My alarm clock rings at seven, like almost every morning, and before I get up I try to guess whether we are standing or travelling, as I do almost every morning. Did the krill people finish the calibration of the echosounder? Yesterday afternoon it still seemed like a very big task... But no, a glimpse out of the window tells me that we are quietly sailing through the polynya which surrounds the ship as calm as a little mill pond. The shelf ice edge is shimmering magically in the distance even under the overcast sky.
During the morning preparations start to accommodate the 33 german construction workers waiting to start the building of the new station. They have been waiting on the south African station SANAE and on the south African ship “SA Agulhas” so far. Now we have to move together for short time. The mood on the ship changes, everybody smiles, but at faces unknown, we are not used to that any more. I suddenly realise how much of a family we have become during the last six weeks, no matter how much we differ in our working rhythms and personalities.
The plan for the evening was to continue a much loved tradition, the Belgian Night at the Zillertal. Our Belgian colleagues brought some samples of their famous beers for tasting. Will it still take place, will there be enough beer to share with the guests? Well, sure, some people say. No, it will be postponed, others point out. Henri, he is from Bruxelles, he must surely know. Will be postponed, he says. Ten minutes later in the Red Saloon the opinion is that it will take place after all. It is not until the evening seminar that this important question is answered unequivocally. The Belgian Night will take place this coming Saturday.
We also hear more of the story about our guests. They spent some time at the nearby South African station Sanae and were going to be flown to Neumayer by South African helicopters, but the weather was not good enough for a flight over the ice. Polarstern came as far at a short notice, and the workers were flown to the ship and will travel with us to the Neumayer station. The orcas, of course, knew all this beforehand, and as if to entertain our guests, they gave a stunning performance just before dinner. Brigitte Ebbe, Senckenberg
Photos: A. Brandt, University of Hamburg, IMARES