First iceberg spotted!

Yesterday, at the passing of 54°04' South, we were called on deck to view our first iceberg. Pictures are waiting to be uploaded, for it was really magnificent! According to the captain, it's quite high up north. And along with the sightseeing opportunity, everyone is coming back to life: people don't look too greenish anymore, as the sea has indeed subdued to a true gentle rocking.

And of course, we celebrated the new year, twice actually: once at Hobart time, and once more an hour later at Dumont d'Urville station time. It started as a quiet nice evening, and ended in passionate discussions about facebook and the new world (dis)order, just like a decent party ought to be!

I'm getting to know my fellow passengers (conversations begin to rise above the usual level of commenting various degrees of seasickness and the different prevention strategies), and the number of scientists/projects represented in this campaign is quite impressive. But then again, France has a long standing tradition of Antarctic activities, and a whole infrastructure supporting the research program. From glaciology over climatology, marine biology, ornithology and geology, this looks like the mother of all field trips for scientists!