[drummy]

Hi jillh,

It's a tall order you've set!

How much time did you spend on the Southern Ocean? For example, crossing it in a ship, flying over it, swimming in it (sounds very cold!!).

Unlike many current members of BAS I sailed from Southampton through the Bay of Biscay, down the Atlantic to Montevideo then on to The Falklands. From there to South Georgia on into the Weddell Sea to Halley Bay back to the Falklands then to Punta Arenas in Southern Chile before heading to Signy Island (Paul's base) then on down the Peninsula to Marguerite Bay. This whole journey took several months as I left UK in January and reached Stonington Island in March. As a result I experienced not only the Southern Ocean but also most of the Western North Atlantic. Doldrums and South Atlantic. Prior to that I had already 'enjoyed' the North Atlantic and some canoeing around the coast of Greenland. As far as 'over' the Southern Ocean is concerned I've flown over some of the coastal areas around the Peninsula but not the Ocean per se. I am a member of the Antarctic Swimming Club both voluntary and involuntary, and yes, it was damned cold. I suppose one thing we have to agree on is where the ?Southern Ocean? starts and I suppose the Antarctic Convergence? is as good as any. I found the Convergence startling. It was a clear line on the surface where the water colour changed quite dramatically. Shortly thereafter the first tabular iceberg appeared and Mr Kodak must have been rubbing his hands together in glee as all on board shot off rolls of film.

What was the ocean like at the time?

With the exception of the Bay of Biscay the Atlantic was calm, sunny, warm and most enjoyable. Activities included sun bathing on the heli-deck, routine ship maintenance and standing wheel watch during the nights. There were several wildly contrasting sections of note. Montevideo to The Falklands, Falklands to S Georgia and Falklands to Punta Arenas each involved lumpy water. The Roaring Forties do roar! Watching waves of 40+ feet passing under the stern of the ship is invigorating to say the least. From the heli-deck I recall looking up at the wave crests looming behind the ship and wondering (in a semi-detached way) if the ship was going to rise to them. Another favourite pastime of mine was watching the waves breaking over the bows of the ship (ideally from the comfort of the bridge) in torrents often accompanied by multiple rainbows if the sun was shining. On one occasion the wind was so strong that the surface couldn?t form real waves, it was simply torn into masses of spindrift and driving spray. The raw power of an ocean storm is awesome in the true sense of the word rather than its current usage.

The ocean is totally neutral; it just ?is?. Flat calm or in its full stormy glory it has none of the emotional traits people seem to like attributing to it. It neither threatens nor treats kindly. It?s simply the combination of weather, currents and tides albeit fascinating and damned spectacular at times. Yes, it can be dangerous but a good ship and an experienced crew can cope with most conditions if they are aware of the ocean?s potential and prepared for it.

Did you get seasick?

Slightly queasy in a Bay of Biscay gale but nothing thereafter.

Did you see whales or seabirds, or other marine life?

As Paul has said the Southern Ocean abounds with wildlife. Sea birds by the million, albatrosses, skuas, antarctic terns, petrels, penguins, sheathbills, snow petrels. Whales I sadly saw little of. Some distant, fleeting glimpses of a dark hump and dorsal fin rolling out of and back into the water with a slow, smooth motion or a ?blow? cloud of condensation. The only identifiable whales I saw were a few pods of Orca which are easily recognisable from their dorsal fins. Mind you I didn?t need to go south to see them as I have also seen Orca off the west coast of Scotland.

Marine mammals by the ?barrow load?. Seals, and dolphins mainly. On my first run into Port Stanley along the north coast of the Falklands had the joy of dolphins playing (porpoising) in the bow wave of the ship and leaping effortlessly, clear of the water and penguins ?porpoising ? away from noise of the ship?s engines. This lasted for several hours. Seals were mainly around the base, Weddell seals, Leopard seals (a few) and Crabeaters.

How did the ocean make you feel?

Mainly feelings of wonder, fascination and amazement whilst on the ship. Irritation from time to time when the motion of the ship in a gale meant I couldn?t sleep and bounced from one end of my bunk to another.

Once I was on base the sea took on a different meaning. In summer it brought the ships and fleeting contact with the outside world to which I had a rather ambivalent attitude. The news, letters and supplies were welcome but at times I recall a mild feeling of resentment for the intrusion but I can scarcely blame the sea for that. Open water also brought some of the most amazing, sculpted icebergs which if you hadn?t seen them, you could never have imagined.

Once if froze over it?s character changed totally. From the rather comforting, sound of waves on shore less than 100 yards from the base it became ethereally quiet and serene on cold calm days. From time to time the quiet would be dramatically broken by sharp bangs like artillery or gunshots as pressure waves split the surface or by thundery growls as currents moved the frozen in bergs or caused flows to rub together. It?s one of the things about the Antarctic I most appreciated? the real quiet. When sounds do happen the contrast and impact is multiplied. The frozen and freezing sea also offered some truly amazing sights. Frost smoke, ice flowers, pancake ice.

As I was also a dog sledge driver I did a fair bit of sea ice sledging and it became a highway and means of access to areas otherwise inaccessible. It also became a source of real danger, significantly more so than in its liquid form. Sea ice breaks due to wind and currents, There are thin bits which just bend under you and the team if you are lucky and leads which can open up rapidly. The Antarctic is the windiest place on earth. Sea ice, strong winds and sledge travel are not conducive to peace of mind, especially if you have to camp on the ice overnight. This combination of factors is a wonderful natural cure for constipation!


Hope this helps the research.


drummy