Sunday 1 March was our first full day on board MS Roald Amundsen bound for Antarctica. It was a beauty.
The water was super still so very little chance of getting seasick and we passed by forested and snow-covered mountains, and the Nations Glaciers (so named because each one is called something like Italy Glacier, French Glacier, etc) — though there aren’t 160+ of them.
We woke early and were quick down to breakfast at Restaurant Aune for another buffet. Food great, and it was all pretty casual.
Glen toddled off to the conference while I went up on Level 7 Observation Deck for the Wildlife Lookout session.
We saw a few seals bursting through the water as well as a couple of small whales in the distance (spotted from their spray), and plenty of black-browed albatross (wandering albatross yet to come).
The weather was glorious all day with plenty of sunshine so that you could walk around outside in t-shirt and chinos. Wonderful!
We had another briefing at 9:30 which covered what the ship has to offer (lots), the science and expedition programs, and how to get in and out of the zodiac.
It was here we were teased with the idea of going ashore at the Island of Cape Horn (weather permitting).
We went back outside for a while just to look around (there’s something exceptionally calming about doing nothing but looking at spectacular scenery in the middle of nowhere) before Glen and I went to the gym.
The gym is fairly well stocked — lots of cardio machines of course but suitable free weights and a couple of other machines. I adjusted my program and got in a full workout.
After a quick shower, we collected our wet weather boots (size 40 for me and size 39 for Glen) and our group patches.
These patches get stuck onto the side of our red waterproof jackets that we collected yesterday and indicate which group you’re in.
We’re in Leopard Seal 11 (there are 12 groups) – the best group of all, of course.
Lunch then. Stuffed ourselves, which we need to be mindful of, and then went to look at the Nations Glaciers through Beagle Channel we were passing.
The most impressive was the one we saw out the window that was glacier on top and massive waterfall coming out the bottom into the water.
This was also where we saw the two waters meet – a distinctive line between saltwater and the freshwater, one dark blue, one light blue.
From glacier watching to lecture watching, we returned to our room and watched the lecture on channel 4 about the ship’s 7 (or is it 9?) Citizen Science programs.
(There are lectures given all the time on level 6 but it’s great to be able to watch them from the comfort of our room.)
The Roald Amundsen participates in a lot of citizen science programs which gives us the opportunity to go out on “Science Boats” to take part in as well.
The boat ones relate to plankton but there’s a cloud cover one (Globe Observer app with NASA) and bird one (eBirds) which we can take part in at various points throughout the trip.
At 4:30 I went to the Science Centre for the introduction to what they have there — some great microscopes (I looked at plankton and a barnacle) and three whale researchers.
They showed footage of a mother and calf grey whale off the coast of Mexico where the mother was resting and the calf was flailing about on her back near her tail.
Absolutely adorable but you got the feeling that the mother was thinking, “For god’s sake, can’t I have five minutes peace?”
From the Science Centre, Glen and I went out to the pool and jacuzzis.
We’d gone past them earlier in the day but they were packed full of people. When we returned, there were only three others and they soon left.
All three water bodies are outdoors. The jacuzzis are super-heated so they’re great on cold days but can get a bit hot.
The pool is probably about 28°C or 29°C so they’re a bit chillier but still bearable. Glen and I had a fun time larking about.
(This also brings me to the Polar Plunge that they’re going to be running at various stops in Antarctica. I HAVE to do this but I am equally terrified of the freezing cold water. Still, it’s non-negotiable.)
Glen went off to the conference for a bit while I stayed out by the pool. It was warm enough to sit out on the sun lounges for a while (though I had to still wear my robe and cover my feet).
There was a Captain’s Welcome at 7:30, one of the few times alcohol is free on the ship, and from there we went to dinner.
We’re in the second seating and sat in a group of four with Ravinder and Narelle. Our table is at the back of the boat with a great view.
By this time we’d been stopped outside Port Williams for a while, and the ship had turned around, which I’d felt earlier but hadn’t been certain of.
Dinner was a set menu, four courses (but I had three) and we had a bottle of champagne to celebrate Ravinder’s birthday.
When we finished, the staff came out playing a guitar, sang Happy birthday three times, and gave her a small cake with ‘Happy Birthday’ written on it. How nice!
Dinner done, we went our separate ways and headed off to bed, our first full day at sea complete.
Travels with Dan 
What do you say, eh?