PS127 – Weekly Report No 5 | 2 - 6 January 2022
Last full week of calm seas until Cape Town
[06. January 2022]
After countless hours processing and cleaning bathymetry data for the past couple weeks we have reached South Africa and shut down the hydroacoustics, as well as Polarsterns underway measurements. Underway CTD casts of two times per day have also ended. This was the last real science for the cruise and I will miss these daily undertakings.
The normal routine has now shifted to writing reports, calculating final graphs and preparing data for archive. Packing equipment is also on the agenda the last days, along with the weather teams last weather balloon deployment and forecasts. We witnessed again beautiful, clear skies with shooting stars and for the first time, some wildlife. Throughout the journey, there was not much in the way of wildlife. Only a few whales were seen by a select few, and apparently, a sighting of a hammer head shark. However, upon our arrival, Albatross birds were guiding us into port to meet the pilot just before dawn on the 4th of January. Once we docked the ship, we realized we had the best spot on the pier with a view of Table Mountain, Lions Head and Signal Hill directly to port side.
The TROPOS team spent the past few days under the beating sun preparing their container for unload. They removed outdoor devices and secured items inside with rope. The crew were busy unloading and loading products in Cape Town, along with removing this container from the Pile Deck. Packing, cleaning and of course the first goodbyes came fast. With a bit of a staggered departure due to different return flights to Germany, eventually all crew and scientists disembarked on the 6th of January.
Having the delicious food until the end, with new, local fish prepared and a great last evening with everyone, it was clear that all enjoyed the expedition. Many thanks to the captain and crew for a making it a successful and pleasurable experience on Polarstern for all of us scientists, while bearing with me as a first-time chief scientist!
Best wishes,
Laura Hehemann
Contact
Science Coordination
Ingo Schewe
+49(471)4831-1709
ingo.schewe@awi.de
Assistant
Claudia Klages
+49(471)4831-1105
claudia.klages@awi.de