Farewell to East Antarctica and passage through the Weddell Sea

For us, it will take some more time to get home – even if the polar impressions slowly vanish. The 66.5th degree latitude both in the Southern and in the Northern hemisphere has a special name: polar circle. From there towards the pole the sun does not set for at least one day during summer (at the pole the sun does not set at all for half a year). For weeks, we sailed at latitudes between the polar circle and the pole. Consequently, we undertook our research on 49 days of permanent illumination. The sun did not even dip under the horizon. So, breakfast became dinner and vice versa (we have warm meals three times a day anyhow). However, now we are heading north again – and it gets dark at night. Sleeping at night is easier after all, at least for somebody from central Europe.

And then there was the thing with Neptune. He gets especially upset about intrusions into his underwater world in the region covered by the Antarctic Treaty (south of 60° S). In comparison, he is not more than slightly annoyed about equator crossings. In accordance with the rules of the German Federal Environmental Agency any person crossing the Antarctic Circle has to prove his/her knowledge of environmental friendly behaviour by attending a certified course. Similarly, everybody who has reached some degree of purity and cleanliness has to carry with him/her a baptism certificate signed by Neptune himself. If somebody does not possess such a certificate... our further report won’t say a thing what will happen to him/her. Also here words cannot reflect the personal experience, which mainly depends on whether you stood inside or outside of the baptismal font. Anybody who participated in the polar baptism on our cruise may report this at home by him-/herself – ideally behind closed doors.

For a while our ship has become a floating lecture theatre when reaching the northern Weddell Sea. A new series of presentations has started, which are predominantly given by our young researchers on board. A few days on transit to Punta Arenas are well suited for reporting and discussing the first results from the data and samples collected over the last two months. Beforehand a small rustic dinner is served in the deck workshop to celebrate the end of the station work. Some ice fish and shrimps were left over from the last very successful trawl – they were treated not with formalin but with onion, garlic and oil...