2nd Feb The Southern Ocean

2-Feb The Southern Ocean

Deep down into the Southern Ocean now, the least hospitable ocean in the world and includes all the sea north and around Antarctica – up to latitude 50. The temperature outside is steadily dropping, and so is the barometer. The weather is getting rougher. I am getting used to the ship’s doctor, Jen. She bursts into the mess at 0700 hours for breakfast, and while we are still rubbing off sleepy dust with grumpy greetings of ”morning”, she bursts in full of beans sort of singing a spirited “Good morning” with a smiley face like she is opening a TV morning show.

A list goes up on the mess room whiteboard above a jar to put $2 into - not a swear jar but the Iceberg Sweepstake Jar. Apparently we have to guess the latitude where we encounter the first iceberg and the winner gets the jar - with the money in it.

Our mascot, a little stuffed emperor penguin given to me by nephews and nieces, came down to the engine room with me this morning, tucked snug in the top pocket of my overalls, and joins us for our kick-off control toolbox (coffee) meeting. The toolbox meeting decides that it would be a good idea to introduce the penguin to the rest of the crew via the ship’s shared computer photo album. After our second coffee it was decided that it would be named after the latitude (in French) of the first iceberg sighted. The first photo shoot of the penguin is shot – story begins – penguin gets discovered as a stowaway hiding in a pipe.

After morning muffin and coffee time, Doc Jenny gives us a lecture about the dangers associated with working in the extreme cold temperatures that we are about to encounter. A snap refresher course on hypothermia and we learn how to ensure one lasts longer in the extreme cold. ”Take lots of breaks for hot drinks”, she recommends. (Sounds good to use – more coffee breaks). She hands us a survival pack of lip balm (lips and skin dry out fast in the completely dry air) and sunscreen, (BIG ozone hole over Antarctica we are told). We are informed that there is a big blue shipping container on our foredeck packed with emergency rations for crew, including many ‘one square meals’ and bars of chololate. We practice donning the emergency survival suits, and had lots of laughs taking turns trying to get into the cumbersome red floater suits.

On my rounds to the Bow Thruster room, I hear honking. No, not ice scraping and bumping against the hull yet but our Captain, Andrew Leachman, practicing his sax in the computer room. Some cool jazz sounds wafting out.

Apparently we are due to cross the ACC today so I am told. My understanding is never to cross the ACC as it is a governement department. But no, this is aparently a different sort of ACC. This ACC stands for Antarctic Circumpolar Current. This is the main current in the Southern Ocean, a 21,000 km current that travels from west to east right around Antactica, flowing between the Lattitudes of 50 and 60 south. It is also known as the West Wind Drift. The ACC is the biggest current in the world and transports 150 billion litres per second of water at up one kilometre per second. The Southern Ocean is in one of the windiest parts of the planet and its currents are driven mainly by the wind. The wind that blows over the surface of the ocean passes its energy to the water molecules in the ocean, giving the water more kinetic energy. Friction between the sea water and the bottom of the ocean cause the movement of the water or current to slow down. It is the balance between these two forces that stops the currents from getting faster and faster.

The ACC is right on the Cnvergence Zone, this is the line where the colder North Antarctic water creeps below the warmer sub Antarctic sea water. There is a sudden change of water temperature, Foggy misty atmosphere.was told that as soon as we cross into it, the sea temperature would plummet. It sure did, from about 7 degrees to minus 1.5 degrees.
We all get issued our cold weather packs, several sets of long johns, short johns, thick socks, many different sorts of gloves, balaclava and special thick felt boots that fit inside gumboots – all serious cold stuff.