The Far Side of Antarctica Continued

At sea: January 6, 2008

The morning was so warm that we were on deck in shorts and t-shirts. The wind was light, just enough to remind us that were still at sea.

Akos gave us another perspective about the Albatrosses that accompanied the ship. He talked about long-line fishing and the disastrous effect this has had on the larger sea birds such as albatross and petrels. Most legal fishing vessels have stopped using long-lines to avoid the seabird by-catch. Illegal fishing boats continue to cause enormous damage.

A returning passenger, Nigel, presented the Wonders of the Ross Sea. He showed slides and videos of a trip he had taken aboard Kapitan Khlebnikov two years before. Lars and I had been aboard. We remembered vividly the difficult seas, the ice storm and the sensational landings we had during that voyage.

Afternoon tea was followed by the Disembarkation Briefing. No one wanted to face the fact that tomorrow the expedition would end. We trudged to the auditorium where a Jonas and Danielle gave us the details. The second half of Daisy’s retrospective of our voyage was delivered after the briefing.

The Captain’s Farewell Party is always a special occasion, but this one had special significance. Captain Victor was celebrating 30 years as a ship’s captain. To mark the occasion we presented to him a specially commissioned painting by our resident artist. The gift was in recognition of the 17 years he had captained Quark vessels.