For a few days now, our trajectory may seem strange… Indeed, we have not made a straight line between the Marion and Crozet islands, but in zig and zag in a south-eastern and then north-eastern direction. The cause: crossing fronts, a sort of border between two distinct oceanographic regions, which are characterized by different temperatures […]
Today we have continued with the PCR test to detect any possible cases of COVID-19 on board the Marion Dufresne. In my case, I had the nose swab by the on-board doctor, Melanie Bauducel, at 9h30AM. From the six PCR tests I have had in the last year I can confirm that she is by […]
In a pink and blue dawn, the snowy peaks of Marion Island are at the North-West. Cheerful smiles light up the faces of our South African colleagues. It is much calmer than the previous days. We are right at the foot of the very steep slope that surrounds the island. The programme of the day: […]
For two days, taking turns in shifts, three teams of three people simultaneously monitored two screens: one for bathymetry, the other for the water column to spot “bubbles”, signs of hydrothermal sources, without practically blinking an eye… On land, with the teams who could not embark, the same schedule: every hour, the files were processed, […]
Living an experience like the finish of the Vendée Globe sailing race, which is particularly tight this year, is in many ways a jostling experience. First of all by the collective nature of the way the event is experienced on board: few screens without offering the “Vendée” window at a click’s distance. From the bar […]
Since Sunday 24th, 10 days after the departure, and on the order of the Commander, the mask has been officially relegated to its full jurisdiction. Our small territory of 120m by 20m is thus declared free of COVID-19, from bridge A to bridge I. If we cannot speak of jubilation — the worrying news from […]
The major tool used by oceanographers is the rosette, which allows water to be sampled at all depths. It is a crown of PVC bottles that we send empty (and open so that they do not implode under pressure!) and we order them to be closed at the desired depths. This control is possible thanks […]
11th day aboard the Marion Dufresne. The swell passes harmoniously in a disconcerting silence. Six o’clock in the evening, as the last rays of sunshine pierce through the clouds, the first dancers enter the stage: the ballet of the white-chinned petrels begins. Their deep black silhouettes hurtle down to the troughs and then acrobatically up […]
We, the oceanographers, like to get up from the water by all means… We have already presented you the rosettes, but now it’s time for the pumps! Far from giving you a lecture on the different types of pumps, but we have had to test several of them to fill 1000L drums for Beryllium 7 […]