Monday 5 November 2012

A quiet day at sea

It is with great anticipation that we spend our second full day at sea sailing in the good Norwegian ship Fram south-south-east to the Falkland Islands. This time allows us to conjure-up our own imagined views of what the islands will look like and our lectures give us the information we need to make these "day-dreams" accurate. As of now we have to wait less than 24 hours to reach our goal!

The Norwegian flag flying at the stern of Fram
In the meantime we have been enjoying the ship and getting to know each other- this is an important part of cruising on the Fram. Today conditions remained relatively calm and probably for this reason, the seabirds were a little thin. They need an energetic wind to fly efficiently. However, later in the day the breeze picked up (the sun came out) and this brought the birds back to the ship. 

A great fit!
Today, an important part of our preparation for future destinations entailed being fitted with our "Muck Boots'. These new-age rubber boots will be just what we need to keep our feet warm and dry during our landings. Another important feature is that they can be cleaned and disinfected between landings. This is crucial to eliminating the chance of contamination of sites particularly in South Georgia and Antarctica.

A young Southern Giant Petrel
And to end a great, relaxing day, the skies looked like this!