We set sail from Fremantle port at 2pm on 2nd January. We are steaming towards the south west Indian Ocean ridge in glorious conditions. We began our first watch under a blue sky with low winds and good visibility. However if there were any whales out there, despite the enthusiasm, our team of 6 – Paul Hodda, myself, Marty, Maria Garcia, Zachary and Margarite – was unable to find them on our first full (14 hour!) day of watching. We have already been enticed with a taste of the goodies ahead with an evening glimpse of a large whale off Rottnest Island, Western Australia in the fading light, just a few hours into our voyage on the first evening, as well as a more leisurely view of our first majestic wandering albatrosses.

My experience of large ships has been that for the first couple of days most people lay low in their cabins as their bodies readjust to life at sea. We have been lucky so far (and keep your fingers crossed for us as we approach the roaring 40’s!), having had calm conditions since our departure and very few people have been suffering as a result. Meal times have been the usual bustle of full plates and chatter as new faces and old come face to face. There are always a few new faces up on the bridge too, where we have been busy setting up our equipment and undergoing training for the next 11 weeks of whale, seal and sea-ice surveys in the Southern Ocean.

We are currently powering, where for many of the scientists on board work begins. The next 8 or 9 days will see us traversing across the ocean water of the south west Indian Ocean, without encountering any islands or land, towards our first official CTD transect.

More on CTDs (and hopefully whales!) in the next web update.

Sarah Dolman/WDCS©

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