Hi Everyone,
Today was my birthday! Thank you so much for all of the messages, gifts and cards, they were hugely appreciated. Celebrating a birthday on the ship was certainly an unusual experience, but the crew really made me feel at home. As I arrived at breakfast in the morning I received an impromptu chorus of happy birthday (albeit with a solo for the first line or two….). I also received some very thoughtful group cards as well as some lovely presents, including a beautiful cuboid of glass with the ship etched inside. Gifts brought from the UK were also much appreciated, with a hand-etched glass brought by a fellow PhD student as well as some much needed sugar and Antarctic-themed gifts from the family. We also discovered that I share a birthday with the captain!
Although the waves today were only 1-1.5m, we still found ourselves struggling somewhat with the seasickness and found the ideal cure for this was time spent on the front deck in the fresh air and with full view of the horizon. Unfortunately, this meant we were forced to spend most of the day on the deck in the sunshine watching the wildlife……
The highlights were a couple of whales seen by some of us, as well as a wide variety of (unidentified) seabirds. As our guide books were primarily designed for Antarctic birds, we struggled with these seemingly more northern birds. As evening drew close and the sun set, a small group of students remained on the deck to look for stars. Despite our lack of experience, we were able to spot the southern cross and orion (although he was upside down). Unfortunately, as I discovered the next day, staying out on deck all day can lead to some painful sunburn.
Overall, it was a fantastic birthday and very enjoyable, thanks again for all of the messages!
23/12/22
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