Traveling by ship is not the fastest way to go, but our slow and steady pace is helping me understand and appreciate the vastness of the ocean.
I stopped to talk to mechanical engineering scientist James Matthee yesterday, and he showed me a fascinating map that he was processing. Using a satellite photo of the Weddell Sea taken earlier that morning, James had applied a computer algorithm to analyze current ice conditions and plot the best possible route for the ship to travel in order to reach the Endurance sink site with the least amount of strain on the S.A. Agulhas II. It was so cool! James could even determine what percentage of the remaining journey would put minimal, medium or heavy stress on the vessel if we take that path. This is just one way that scientists onboard the ship are helping us all reach the Endurance sink site while learning a lot about reading and predicting ice conditions along the way.
Expedition doctor Dr. Lucy Coulter has been working hard to keep everyone healthy in the midst of the COVID pandemic. Knowing that we may encounter rougher seas soon, I visited her in the ship’s hospital to get some preventative seasickness medication. I have talked before about how well prepared the Endurance22 Expedition team is for whatever comes our way, but the size of the S.A. Agulhas II’s onboard hospital took me by surprise. It is huge! Hopefully no one will need it, but it sure is nice to see that such impressive medical facilities are available.
