Bergy Bits

Lat - 54 53.16S

Long - 40 42.65W

Depth - 2159m

It's been a while since the update, sorry. It's not that it's been all that busy either, but i've also been working on the cruise website which takes up time - check it out if you have the time, has some great photos on it. We're in the Central South Scotia Sea at the moment still sampling for the geologists. Getting somewhat boring now actually, and we still have another week before Laura and I get to sample again. When it does finally get around to being our time again, we'll be headed to Elephant Island to sample in the shallow shelf just off the island (~200m) and then head into deeper waters going all the way to 3000m into the Drake Passage. It'll be good to see Elephant Island, we're hoping for a stop off onshore as a morale boost - but the weather has to be perfect for that to happen, so we're not letting on to anyone, keep it as a surprise if it happens, and if it doesn't at least we'll get to see the island. Elephant Island is where Shackleton landed and left one of the boats of men while he went off to get help. Would be great to see that beach. 

The scenery has actually been way better than expected - lots of icebergs everywhere of all different shapes and sizes, some covered in penguins. I've actually never seen so many icebergs, but this area of the Scotia Sea is known as Iceberg Alley. There are also lots of "bergy bits" that keep hitting the ship - these are much smaller bergs (a few meters total) so can't be classed as a full iceberg. There has also been a bunch of "slick ice" out - this is a thin layer of ice that floats in a slick and has bergy bits all in it too. These particular bits of slick ice have also had seals in too! 

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Cruise Website - 

http://censeam.niwa.co.nz/outreach/nathaniel_b._palmer