Our first day at sea, on our first voyage of the new Antarctic season. Most of us, if not all of us, were not quite sure what to expect from the furious fifties. Morning, however, was surprisingly peaceful, a long rolling swell, little wind, and best of all, lots of sun!
Nonetheless, a few people were still not reassured by this auspicious beginning and nervously spent the morning by a lifeboat with their lifejackets on….
No, no really! After breakfast we had the mandatory safety briefing and lifeboat muster. We were joined on the deck by flights of soaring birds, looping and dipping: albatross, petrel, shearwater, and prion. Were they leading us, beckoning us to the southern ocean, or merely forming a merry little caravan while we cruised upside-down along the gentle slope at the bottom of the earth straight to its frozen southern cap? Perhaps I was the only one bothered by these questions and images, for everyone else there were several lectures to help prepare, to understand, and ultimately treasure the adventure now unfolding before us!
