Almost There...

We’re getting closer! Our ship ispresently at 61°S latitude – the Antarctic circle begins at 66°S, and the ice pack is likely to begin at 65°S. At our present speed, we are likely to cross the Antarctic Circle tonight or tomorrow. The evidence for our advance is accumulating; we now experience daylight through midnight, and once we cross the Antarctic Circle we will experience 24 hours of daylight through February 17th, when the sun will briefly set for the first time. Don’t forget, its summer down here!
This also means that very soon we will begin our experiments, which we are all anxious about. There may also be some opportunities to get out onto the ice to sample some critters along the ice edge, which will provide an excellent vantage point of the location and our research vessel.

We are all very eager to hit the pack ice and begin work, and although we have been at sea now for nearly a week, the realization of being in Antarctica is finally hitting home.

It’s very exciting.