A different point of view

Given that I am here 'playing' with satellite imagery, I thought you might like to see this view of our journey taken a day or so ago. Our starting point for this leg in the Falklands can be seen top-right and the finishing post of the Antarctic Peninsula can just about be made out bottom-centre.

Aqua MODIS satellite image, 8th Dec. Image courtesy NASA.

We have just crossed the Antarctic convergence and the temperature has dropped by several degrees. I suppose that means we are now in the Antarctic proper. Colleagues on board continue to conduct ocean CTD (conductivity - temperature - depth) profiles every few hours. If the weather was worse I am sure people would be more concerned about being held in the line of fire crossing the Drake Passage. However it has been relatively calm so far. Last night was a bit more lumpy - waves crashing over the deck, chairs with people in them sliding across the width of the bar, frequent creaking and shuddering noises etc, etc. I still feel fine 95% of the time, so I'm keen to experience a bit more of this. Looking out of the window the view one second is all sea, then all sky the next. It's certainly moving around a heck of a lot more than the Larne - Stranraer ferry.