The Voyage South – Storm in the Southern Ocean
5 Feb – The RV Tangaroa was 65 degrees south, the barometer steadily dropping and the seas were eight meters.
The Southern Ocean is the least hospitable ocean in the world and and is in effect a great southern storm factory. Antarctica is the windiest, coldest, driest and highest continent in the world.
Iceberg to Starboard - my first iceberg
3 Feb – The second engineer hollered out Iceberg to Starboard! I grabbed my camera and raced up on deck. It looked huge, about the size of a house, but apparently this one was only a baby. As my first iceberg I decided that it deserved a name and called it SQ Island.
Icebergs may live for many years continually being transformed by wave and sea action.
White lily pond in the Ross Sea sculpture garden
As the RV Tangaroa zigzagged through the broken pack ice barrier, I was inspired by the amazing shapes and colours of the sculptured ice. This scene on a bright Antarctic summer’s day, of pancake ice between the broken pack ice, made me think of white water lilies in a pond.
Can I - shall I jump?
8 Feb – A lone Adelie penguin wondered if it was safe to join his mates on the other side. When these small icebergs or ‘bergy bits’ are backlit by the sun the transparent ice blocks show off brilliant and translucent shades of blues and turquoise.
Named after the wife of the French explorer Durmont d'Urville, Adelie penguins, at about 70cm tall, are the smallest species penguins living in the Antarctic.
"What is it?"
Little penguins looked on completely bewildered as the RV Tangaroa slowly sailed past them. Around lunchtime we passed a lazy leopard seal on a blood soaked piece of pack ice – looking like he was having an after lunch nap - penguin may have been on the menu.
The main predators of Adélie penguins are leopard seals and Orcas. Skua gulls scavenge unguarded chicks and eggs on land.
"Dive, dive"
7 Feb – Miles from land, Adelie penguins in their white shirts and little tuxedos looked up at us like little bewildered butlers, as if they have never seen a ship before. Others decided that it was not safe to hang around.
Adelie penguins are sleek swimmers and may travel 180 nautical miles in a round-trip to find food.
Moments before dawn, Mount Herschel
24 Feb - The RV Tangaroa was on station beneath Mount Herschel. The soft colours of dawn lit up the snow covered mountain ranges.
Mt Herschel (3335m) is probably the grandest and most prominent mountain of the Admiralty Mountain Range of Northern Victoria Land.
Mount Melbourne and Terra Nova Bay
13 Feb - On our port side, the near conical form of Mt Melbourne stood guard majestically over Terra Nova Bay and Cape Washington. The long twilight means I can paint well into the night so my cabin studio is now in full swing.
Mt Melbourne (2733m) is one of the very few volcanoes on the Antarctic landmass; most other volcanoes are on islands.
Early Evening - Terra Nova Bay
13 Feb – A beautiful rugged landscape surrounded us as we sailed across Terra Nova Bay.
Terra Nova Bay is located between Cape Washington and the Dryglaski Glacier. Tucked in this bay is the Italian Antarctic Base, the Mario Zucchelli Research Station, a collection of blue and orange buildings.
These paintings are from my IPY voyage on board the NIWA research vessel RV Tangaroa in February and March 2008. NIWA’s research vessel the Tangaroa went on an 8-week voyage to the Ross Sea to survey the marine environment and explore biodiversity in the region. The journey took place during the International Polar Year (IPY) – a global scientific programme designed to better understand the land and sea environments of the Arctic and Antarctic and the effects climate change has on them. ~ Alfred Memelink, Watercolour Artist and Marine Engineer
All Images Copyright © Alfred Memelink, All Rights Reserved.
|
Contact Alfred
