As a storm raged outside, guests dined in comfort in the Le Boreal dining room.

Two guests took advantage of onboard time today to catch up on their reading in the library.

Climate Change Specialist Jim McClintock emphasizes a point during his afternoon lecture today.

Guests enjoyed tea in the main lounge this afternoon as the Le Boreal rode out the storm!

A couple of ladies relaxed comfortably in the Observation Lounge while watching the weather outside.

Bransfield Strait

12/13/2010

Another very different face of Antarctica greeted us when we awoke this morning. Yesterday's blue sky was now obscured by thick low clouds, and the wind had churned up the sea to a froth. As we looked out on the snow-covered outer decks, Expedition Leader Larry Hobbs announced over the PA system that the sea was far too rough for zodiac operations at the moment. Some of us caught up on sleep after a lively time in the bar the night before, while others chatted over a second cup of coffee.  

We then met Historian Bob Burton in The Theater for a fantastic presentation entitled, "When I was a lad: Life in the Antarctic". Through stories like the penguin tied to the bagpipe player, and Ginger the cat getting its tail nipped by snowy sheathbills, Bob's talk was as much about daily life at Signy station during the 1960's as it was about the scientific work being conducted at this remote outpost in the "old days". This was a riveting presentation, definitively Bob Burton at his best!  

Before lunch, Geologist Colin Summerhayes gave us a very informative overview of scientific research in the Antarctic, and the ins and outs of the Antarctic Treaty System. Examples of modern-day research include ice core drilling to examine the Earth's former atmospheric conditions, and the discovery of large freshwater lakes far beneath the Antarctic ice sheet. Colin also introduced the Antarctic Treaty, which holds all territorial claims in abeyance, requires all decisions to be made by consensus, and dictates that Antarctica should remain a place used for peaceful purposes only.   

Before lunch, we glanced out the window to see that the strong winds were continuing. The ship's motion due to the swell had increased during the morning, and so we moved carefully about the ship and held on tight during lunch. After a nap or some time up in the Observation Lounge watching the Antarctic storm rage, we met Photo Coach Richard Harker in The Theater for his presentation entitled, "Taking charge of your digital camera". Richard went into detail on many of the features of today's digital cameras, including concepts like histograms and exposure compensation, which would help us greatly in capturing Antarctica in photos.

Particularly appropriate for the current weather, "Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure" was shown on the big screen, and many of us grabbed a cup of tea and headed up to watch the film. While we were certainly being rocked back and forth, our situation certainly paled in comparison to that experienced by the crew of Shackleton's ship, Endurance. This was followed by Marine Biologist Jim McClintock's talk entitled, "Drug discovery in Antarctica. Jim went into detail about the chemical defenses that many marine organisms use, and how some of these chemicals actually have properties that may aid in the prevention and cure of certain diseases. 

Before dinner, we gathered for a Recap and Briefing with the Expedition Staff, where Naturalist Suzana Machado D'Oliveira Harker covered a particularly appropriate topic for the day: the Beaufort wind scale. This was followed by Naturalist Rich Pagen's hilarious recap on skuas and dive-bombing terns. We relaxed over a quiet dinner, and dropped by the Observation Lounge for a drink before heading off to bed to dream of tomorrow's calmer seas.