.'  It's a fairly embarrassing occurrence but, since exercise is basically vital for my sanity, it just has to be accepted!

My verandah with ever-changing view

One of the more pleasant evenings we've had on board so far.

More interesting conditions at sea

Shovelling ice and falling in love with penguins

Next stop Signy!  After completing relief at Bird Island we headed off to Signy to open up the base for the summer and drop off provisions.  This year there were only a few small bits of ice in the bay so relief was much easier than last year as the tender could actually get alongside the jetty.  A large group of scientists, Signy base staff and a couple of other hangers on (including myself and Hugh, the Postmaster) were set ashore so we could get the base ready for supplies to be unloaded.  This basically involved bashing away at thick ice and shoveling it out the way so the barrows and trolleys could make it through.  I somehow found myself working with Hugh who is pretty much part man, part machine and ridiculously strong.  He bashed the ice with a heavy metal pole and I shoveled.  It seemed he took great delight in breaking off larger and larger blocks of ice for me to lift.  All complaints were met with an encouraging "ah you can lift it, get on with it," and between us we had soon cleared a sizable area of decking.  Tea was drunk at some point which rejuvenated everyone and then it was time to unload boxes from the cargo tender - it is incredible how much stuff it takes to set up a base!  A highly enjoyable lunch of fishfingers and chips was sent ashore for us from the ship's galley and then I spent a small amount of time sorting medical kit - really not my favourite job it must be said.  After a long and relatively tiring day most of us headed back to the ship on the tender in the early evening, leaving just a few of the technical services team ashore to sort out things like generators and running water etc.

Cargo tender coming in to drop of provisions

This might be Signy or it might be Coronation Island

Most people woke up the following morning feeling a little achy, but a few went back ashore to carry on sorting stuff.  I stayed on the ship, partly because I didn't have anything to do ashore, but also because there was a vague rumour that a boat might be going to Gorlay, and if there was, I kind of wanted to be on it.  It was starting to look like this probably wouldn't happen as there was talk of taking RIBs over with just a couple of people on board.  Luckily plans changed suddenly and I got a phonecall saying the tender was leaving in 5 minutes so I should get my stuff ready and head down ASAP.  At the time of the call I was doing yoga on my verandah and wasn't really dressed for land based adventures.  Some swift changing, organising of camera gear, finding of hat etc. was required and then it was time to go.  Gorlay is where the Signey scientists do some of their work and I had only ever heard rave reviews about the place - thousands of Chinstrap and Adelie penguins in a beautiful location is not really something I wanted to miss!

Arriving at Gorlay

Never will I get bored of them!

All I can say is I'm fairly glad I made it onto the boat!  I have been lucky enough to see a lot of fairly awesome things over the last year, but I can safely say that I have yet to start taking it all for granted.  Gorlay was an absolutely incredible place, with penguins on nests, penguins courting, penguins going for little penguin adventures and penguins sliding around on their tummies and leaping in and out of the sea.  We did a little bit of work moving some bricks around, but mostly we just watched the penguins and in my case, fell in love with them all over again!

Penguin mating behaviour

A LOT of penguins!

Adelie colony

A rather majestic looking skua

More courtship antics

Not looking hugely impressed at having a camera put near him while he's trying to do his thing!

Eventually it was time to return to the ship and head off for the next adventure (or at least for the next few days of floating around doing science work).  It still feels incredibly strange to not be at KEP, but trips like this do help to take my mind off it somewhat!

Just waiting in the cargo tender to get craned back on board