An unexpected snag

lat: 70 31.62S
So what is happening in this part of the world? We have hit a unique snag. We have to unload the fuel for the base, yet the swell is too big. Normally the swell is buffered by ice, but as there is no sea ice, a first for Aukta Bukta, the swell is rolling into the bay, barely noticeable in the centre of the bay but crashing high against the cliffs of the ice shelf. This is a fantastic sight, watching the towering icy cliffs constantly bashed, disintegrating before your very eyes.

But what does this mean for us? The direct fuel pumping (from the ship, to the containers on the shelf) could not occur, forcing the reloading of the containers onto the ship to be filled before being replaced onto the ice. The crew are fearless, and work together with absolute trust against the swinging tons of metal. However, as the fifth container was caught swinging and hit by swell at the same time, sending it slamming into both the ships side as well as another container...I have never seen a ship reverse so fast as it was forced to stabilize the swinging container.

That ended any further plans of loading for the day! Our drivers were forced to return to the base so that the cat train can leave the base and we can start back loading, to return to South Africa all waste from the past year. This left us with containers full of polar fuel. Luckily, half the fuel needed to be delivered to the Germans, and so they met us today to reload the containers back onto the ice shelf. A weird collaboration of gigantic icebergs, and ice formation near the shelf saw the calming of the bay as our drivers drove off into the white expanse of the continent, and so offloading to the Germans went easily and quickly.

We spotted a plane today! flying to and landing at Neumeyer (the German base), we can just see it from where we are. If you imagine a pebbled beach, one of crystals with an underlying black. And the waves you see in the sea, continuing through the pebbles instead of crashing against the shore, then you can imagine waves moving through a bank of forming ice. slowing down, slowly being absorbed, until the energy is buffered.

The sun set for the first time today. With beautiful pinks and oranges spinning across the skies, ice and
ocean. Lining our wake, our disturbed glass surface with a golden tint.

There are daily mirages forming over Antarctica. The refection of white into the sky gives the impression of
towering icebergs caught in the middle of the continent. This evening was incredible. Minke whales, killer whales (hunting), humpback whales (feeding) and three leopard seals (circling the ship)! All of which were spotted within 5 minutes of each other. After the abundant numbers of whales last year, it feels like a desert this year, with only the occasional sighting of whales (every few days instead of everyday). I think its a combination of us being here a couple of weeks early, and the unique (good) weather and ice (none) conditions.

We entered the ships volleyball competition, raiding our spray paint collection and turning into a hippie version of the "suneaters". Besides our best intentions, and the full energy of days of sun absorption behind us...we were creamed. In both the first and knockout round! The Bosons team ("top Dogs") got hold of
us afterwards for two hours of solid training so that we would stand a chance in the final competition tomorrow. We reckon we might now get a point;-)