Day 7

Much better sleep with the ear plugs, and I even did not miss breakfast !
Another boring day preparing the second water sampler (see picture below).
At least it is done. Almost all the instruments are ready, just in time since we are arriving in the planned deployment area tomorrow around 2 am. But we won't deploy right away, we will first look whether there is not too much sea ice to deploy the instruments. The moorings have been designed to go "anchor last", which means we put all the buoyancy devices and instruments in the water, and then throw the heavy weight at the end of the mooring line over board, and it entrains the mooring with it as it sinks to the bottom. So we need an area clear of sea ice, otherwise the mooring elements would get entangled and damaged by the ice floats. If there is too much sea ice, we may have to deploy elsewhere or at another time later during the cruise...

I am out of luck picture-wise: this morning when going to the room where the instruments are, I have to pass on deck first, I saw a nice seal 20 m from me, who was looking at the ship passing next to him, but of course I did not have my camera ! At the end of the afternoon, after finishing preparing the water sampler, I took a break to try to get pictures of seals or penguins, but saw none during 20 minutes. Then, when going back to the instrument room after dinner, I saw a group of penguins making a circle on an ice float, as if they were discussing or playing, and again I did not have my camera with me ! Arghh !!! I cannot have my camera all the time, especially when I am working... But patience, once our moorings are deployed, I'll have more time for taking pictures and enjoying the landscape. I hope we will be able to deploy tomorrow !