A major change of scenery: we have arrived at the French coastal station Dumont d'Urville. The last couple of hours, navigating the ice pack, were breathtaking. Spotting the first penguins and seals, enjoying the fine weather –for after our days at sea in a quite non-descript grey, the arrival occurred in an open blue sky– and feeling the cracks and bumps of ice shelf pieces along the ship was nothing short of magic! The last part of the navigation became quite tricky, because of the ice, and the crew was assisted by helicopter guidance, showing us the best way between small icebergs and along the iceshelf.
The arrival in Dumont d'Urville was quite festive. Indeed, most scientists return from year to year, and our welcoming was like a homecoming for many. The crew that will winter over here, 27 persons in total, was also complete with our arrival. Dumont d'Urville is built on an island, and consists of several buildings on a rocky penguin colony. Since this is breeding season, it looks (and smells!) like a giant chicken run, where pathways of steel grids take us humans above the hundreds and thousands of penguins present. Ornithologists are having a field trip!
We were supposed to leave for Concordia by plane the next morning, being January 4th. However, that plan seemed ever evolving, and yesterday was mostly spent preparing and waiting for a plane that never came. Current state of transfer status involves our departure on Friday morning (January 7th), however, this seems like an eminently adaptable and flexible schedule. People "in transit" have not been allocated accommodation on the base, so we remain in what begins to feel like home, namely the ship.
In the meantime, we enjoy the Antarctic summer. For this really feels like summer, despite the temperature not getting higher than 2 or 3°C. The sky is blue, the sun in fierce, and we're hopping along any possible field trip by boat or hiking around the base. I paid a lengthy visit to the medical facility, which is astonishing. Indeed, there is a dentist's practice, a patient room, an X-Ray machine, a usual practice room and a full blown OR, equipped with anesthesia hardware and everything. MDs spending a campaign here first train in military hospitals in France, where they are trained in the most basic techniques in dentistry, surgery and anesthesiology.
